Lalitha Kumari (pastor)

M. S. G. Lalitha Kumari a.k.a. Lalitha Krupa Rao[3] (born 1 June 1942;[1] died 25 September 2013[2]) was the eighth Principal of Eva Rose York Bible Training and Technical School for Women, Tuni. She held the term from 1993[1] through 2011. Lalitha was a theologically trained woman who also used to pastor a Church.[5] With her ordination in 1992,[1] she became the first Woman priest in the Protestant Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars.

The Reverend M. S. G. Lalitha Kumari, CBCNC Ammagaru
లలిత కుమారి అమ్మగారు
Born	Mutyala Sarah Grace Lalitha Kumari (1942-06-01)1 June 1942[1] Gunnanapudi, Krishna district,[1] Andhra Pradesh
Died	25 September 2013(2013-09-25) (aged 71)[2] Secunderabad, Hyderabad district, Telangana
Nationality	Indian
Other names	Lalitha Krupa Rao[3]
Citizenship	India
Education	Pre-university course, B. Th. (Serampore), B. D. (Serampore)
Alma mater	Women's Christian College, Chennai (Tamil Nadu),[1] Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad (Telangana)[1]
Occupation	Pastor and Seminary Teacher
Years active	1964[1]-2011 (47 years)
Religion	Christianity
Church	Protestant Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars Society
Ordained	1992
Writings	Fellow-Workers with God / దేవునితో జత పనివారు (1997),[4] Acts of the Apostles / అపొస్తలుల కార్యములు (1999)[1]
Congregations served	Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh)
Offices held	Teacher/Principal,[3] Eva Rose York Bible Training and Technical School for Women, Tuni (1964-1968/1993-2011), Seminary Teacher, Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada (1975-1993)[1]
Title	The Reverend

Studies

After scholastic studies in schools established by Canadian Baptist Ministries in Gudlavalleru and Kakinada, she pursued collegiate studies at Women's Christian College, Chennai.[1] She later enrolled at Eva Rose York Bible Training and Technical School for Women in Tuni, where she underwent propadeutic courses. Between 1971-1974, she again pursued theological studies at the Andhra Christian Theological College under faculty comprising Ryder Devapriam, CSI, B. E. Devaraj, CSI, Eric J. Lott, CSI, W. P. Peery, AELC, G. Devasahayam, AELC, R. R. Sundara Rao, AELC, Ravela Joseph, STBC, Suppogu Joseph, STBC, Muriel Spurgeon Carder, CBCNC, Waldo Penner, CBCNC among others.

This was the time when the Seminary was under transition[6] from Rajahmundry to Secunderabad.[7] Then Principals included the Old Testament Scholars', W. D. Coleman, AELC followed by Victor Premasagar, CSI. The Senate of Serampore College (University) awarded the degree of B.Th. by then Registrars Chetti Devasahayam, CBCNC and J. T. Krogh, NELC at its Convocation held on February 1, 1975[8] at Serampore College, Serampore where the Commemoration Mass was conducted by the Old Testament Scholar,[9] G. Babu Rao, CBCNC,[8] then Faculty Member of Serampore College[10] at the CNI-St. Olave's Church, Serampore. She later upgraded herself from B. Th. to B. D. at her Alma mater.

Career

She became a Bible Teacher at the School in 1964 teaching there between 1964-1968.[1] The School was led by Ruth Fletcher who was succeeded by Winnifred Paskall. In 1975, she moved to Kakinada teaching wives of Seminarians at the Baptist Theological Seminary up to 1993,.[1] She was ordained in 1992[1] becoming the first such Woman priest in the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars.[1]

In 1993, with the sudden death of then Principal of Eva Rose York Bible Training and Technical School for Women, S. E. Krupa Rao, the Council of the Baptist Theological Seminary in the presence of LaVerne Louise and Ray Waldock, then India representatives[11] of Canadian Baptist Ministries and G. Babu Rao, then Faculty Member[12] of Andhra Christian Theological College, proceeded to announce the name of Lalitha Kumari as 8th Principal of Eva Rose York Bible Training and Technical School for Women, Tuni solely on merits of her being an Alumna of the school during the 1960s coupled with her theological education.

Death and reminisce

Lalitha Kumari passed away on September 25, 2013[2] due to natural causes while on vacation at her Alumna, the Andhra Christian Theological College in Secunderabad. The same day, she was taken by road to Kakinada. The next day, on September 26, 2013, her Funeral mass was held at the CBM Cemetery in Jagannaickpur locality, where she was buried with ecclesiastical honours.[2]

Educational offices
Preceded by S. E. Krupa Rao, CBCNC 1989-1993	Principal, Eva Rose York Bible Training and Technical School for Women, Tuni, Andhra Pradesh 1993-2011	Succeeded by D. J. Jeremiah, CBCNC

References

Notes

1. Lalitha Krupa Rao, Acts of the Apostles, Telugu Christian Literature Service, Chennai, 1999.
2. K. Abraham, V. Alfred Sudhakar, S. I. Nirmal Kumar (Compiled), Ordained Women in Christian Ministry, CBCNC Sompeta Field Council, Sompeta, 2017.
3. James Elisha Taneti, History of the Telugu Christians: A Bibliography, Scarecrow, Plymouth, 2011, p.179.
4. Lalitha Krupa Rao, Fellow-Workers with God, Seminary Council, Kakinada, 1997.
5. Johanna Rose Ratnavathi, The Ministry of Women in Baptist Churches of Andhra in Kenneth Gill, Count us Equal: The Ministry of Women in the Church of South India, ATTWI, Bangalore, 1990, pp.189-190..
6. Minutes of the Biennial Convention, Issue 7, Lutheran Church in America, 1974, p.553.
7. Talathoti Punnaiah, My Memoir, Ministry and Message: (60 years Life Experiences 1950-2010), Kakinada, 2010.
8. Convocation Brochure, February 1, 1975 Serampore College, Serampore.
9. G. Babu Rao, Content Analysis of Theological Syllabi – Old Testament in Religion and Society, Volume XXXII, Number 3, 3 September 1985.
10. The Story of Serampore and its College, Council of Serampore College, Serampore (Fourth Edition), 2005, p.92.
11. Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec, Directory of Churches, Alphabetic by City, 1992, p. D-25.
12. H. S. Wilson (Edited), The Church on the Move: Essays in honour of Victor Premasagar, Christian Literature Society, Madras, 1988.

Further reading

• K. Abraham, V. Alfred Sudhakar, S. I. Nirmal Kumar (Compiled) (2017). "Ordained Women in Christian Ministry". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• St. Peter's Centenary Baptist Church (Gunnanapudi) (2014). "Ruby Centennial Celebrations Souvenir". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Kenneth and Shirley Knight (2009). "The Seed Holds the Tree: A Story of India and the Kingdom of God". ISBN 978-0-9864766-0-0. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Kenneth Gill (1990). "Count us Equal: The Ministry of Women in the Church of South India". Association of Theologically Trained Women in India. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Thomas S. Shenston (1888). ", Teloogoo Mission Scrap Book". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)