Bishop P. I. Vara Prasad (born 8 October 1962) is a silver jubilee Priest Rev. Peyyala Isaac Varaprasad has been Selected as the New Bishop in the Rayalaseema Diocese of the CSI''Communication of CSI Synod News'', February 20, 2021.

' and current bishop of Rayalaseema Diocese of the Church of South India. Ever since his ordination as deacon/Presbyter in 1993 by then Bishop L. V. Azariah, he began his career as a Priest in Churches within ecclesiastical jurisdiction of CSI-Diocese of Rayalaseema that comprise parts of civil states of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

and Telugu-speaking parts of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

. Vara Prasad is well versed in conducting

mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

, following

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

Congregational Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christianity, Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice Congregationalist polity, congregational ...

and

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

rites.

Ministerial formation

Vara Prasad undertook spiritual studies as a fully-resident seminarian at

Andhra Christian Theological College 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 Gr ...

Secunderabad Secunderabad () is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South ...

, affiliated to nation's firstUNESCO Structures of University Education in India, 1952
/ref> University, the

Senate of Serampore College (University) The Senate of Serampore College (University) is an ecumenical regulatory and affiliating body for Christian theological education, which works in partnership with Bible colleges, seminaries and theological research institutes in the Indian subco ...

, where he studied

Bachelor of Theology The Bachelor of Theology degree (BTh, ThB, or BTheol) is a two- to five-year undergraduate degree or graduate degree in theological disciplines and is typically (but not exclusively) pursued by those seeking ordination for ministry in a church, de ...

during the academic years 1989–1992. He studied at the seminary at a time when cycle of principalship was rolling over from Suppogu Joseph, STBC to M. Victor Paul, AELC, both of whom were New Testament Scholars. Co-faculty comprised Systematic Theologians, Regunta Yesurathnam, CSI, B. J. Christie Kumar, STBC, G. Dyvasirvadam, CSI, as well as P. Joseph, STBC and G. T. Abraham, CSI, who taught

Christian Ministry Christian ministry is the vocational work of living and teaching about faith, in the hopes of increasing the population of God's people done by the church, church officials, congregational members, and Jesus followers. The '' Cyclopedia of Bib ...

. With availability of international Scholars from

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, Vara Prasad was exposed to faculty, that composed of alumni from Universities of

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

and

Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...

, Klaus Schäfer, EMS, Raymond Waldock, CBM and Tracy Greer Gipson, ABM. Communicative English and library accession system were enhanced with presence of LaVerne Louise-Waldock and Marjorie May Lynch-Gipson. Much like any University Grants Commission-recognised institution, Vara Prasad learnt the nuances of academic learning in a semester system. He also learnt

Biblical Greek Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-regional form of Greek spoken and written during the Hellenistic ...

and

Biblical Hebrew Biblical Hebrew ( or ), also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language, a language in the Canaanite languages, Canaanitic branch of the Semitic languages spoken by the Israelites in the area known as the Land of Isra ...

from perhaps the best available Scholars in India in Serampore University system. During his three-year ministerial formation at Protestant Regional Theologiate in Secunderabad, Vara Prasad also came under the tutelage of Old Testament Scholar, G. Babu Rao, CBCNC,. Wilson, H. S. (Edited), ''The Church on the Move: Essays in honour of

Victor Premasagar Victor Premasagar (1927–2005) was the fourth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop in Medak. He was an Indian churchman and Old Testament scholar who made major contributions to research on the Old Testament and to the field of theology. Prem ...

'', Christian Literature Society,

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

, 1988, p.vi

/ref> Prasad was awarded a graduate degree during 1993 convocation of

, then under Registrarship of New Testament Scholar, D. S. Satyaranjan,

IPC IPC may refer to: Businesses and organizations Arts and media * Intellectual Property Committee, a coalition of US corporations with intellectual property interests * International Panorama Council, an international network of specialists in ...

, held at

Serampore College Serampore College is located in Serampore, in West Bengal, India. Established in 1818, it is the fourth oldest college in the country after Old Seminary, Kottayam (Established 1815), CMS College, Kottayam and Presidency College in Kolkata, a ...

