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Ryder Devapriam (3 July 1931 – 4 September 1992) was
systematic theologian Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topi ...
who taught during the 1960s and the 1970s at the
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 Universi ...
, a Protestant Regional Theologiate in
Secunderabad Secunderabad, also spelled as Sikandarabad (, ), is a twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South Central Railway ...
, affiliated to the nation's first University, the
Senate of Serampore College (University) The Senate of Serampore College (University) is located in Serampore in West Bengal, India. Serampore was granted the status of university in 1829, making it India's first institution to have the status of a university.Government of India, Mini ...
'' ''with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the
Government of West Bengal The Government of West Bengal also known as the West Bengal Government, is the subnational government of the Indian state of West Bengal , created by the National Constitution as the state's legislative, executive and judicial authority. The ...
. Devapriam hailed from the
Nandyal Diocese Nandyal Diocese is a diocese of Church of South India in Andhra Pradesh state of India. The diocese is one among the 22 dioceses of Church of South India in India. History The first missionaries who came to Nandyal were Arthur Inman and Alf ...
of the
Church of South India The Church of South India (CSI) is a united and uniting churches, united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of Christian denomination, mainline Protestant denominations in South India after independence. The Chur ...
and served as
Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...
in Nandyal Diocese from 1985–1992. Constance M. Millington, ''An Ecumenical Venture: The History of Nandyal Diocese in Andhra Pradesh, 1947-1990'', Issue 214 of ATC publication, Asian Trading Corporation, Bengaluru, 1993.

/ref>


Studies


General

Devapriam pursued graduate and postgraduate degrees from
Madras University The University of Madras (informally known as Madras University) is a public state university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigious universities in India, incorporated by an a ...
,
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of ...
and
Nagpur University Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU), formerly Nagpur University, is a public state university located in Nagpur, Maharashtra. It is one of India's oldest universities, as well as the second oldest in Maharashtra. It is named ...
,
Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nag ...
.


Spiritual

Devapriam chose the vocation of Priesthood and enrolled for
B. D. In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theolog ...
at the Bishops College,
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
where Emani Sambayya happened to be one of the Spiritual Formators. Before joining as Faculty Member of the
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 Universi ...
in
Rajahmundry Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Raj ...
, Devapriam pursued a postgraduate degree leading to
Master of Sacred Theology The Master of Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Magister; abbreviated STM) is a graduate-level, North American, academic degree in theology equivalent to ThM. The Roman Catholic equivalent is the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL). An h ...
specializing in the discipline of
Systematic theology Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topi ...
at the McCormick,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
. While teaching at the
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 Universi ...
which by then relocated from
Rajahmundry Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Raj ...
to
Secunderabad Secunderabad, also spelled as Sikandarabad (, ), is a twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South Central Railway ...
, Devapriam sought study leave from the Board of Governors of the College for undergoing further studies on a
World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most ju ...
scholarship in 1975World Council of Churches - Theological Education Fund Archive
enrolling at the
General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Commu ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
and rejoined the Protestant Regional Theologiate in
Secunderabad Secunderabad, also spelled as Sikandarabad (, ), is a twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South Central Railway ...
in 1981.


