Andhra Christian Theological College (ACTC) is a seminary in Telangana which was founded in 1964. It is affiliated with India's first university, the Senate of Serampore College (University) (a university under section 2(f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956), and has degree-granting authority under a Danish charter ratified by the government of West Bengal. ACTC is on the Hussain Sagar canal (north) in Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, about 4 km from the Secunderabad Junction railway station.

History

The college was founded on the Lutheran Theological College campus in Rajahmundry and the founding societies included the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Church of South India, the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars, the Methodist Church in India and the South Andhra Lutheran Church. The Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches held its B.D. classes at ACTC in 1967, and in 1972 the B.D. programme of the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological Seminary was integrated into the college. When M. Victor Paul was principal (1991–1993), Good Samaritan Evangelical Lutheran Church joined the college. Christian missions in Andhra Pradesh opened seminaries in Gooty (Union Theological Seminary), Dornakal (Andhra Union Theological College, for the Church of South India), Ramayapatnam (Baptist Theological Seminary, for the American Baptists), Luthergiri (Lutheran Theological College), Kakinada (Baptist Theological Seminary, for Canadian Baptists) and Shamshabad (Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College, for the Anabaptists). Although professors were exchanged among the seminaries, Bachelor of Divinity students attended Serampore College in West Bengal.

Merger

In 1964, the college was founded in Luthergiri, Rajahmundry, East Godavari with the merger of three theological colleges. In 1967, Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological Seminary, Ramayapatnam moved from Ramayapatnam to Rajahmundry, as a separate part of the college in Rajahmundry until it merged in 1972. With William D. Coleman as its first principal, the college was dedicated on 1 July 1964 by R. M. Clark of the BTESSC. The inaugural address was delivered by Senate of Serampore College registrar C. Devasahayam in Rajahmundry.

Relocation

By 1973, the college had moved from Rajahmundry to Secunderabad due to pollution from nearby paper mills. The new buildings were dedicated by Church of South India bishop Pereji Solomon in the presence of Catholic archbishop Samineni Arulappa and seminarians from St. John's Regional Seminary. During the 1990s, the college's postal address changed to Hyderabad (now in Telangana).

Overview

Kretzmann Commission

ACTC constituted the Kretzmann Commission in 1969, consisting of: The commission's report, presented to the board of governors, suggested increasing the Bachelor of Divinity curriculum and abolishing the Licentiate in Theology programme.

Administration and faculty

Board of governors

The college is administered by a board of governors composed of representatives of participating Protestant ecclesiastical societies:

Motto

The college motto is derived from Ephesians 4:12, which reads in the Latin Vulgate: "Ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerii..." ("For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry..." in the King James Version).

Hall system

W. D. Coleman, the college's first principal, explained the hall system: "Each of the participating denominations has its own 'hall'. There are two hours of instruction each week about the liturgy, history, and policy of each denomination". The churches commonly associated with Protestantism in southern India include the Anglicans, Congregationalists, Wesleyan Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans and Methodists. Each church has its own tradition. At ACTC, students learn their respective church doctrine in addition to general theology.

Principals

The principal serves a four-year term (2022-2026), with each participating church having an opportunity to provide a principal. The current principal is the Rev. G. Varaprasad, AELC, D.Th. (Serampore).

Serampore University affiliation

The college has affiliated since its founding with the Senate of Serampore College (University).

Degrees for pastors

ACTC and Serampore offer two degrees for pastors: Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.) and Master of Theology (M. Th.) under the aegis of Advanced Institute for Research on Religion and Culture (ARRC).

Distance education

Through distance education, ACTC has Bachelor of Christian Studies (B.C.S.) and Master of Christian Studies (M.C.S.) programmes for Christian students and a Diploma in Christian Studies (Dip. C.S.) programme for Christian and non-Christian students.

Registrar visits

When the college was founded in 1964, university registrar Chetti Devasahayam (CBCNC) delivered its inaugural address; registrar D. S. Satyaranjan visited the college annually. Current registrar S. K. Patro has visited ACTC to investigate the prospect of upgrading the college to a postgraduate institution.

University convocations

Master of Divinity programme through ATA

The college has begun an initiative to admit Christian candidates to a M.Div. programme, for which it has been accredited by the Asia Theological Association.