Serampore Serampore (also called Serampur, Srirampur, Srirampore, Shreerampur, Shreerampore, Shrirampur or Shrirampore) is a city in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Srirampore subdivision. It is a part ...

Career

Parish work

Vara Prasad's began serving in parishes under the Diocese after his ordination in 1993, that comprised Churches established by

Reformed Church in America The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 82,865 members. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed ...

London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed tradition, Reformed in outlook, with ...

and

Society for the Propagation of the Gospel United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) is a United Kingdom-based charitable organisation (registered charity no. 234518). It was first incorporated under Royal Charter in 1701 as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Pa ...

. He was in Kamalapuram,

Yerraguntla Yerraguntla is a town and Nagar Panchayat in YSR Kadapa District. It is an industrial area in YSR Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Yerraguntla mandal of Kadapa revenue division. Geography Yerraguntla is located at 7GJ5+XJ9 Ye ...

Kadapa Kadapa is a city in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located in the Rayalaseema region, and is the district headquarters of YSR Kadapa district. It is located south of the Penna River. The city is surrounded on three sides by ...

Adoni Adoni or Adavani is a city in the Kurnool district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Adoni mandal, administered under the Adoni Revenue Division. In the 2011 census of India, Adoni had a popul ...

Anantapur Anantapur, officially Anantapuramu, is a city in Anantapur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Anantapuru Tehsil, mandal and also the divisional headquarters of Anantapur revenue division. The city ...

Guntakal Guntakal, natively known as Guntakallu, is a city in Anantapur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Guntakal mandal and Guntakal revenue division.It is also the headquarters of the Guntakal Railway Division ...

Pulivendula Pulivendula is a town located in the YSR Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a small town which became 3rd grade municipality in 2008 from nagar Panchayat. It is located in Pulivendula mandal and is the headquarter ...

, among other parishes. Vara Prasad went about his priestly duties as Pastor in ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Rayalaseema under the care of able Servants, comprising L. V. Azariah, C. B. M. Frederick, K. B. Yesu Vara Prasad and B. D. Prasada Rao. Vara Prasad was involved in both spiritual and healing ministries of the Church. Gradually, he began exhibiting leadership skills for the larger cause of the Church, which included conducting retreats and also representing the Diocese at

Church of South India Synod Church of South India Synod is the highest administrative body of the Church of South India. The Synod (CSI Synod) governs the whole church and convenes the annual general meeting of CSI. The Moderator of the Synod is a Bishop who is a presiding o ...

Bishopric

Issac Vara Prasad had nearly 30 years of parish service and was a senior Priest in his diocese. He stood in fray for bishopric of the Diocese and was elected to the panel constituted by the CSI Synod. He was declared elected as Bishop by CSI Synod and was consecrated on 22 February 2021 at CSI Central Church, Kadapa by Moderator, Dharmaraj Rasalam (Principal Consecrator) and Deputy Moderator K. Reuben Mark (Co-consecrator), which was witnessed by a host of Bishops from adjoining dioceses.

Writings

Vara Prasad's parish ministry in

brought him in contact with then Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, whose family were members of CSI Church there. After coming to know about conversion experience of ancestors of YSR and their faith journey, he encouraged their family members to compile an autobiography, which could serve as a sourcebook of inspiration for others.Prasada Reddy, T. Sivarama, ''An Autobiography of Y. S. Chinna Konda Reddy'', published by Y. S. Prakash Reddy, Kadapa, 2010, pp.11–1

/ref> Vara Prasad's interest in motivating his parishioners to document could perhaps be attributed to influence of his Spiritual Formators in Church history, Church History/

History of Christianity The history of Christianity began with the life of Jesus, an itinerant Jewish preacher and teacher, who was Crucifixion of Jesus, crucified in Jerusalem . His followers proclaimed that he was the Incarnation (Christianity), incarnation of Go ...

comprising B. C. Paul, AELC, C. Yesupadam, AELC, D. J. Jeremiah, CBCNC, and K. L. Richardson, AELC, who taught at varying intervals back in his seminary days. *

References