Ministry


Teaching

Devapriam was on the faculty of the Andhra Union Theological College,
Dornakal Dornakal is one of the largest town in Mahabubabad district of Telangana, India. The town is important as a Railway Junction where a branch line emanates to Manuguru and Bhadrachalam Road and is also on the Vijayawada - Warangal - Secunderabad ...
, teaching along with
Eric J. Lott Eric J. LottShobha Warrier,, Interview (Rediff on the Net), 1 November 1999. (born 27 May 1934 in North Devon, England)David C. Scott, Israel Selvanayagam, eds., Re-Visioning India's Religious Traditions – Essays in honour of Eric J. Lott', UT ...
, CSI, P. Victor Premasagar, CSI and
B. E. Devaraj B. E. Devaraj was a translator who pioneered the Lambadi version of the New Testament. He was Acting Commissary and Vicar General of the Archdeaconry of Nandyal from 1950 to 1951. Devaraj also taught in the Andhra Christian Theological Colleg ...
. In 1964, efforts were made by some of the Protestant Societies to come together in forming a united theologiate in
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to t ...
and
Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and ...
comprising the
Anglicans Anglicanism is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Euro ...
,
Congregationalists Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs it ...
and the
Wesleyans Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
represented through the
Church of South India The Church of South India (CSI) is a united and uniting churches, united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of Christian denomination, mainline Protestant denominations in South India after independence. The Chur ...
and the Church of North India, the Baptists through the
Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars The Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars (CBCNC) is a Baptist Christian denomination in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. The churches are part of the Telugu Christian community of Southern India. Its language is Telugu. It is affilia ...
and later on by the
Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches (STBC), (Nellore) presently Headquarters A.B.M Compound, Markapur, Prakasham District, Andhra Pradesh( by its Add General Secretary Shri. Chilka David Prakash Rao ) by its Baptist Christian denomination in ...
, the
Lutherans Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
through the
Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
and the
South Andhra Lutheran Church South Andhra Lutheran Church is a Christian denomination in India. It is Telugu-speaking. It is led by Bishop Rev.E.Vijayabhasker, who elected by an election It has tens of thousands of members. It belongs to the Lutheran World Federation. Seve ...
and the Methodists through the
Methodist Church in India Methodist Church in India is a Protestant Christian denomination of India. The Methodist Church in India's roots originate in American Methodist missionary activity in India, as opposed to the British and Australian conferences of the Methodi ...
. The efforts towards coming together of some of the Protestant societies resulted in the formation of the
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 Universi ...
in
Rajahmundry Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Raj ...
in 1964 which was carved out of four existing century-old seminaries, namely, * the Andhra Union Theological College,
Dornakal Dornakal is one of the largest town in Mahabubabad district of Telangana, India. The town is important as a Railway Junction where a branch line emanates to Manuguru and Bhadrachalam Road and is also on the Vijayawada - Warangal - Secunderabad ...
, * the
Baptist Theological Seminary Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
,
Kakinada Kakinada ( formerly called Kakinandiwada, Coringa, and Cocanada; ) is the sixth largest city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the district headquarters of the Kakinada District. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. J. ...
, * the Lutheran Theological College,
Rajahmundry Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Raj ...
, * the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological Seminary,
Ramayapatnam Ramayapatnam is a small village in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, India on the bank of the Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Banglad ...
. The
Nandyal Diocese Nandyal Diocese is a diocese of Church of South India in Andhra Pradesh state of India. The diocese is one among the 22 dioceses of Church of South India in India. History The first missionaries who came to Nandyal were Arthur Inman and Alf ...
which was founded by the
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) is a United Kingdom-based charitable organization (registered charity no. 234518). It was first incorporated under Royal Charter in 1701 as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Part ...
(SPG) was one of the founders of the College which was represented on the Faculty through