Academics

Library

ACTC's library has reading-room facilities, over 38,000 books and 35 periodicals. When the college was founded, it was known as the Dunkelberger Memorial Library. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America had sponsored the library in memory of Roy Martin Dunkelberger, AELC, a Lutheran missionary in Rajahmundry. The library was renamed the Gipson Memorial Library in 2014 in honour of Baptist missionary T. G. Gipson, STBC, who had modernized the library during his second term as a visiting faculty member at the college. The renaming ceremony was held during the tenure of T. Matthews Emmanuel (CBCNC) as principal, in the presence of board of governors chair K. Frederick Paradesi Babu (AELC) and board member V. Prasada Rao (CSI).

Student life

ACTC has recreational facilities which include throwball, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, a table tennis room and a playing field for football and cricket. Daily mass is said in the chapel for students and teachers, and Sunday mass is open to the public. College festivals include the Christian Home Festival, Carey Day, CSI Day, Reformation Day, and Independence Day.

Notable figures

Past Faculty

• Old Testament • *W. D. Coleman, PhD (Hartford): the college's first principal • *M. Vidyanandam, CSI, B.D. (Serampore), • *P. Victor Premasagar, CSI, PhD (St Andrews) • *G. Solomon, STBC, Th.M. (Eastern) • *G. Babu Rao, CBCNC, M.Th. (Serampore) • *Scott L. Harris, ELCA, PhD (Union) • *N. V. Luther Paul, AELC, D.Th. (Serampore) • *Ch. Vasantha Rao, CSI, Dr. Theol. (Hamburg) • *Henriette Howarth, C of E, M.A. (Utrecht) • *T. Mathews Emmanuel, CBCNC, D.Th. (Serampore) • *R. Jeeva Kumar, STBC, D.Th. (Serampore) • New Testament • *K. David, • *Muriel Spurgeon-Carder, CBM, Th.D. (Toronto) • *M. Victor Paul, AELC, M. Th. (Serampore) • *S. Joseph, STBC, D. Th. (Serampore) • *K. Prasada Rao, STBC, M. Th. (Serampore), • *David Roland Hall, WMMS, M. Th. (Serampore) • *Klaus Schäfer Dr. Theol. (Hamburg), • *V. Manikya Rao, AELC, D. Th. (Serampore), • *K. Suraj Kumar, CBCNC, PhD (Cape Town), • *M. John Sundar, CSI, M. Th. (Serampore), • Christian Education • *Alice M. Findlay • Social Analysis • *B. W. David Raju, • Systematic Theology • *Waldo Penner, M. Th. (Berkeley): pioneered attempts to found the college with A. B. Masilamani • *Ryder Devapriam, Th.D. (GTS): bishop of the Diocese of Nandyal and moderator of the Church of South India Synod • *Ravela Joseph, Th. M. (Andover): church history teacher and lyricist • *B. J. Christie Kumar, M. Th. (Serampore) • *G. Dyvasirvadam, M.Th. (Serampore): present bishop of the Krishna-Godavari Diocese and moderator of the Church of South India Synod • *de:Jürgen Fangmeier, Dr. Theol. (Basel): taught systematic theology from 1987 to 1990 • *L. Raymond Waldock • Practical Theology/Homiletics • *G. Devasahayam, S.T.M. (Philadelphia): third president of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church • *G. Sampurna Rao, D. Min. (McCormick) • *Manoranjan Luke, MCI • *Perapogu Joseph, Th. M. (Brite): Former Military chaplain and Pastoral care faculty • *G. T. Abraham, Th.M. (Virginia): bishop of the Nandyal Diocese • *K. Reuben Mark, PhD (Higginbottom): present bishop of Karimnagar Diocese • *A. John Prabhakar, D. Th. (Serampore) • Religions • *W. P. Peery, PhD (Duke): later taught at the United Theological College, Bangalore • *Eric J. Lott, PhD (Lancaster): later taught at the United Theological College, Bangalore • *Louis F. Knoll, Ph. D. (Berkeley): co-founder of the college • *R. R. Sundara Rao, PhD (Wisconsin): later principal of the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College in Chennai • *K. D. G. Prakasa Rao, M. Th. (Serampore) • *P. Alexander • *N. V. Vijaya Kumari • Church History/History of Christianity • *B. E. Devaraj, L.Th. (Serampore): wrote the Lambadi version of the New Testament • *W. Gordon Carder • *Tracy Gipson • *B. C. Paul • *C. Yesupadam • *D. J. Jeremiah • *K. L. Richardson • Telugu • *P. Dass Babu • English • *LaVerne Louise-Waldock • Librarianship • *Marjorie May Lynch-Gipson

