Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church

Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church
Abbreviation	AELC
Classification	Protestant
Orientation	Lutheran
Polity	Episcopal
Associations	Synods
Region	Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Tamil Nadu Telangana Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Language	Telugu English
Headquarters	Guntur
Founder	Evangelical Lutheran General Synod of the United States of America
Origin	1842 Guntur
Congregations	5,000+
Members	3,500,000+[1]
Ministers	B. V. Subbamma R. R. Sundara Rao P. Solomon Raj G. D. Melanchthon
Missionaries	John Christian Frederick Heyer Anna Sarah Kugler W. D. Coleman W. P. Peery,

Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC)^[2] was constituted in the year 1927 in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the Indian successor to the United Lutheran Church in America which was started as a self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating church among Telugu Christians.^[3]

Memberships

• Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad
• Lutheran World Federation (LWF),^[4] Geneva
• It is an affiliate member of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI),^[5] Nagpur
• It is a member church in the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI) – a communion of Lutheran Churches,^[6] Chennai
• Asia Lutheran Communion

In India

Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Plütschau of the Danish-Halle Missionary Society at Tranquebar were the first Protestant Missionaries to India who were Lutherans.

In Andhra Pradesh

The AELC was founded as a mission field of the then General Synod of the Lutheran Church in America by John Christian Frederick Heyer (known as Father Heyer) on 31 July 1842.^[7]

As a first step, schools were established. With new baptisms, the confidence of the missionaries increased. Later hospitals were established.

Structures

• Theological
  • Charlotte Swenson Memorial Bible Training School, Rajahmundry
  • Andhra Lutheran Theological Seminary, Rajahmundry
  • Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad
• Medical
  • Kugler Hospital, Guntur
  • Ruth Sigmon Memorial Lutheran Hospital, Guntur
  • Augustine Hospital, Bhimavaram
  • Baer Christian Hospital, Chirala, Prakasam District
• Educational
  • Andhra-Christian College, Guntur
  • Andhra-Lutheran College, Guntur
  • Stall School, Guntur
  • Lutheran High School, Bhimavaram
  • Shade Girls High School, Rajahmundry

Administration

The current Moderator / Bishop of the AELC is Most Rt.Rev.Dr.K.F.PARADESI BABU elected in the recent elections of the AELC, against BY K. Fredrick Paradesi Babu.

For administrative purposes, six synods have been established, each taken care of by a Synod President. A 32-member Executive Council whose members are drawn from the six synods administers the Church society.^[8]

Moderator / Bishop

The Executive Council of this Church Society elects a set of office-bearers each quadrennium.^[9] The Moderator / Bishop heads this century-old Church Society. In earlier nomenclature, the term President was used. However, with the arrival of Rev. G. Emmanuel, the nomenclature was changed to Moderator / Bishop to denote a more ecclesiastical term. However, the term President also continues to be used.

Succession of Presidents

Women's ordination

For long, women's ordination in the AELC was taboo. One of the first theologically trained women of this Church, the Fuller Theological Seminary-educated Rev. Dr B. V. Subbamma^[11] could have been ordained long ago. But Church leaders, fearing her leadership kept the issue of women's ordination aside.^[12]

However, with sustained efforts and dialogue of Dr. K. Rajaratnam, Rev. Dr. Prasanna Kumari Samuel, and Dr. Monica J. Melanchton of the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute (GLTCRI), the dream of women's ordination became a reality. With the active cooperation of the then President, Bishop G. Emmanuel, seventeen women were ordained into pastoral ministry on 20 February 1999.^[11]

References

Further reading

• Kolluri Luther Richardson (2003). "Towards Self-Reliance : A historical survey of the programmes and efforts of Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1927–1969, Published by Christopher and Kanakaiah, Vijayawada". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Martin Senftleben (1992). "Influences of Hinduism on Christianity in Andhra Pradesh. Unpublished PhD thesis, Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati" (PDF). I. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2007. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• "Influences of Hinduism on Christianity in Andhra Pradesh. Unpublished PhD thesis, Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati" (PDF). II. 1992. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2007. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• B. C. Paul (1984). "The Emergence of a Church in South India: A Study of the Growth and Development of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church: 1905–1927." (Unpublished Th. D. thesis submitted to the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.). Archived from the original on 12 July 2011. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)