B. E. Devaraj B. E. Devaraj was a translator who pioneered the Lambadi version of the New Testament. He was Acting Commissary and Vicar General of the Archdeaconry of Nandyal from 1950 to 1951. Devaraj also taught in the Andhra Christian Theological Colleg ...
followed by Ryder Devapriam who joined the College during the 1960s in
Rajahmundry Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Raj ...
and moved on to
Secunderabad Secunderabad, also spelled as Sikandarabad (, ), is a twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South Central Railway ...
when the College was relocated serving under the
Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
Scholars,
W. D. Coleman William D. Coleman (November 26, 1915 - October 22, 2001) was the first Principal of the Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad. Coleman was born in India in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. When four theological colleges came together ...
, AELC and followed by P. Victor Premasagar, CSI. It was during the 1970s that Devapriam went on to pursue doctoral studies in 1975 and returned in 1981 by which time the
New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
Scholar K. David,
CBCNC The Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars (CBCNC) is a Baptist Christian denomination in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. The churches are part of the Telugu Christian community of Southern India. Its language is Telugu. It is affiliat ...
became the Principal. During Devapriam's tenure at the College, his co-faculty included
R. R. Sundara Rao Rayi Ratna Sundara Rao (born 1934; died 1992Rayi Ministries./ref>) was a prolific writer, theologian and comparative religion scholar who once was the principal of the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai, affiliated to India's first un ...
, AELC, G. Solomon, STBC,
Muriel Spurgeon Carder Muriel Spurgeon Carder (November 1, 1922 – June 14, 2023) was a Canadian Baptist who was the first woman ordained as a Baptist minister in Ontario and Quebec;William H. Brackney, ''Baptists in North America: An Historical Perspective'', Blackwe ...
,
CBCNC The Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars (CBCNC) is a Baptist Christian denomination in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. The churches are part of the Telugu Christian community of Southern India. Its language is Telugu. It is affiliat ...
,
M. Victor Paul M. Victor Paul (7 April 1935 – 14 October 2013) was a Biblical studies, biblical scholar who served as President of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1993 to 1997. Early years and education Victor Paul was born on 7 April 1935 int ...
, AELC,
Suppogu Joseph Suppogu Joseph (born 1 January 1939) is a Golden jubilee Pastor of the Protestant Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches with major contribution to New Testament scholarship with reference to Lukan literature. In a study on Luke in 2010 by Justin ...
, STBC, G. Devasahayam, AELC,
Eric J. Lott Eric J. LottShobha Warrier,, Interview (Rediff on the Net), 1 November 1999. (born 27 May 1934 in North Devon, England)David C. Scott, Israel Selvanayagam, eds., Re-Visioning India's Religious Traditions – Essays in honour of Eric J. Lott', UT ...
, CSI
Ravela Joseph Ravela Joseph (born 1937) is a Priest of the Protestant Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches ( STBC) with over 50 years of ecclesiastical ministry, much of which was into Spiritual formation, having taught at the Andhra Christian Theological C ...
, STBC and others. Devapriam taught
Systematic theology Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topi ...
along with
Waldo Penner Waldo Penner (1919 - 2006) was a Baptist missionary who served in India from 1946 through 1981 as a team member of the Canadian Baptist Ministries. Penner was born in Secunderabad in India where his parents were missionaries of the American Bap ...
,
CBCNC The Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars (CBCNC) is a Baptist Christian denomination in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. The churches are part of the Telugu Christian community of Southern India. Its language is Telugu. It is affiliat ...
, one of the co-founders of the College hailing from the
Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars The Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars (CBCNC) is a Baptist Christian denomination in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. The churches are part of the Telugu Christian community of Southern India. Its language is Telugu. It is affilia ...
and was joined by R. Yesurathnam, CSI in 1974. R. Yesurathnam, ''A Christian Dialogical Theology: The Contribution of
Swami Abhishiktananda Abhishiktananda ( sa, अभिषिक्तानन्द, Abhiṣiktānanda; 30 August 1910, in Saint Briac, Brittany – 7 December 1973, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India), born Henri Le Saux, was a French monk who, having moved t ...
'', Punthi Pustak,
Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comm ...
, 200