Alumni

• Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church • *Bathineni Venkata Subbamma, Ph. D. (Wittenberg): first woman senator at Senate of Serampore College (University) • *Ch. Victor Moses, M. Th. (Serampore): twelfth president of the church • *V. E. Christopher, B. D. (Serampore): thirteenth president of the church • *B. Suneel Bhanu, M. Th. (Serampore): fourteenth president of the church • *K. Frederick Paradesi Babu, B. D. (Serampore): current church president • International Pentecostal Holiness Church • *B. S. Moses Kumar, Ph. D. (Agra) • Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars • *M. S. G. Lalitha Kumari, B. D. (Serampore): First ordained Woman priest of the convention • Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches • *N. Thomas, B. D. (Serampore); Ecclesiastical Administrator of Samavesam • Church of South India • *D. N. Samuel, B. D. (Serampore): fifth bishop of the Diocese of Dornakal • *A. Rajarathnam, B. D. (Serampore): sixth bishop of Dornakal • *Samuel Kanaka Prasad, B. D. (Serampore): sixth bishop of the Medak Diocese • Church of South India (Continued) • *B. D. Prasada Rao, M. Th. (Serampore): Bishop Emeritus of the Rayalaseema Diocese • *Vadapalli Prasada Rao, B. D. (Serampore): present bishop of Dornakal • *Eggoni Pushpa Lalitha, B. D. (Serampore): present bishop of the Nandyal Diocese • *T. George Cornelious, B.D. (Serampore): present bishop of Krishna-Godavari Diocese • *P. Issac Vara Prasad, B. Th. (Serampore): present Bishop - in - Rayalaseema Diocese

Board of Governors

• Methodist Church in India • *Elia Peter, Bishop Emeritus, Hyderabad Regional Conference of Methodist Church in India • *M. A. Daniel, Current Bishop, Hyderabad Regional Conference of Methodist Church in India • South Andhra Lutheran Church • *O. Michael Benhur • *K. S. Chandrasekhar • *E. Vijayabhaskar • *K. J. Premkumar • Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church • *K. Devasahayam, B. A. (Andhra), B. D. (Serampore), Th. M. (LTSP) • *S. W. Schmitthenner • *K. Nathaniel L. Th. (Serampore) • *G. Emmanuel L. Th. (Serampore) • *N. Ch. Joseph • Good Samaritan Evangelical Lutheran Church • *S. Paul Raj • *K. Abraham • Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars • *K. P. Israel • *S. E. Krupa Rao, S. T. M. (Union): Patriarch of the convention • *C. L. Johnson, B. D. (Serampore) • Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches • *B. Victor Emmanuel • *P. Sadanandam • *S. Benjamin • Church of South India • *Eber Priestley, B.A. (Birmingham), • *H. D. L. Abraham, B.D. (Serampore) • *B. G. Prasada Rao, B.D. (Serampore), M.Th. (Serampore) • *B. P. Sugandhar, B.D. (Serampore) • *A. C. Solomon Raj, B. D. (Serampore), M. Th. (Serampore) • *N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel • *T. B. D. Prakasa Rao • Church of South India (Continued) • *P. Solomon • *B. Prabhudass • *G. Benjamin Devasahayam • *K. E. Swamidass • *S. John Theodore • *P. Surya Prakash • *G. S. Luke • *D. N. Samuel • *B. S. Devamani • *Clement Venkataramiah • *Ernest John • *Pabbathi John • *P. J. Lawrence • *L. V. Azariah, B.D. (Serampore), Th. M. (WTS) • *C. B. M. Frederick, B.D. (Serampore) • *K. B. Yesu Vara Prasad, B.D. (Serampore)