/ref>


Pastoral

The
Diocese of Nandyal Nandyal Diocese is a diocese of Church of South India in Andhra Pradesh state of India. The diocese is one among the 22 dioceses of Church of South India in India. History The first missionary, missionaries who came to Nandyal were Arthur Inman ...
, founded by the
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) is a United Kingdom-based charitable organization (registered charity no. 234518). It was first incorporated under Royal Charter in 1701 as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Part ...
could not join the
Uniting church The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) was founded on 22 June 1977, when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and almost all the churches of the Congregational Union ...
(
Church of South India The Church of South India (CSI) is a united and uniting churches, united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of Christian denomination, mainline Protestant denominations in South India after independence. The Chur ...
) in 1947. During the intervening period, the Diocese was under the care of the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma, and Ceylon followed by the Church of North India. Finally, after protracted ecclesiastical conversations, the
Diocese of Nandyal Nandyal Diocese is a diocese of Church of South India in Andhra Pradesh state of India. The diocese is one among the 22 dioceses of Church of South India in India. History The first missionary, missionaries who came to Nandyal were Arthur Inman ...
was able to join the
Church of South India The Church of South India (CSI) is a united and uniting churches, united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of Christian denomination, mainline Protestant denominations in South India after independence. The Chur ...
only in 1975. Devapriam, as a
Priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
of the
Diocese of Nandyal Nandyal Diocese is a diocese of Church of South India in Andhra Pradesh state of India. The diocese is one among the 22 dioceses of Church of South India in India. History The first missionary, missionaries who came to Nandyal were Arthur Inman ...
had been involved in the ecumenical conversations resulting in the union. In 1985, Devapriam was consecrated as
Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...
by the Moderator
Isaiah Jesudason Bishop I. Jesudasan (1925-2013) was the third Bishop-in- South Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India. Studies Jesudasan studied at seminaries affiliated to India's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University)'' '' wit ...
, CSI and Deputy Moderator Sundar Clarke, CSI at the CSI-Holy Cross Cathedral in
Nandyal Nandyal is a city and District headquarters of Nandyal district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Nandyal mandal in Nandyal revenue division. Demographics In the 2011 census of India, Nandya ...
. Devapriam was elected as the Moderator of the
Church of South India Synod Church of South India Trust Association (CSITA) Director board is the highest administrative body of CSI (Church of South India). Synod (CSI Synod) is the annual general meeting of CSI. Moderator of the Synod is a Bishop who is a presiding officer ...
held in 1992 at the XXIII session held in the
Diocese of Tirunelveli The Diocese of Tirunelveli is one among the 24 dioceses of the Church of South India (CSI).It is based at Tirunelveli, in the state of Tamil Nadu, southern India. The diocese has 687 churches, 101 pastors, and a membership of 1,86,000.Holy Trin ...
at
Palayamkottai Palayamkottai (also Palayankottai) is a neighbourhood in Tirunelveli City, incorporated within the Tirunelveli City Municipal Corporation. It is situated on the east bank of the Thamirabarani river, with the exception of its downtown area, whi ...
. During Devapriam's bishopric lasting nearly a
decade A decade () is a period of ten years. Decades may describe any ten-year period, such as those of a person's life, or refer to specific groupings of calendar years. Usage Any period of ten years is a "decade". For example, the statement that "d ...
, he attended''The truth shall make you free: the Lambeth Conference 1988 : the reports, resolutions & pastoral letters from the bishops'', Church House Publishing, 1988, p.261.

/ref> the 12 (number), twelfth
Lambeth Conference The Lambeth Conference is a decennial assembly of bishops of the Anglican Communion convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The first such conference took place at Lambeth in 1867. As the Anglican Communion is an international association ...
in 1988 presided by
Robert Runcie Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie, Baron Runcie, (2 October 1921 – 11 July 2000) was an English Anglican bishop. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1980 to 1991, having previously been Bishop of St Albans. He travelled the world widely ...
, CoE, the Archbishop of Canterbury.


Honours, death and reminiscence


Honours

During the convocation of the
General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Commu ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
held in March 1992, Devapriam was conferred with a
Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...
degree by
Honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad h ...
along with other notable
Clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the t ...
comprising Herbert W. Chilstrom of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. , it has approxima ...
,
Robert Louis Ladehoff Robert Louis Ladehoff (born February 19, 1932) was eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. He was consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "associat ...
of the
Episcopal Diocese of Oregon The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon is a diocese of the Episcopal Church which consists of the western portion of the State of Oregon bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River, the Cascade Range and the Oregon–California border. Major citie ...
, Helen Brogden Turnbull of the Episcopal Church and Gayraud Wilmore of the
Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...
.


Death

Devapriam died on 4 September 1992 during an overseas sojourn in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
and within a day he was brought back to
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
and then taken by road to
Nandyal Nandyal is a city and District headquarters of Nandyal district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Nandyal mandal in Nandyal revenue division. Demographics In the 2011 census of India, Nandya ...
, where he was buried. Then-Prime Minister
P. V. Narasimha Rao Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004) was an Indian lawyer, statesman and politician who served as the 9th prime minister of India from 1991 to 1996. He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to Indi ...
was instrumental in the quick passage of the body of Devapriam from Germany to India.''National Council of Churches Review'', Volume 112, 1992, pp.774-775
/ref> At the funeral ceremony held at
Nandyal Nandyal is a city and District headquarters of Nandyal district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Nandyal mandal in Nandyal revenue division. Demographics In the 2011 census of India, Nandya ...
, bishops from the various dioceses of the
Church of South India The Church of South India (CSI) is a united and uniting churches, united Protestant Church in India. It is the result of union of a number of Christian denomination, mainline Protestant denominations in South India after independence. The Chur ...
were present, including: P. Victor Premasagar;
C. D. Jathanna C. D. Jathanna (Constantine Devaprasad Jathanna) (6 July 1928 - 23 July 1996) was the fourthK. M. George, ''Church of South India: life in union, 1947–1997'', Jointly published by Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and Christava ...
;
Samuel Amirtham Samuel Amirtham (19 August 1932 – 26 September 2017) Mangalore Today, ''Kerala CSI Bishop Amirtham passes away'', 28 September 201/ref> was an Indian Bishop and Old Testament Scholar who taught in Spiritual formation centres affiliated to Senat ...
;
D. P. Shettian D. P. Shettian (29 June 1932 – 2 September 2006) was the second Bishop - in - Karnataka Southern Diocese of Church of South IndiaK. M. George, ''Church of South India: life in union, 1947–1997'', Jointly published by Indian Society for Pr ...
;
N. D. Anandarao Samuel N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel (1928–1999) was Bishop of Krishna Godavari of the Church of South India. Early years Ananda Rao Samuel was born on 29 December 1928Union Theological Seminary (New York, N.Y.) The Union Theological Seminary in the City ...
;
S. J. Theodore Bishop Emeritus Sanki John Theodore was the fourth Bishop-in-Karimnagar Diocese of the Church of South India. Studies John Theodore'sK. M. Hiwale (Compiled), ''Directory of the United Theological College 1910-1997'', Bangalore, 1997. pp.38 an ...
;
B. P. Sugandhar B. P. Sugandhar (28 September 1943 – 5 December 2017) was the fifth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop - in - Medak of the Church of South India whose bishopric lasted for more than a decade and half from 1993 through 2009 coinciding wi ...
; G. Dyvasirvadam and others. The
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 Universi ...
, where Devapriam had been a teacher, was also represented by the members of its faculty.


Reminiscence

Talathoti Punnaiah, who studied a 3-year theology course leading to
Bachelor of Theology The Bachelor of Theology degree (BTh, ThB, or BTheol) is a three- to five-year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines and is typically pursued by those seeking ordination for ministry in a church, denomination, or parachurch organization. ...
at the Andhra Christian Theological College, both at
Rajahmundry Rajahmundry, officially known as Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and District headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the sixth most populated city in the state. During British rule, the District of Raj ...
and at Hyderabad from 1970–1973, recalls his association with Ryder Devapriam:


References

;Notes ;Further reading * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Devapriam, Ryder Anglican bishops of Nandyal 20th-century Anglican bishops in India Indian Christian theologians Senate of Serampore College (University) alumni 1992 deaths McCormick Theological Seminary alumni General Theological Seminary alumni University of Madras alumni Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University alumni 1931 births Academic staff of the Senate of Serampore College (University) Church of South India clergy Moderators of the Church of South India Indian Christians