Govada Dyvasirvadam

Govada Dyvasirvadam (born 28 March 1951) is the Moderator of the Church of South India and Bishop of Krishna-Godavari Diocese of the Church of South India(incorporating Anglicans, Methodists, and Presbyterians).^[1]

St. Andrew's Cathedral in Machilipatnam is the seat of the Bishop-in-Krishna Godavari.

Earlier, in 1998, Dyvasirvadam was elected as the General Secretary of the CSI, the youngest ever in the church's history.^[2]

Dyvasirvadam was also a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches headquartered in Geneva.^[3] as well as a member of the General Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia headquartered in Thailand.^[4]

Early years

Dyvasirvadam was born on 28 March 1951 in Challapalli in Krishna District. He was the tenth child of his parents, Rev. Govada Devamani and Smt. Suguna Sundaram.^[5] Schooling was in Krishna and West Godavari districts. He had been an alumnus of Sreemanthu Raja Higher Secondary School, Challapalli in Krishna District and the Municipal School in Eluru in West Godavari District.

He later did his college studies in A.V.N. College (established in 1860), one of the oldest institutes in Visakhapatnam.

Dyvasirvadam also pursued post-graduate studies in Noble College, Machilipatnam and was inspired by the then Bishop in Krishna-Godavari, N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel.

Ordination & Pastorship

After studying at the Bishop's College in Calcutta, the Diocese of Krishna Godavari first posted him to Kanumolu near Hanuman Junction in Krishna District.^[5]

In March 1978, he was ordained by Bishop Henry Lazarus as a Deacon in the St. Andrew's Church in Machilipatnam.^[6] Later, he was posted to Christ Church in Eluru in West Godavari District. The then Moderator's Commisary, The Right Reverend H. D. L. Abraham (Bishop in Medak) ordained him as a Priest.

Higher Studies & Professorship

With interest to pursue higher studies in theology, the Diocese granted him study leave. Dyvasirvadam proceeded to the United Theological College, Bangalore, [the only autonomous college under the Senate of Serampore College] and enrolled himself for the post-graduate degree of Master of Theology (M. Th.) in the discipline of Systematic Theology and worked out a dissertation entitled Eschatological motifs in process theologies^[7] under the Principalship of Joshua Russell Chandran^[8]

After successful completion of post-graduate studies in theology, his diocese assigned him a teaching task at the ecumenical Andhra Christian Theological College in Hyderabad in which his diocese is a participating member.^[9]

Dyvasirvadam taught Systematic Theology to students pursuing Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) and Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degrees.

Research

Later, on invitation from the UTC, Bangalore, he went on study leave to serve as the Acting Registrar there. Subsequently, he enrolled for pursuing the doctoral degree (Doctor of Theology – D. Th.) in the South Asia Theological Research Institute (SATHRI) in Bangalore. He chose the discipline of Liberation Theology.^[10]

Subsequently, he went back to ACTC to resume his teaching responsibilities and became Warden.

Synod of the CSI

The biennial Synod of the CSI elected Rev. Dyvasirvadam as its general secretary in 1998 in Arogyavaram in Chittoor District, succeeding George Koshy.^[11] He was re-elected unanimously in the Synod of 2000 in Secunderabad and in the Synod of 2002 in Melukavumattam. Bishop G.Dyvasirvadam has been elected as the Deputy Moderator of CSI in the Synod of 2012 at Kanyakumari.

He has been elected as the Moderator of CSI in the Synod of 2014 at Vijayawada.

Bishopric

The CSI Diocese of Krishna-Godavari is one of the largest extending from Ongole District in the south through Srikakulam District in the norther circars of Andhra Pradesh. Its Cathedral was first erected in Eluru and was subsequently shifted to Vijayawada. Earlier Bishop's who served in this diocese were notable and exemplary. Following the retirement of The Right Reverend T. B. D. Prakasa Rao,^[11] Rev. Dyvasirvadam contested and was elected unopposed. Subsequently, the Cathedral was shifted to Machilipatnam. St. Andrew's Church was consecrated as a Cathedral.

The Moderator of the CSI during that time was The Most Reverend K. J. Samuel who principally consecrated him in the St. Andrew's Cathedral in Machilipatnam.

Appraisal

According to B. P. Sugandhar,Dyvasirvadam's "contribution to the Church both as a theological teacher and a church leader has been tremendous."^[12]

Honours

In the year 2001, friends of the Bishop proceeded to write a 365-page festschrift in his honour on the occasion of the completion of fifty years. Rev. Vinod Victor, Leslie Nathaniel and Rev. Dr. P. Surya Prakash edited the festschrift.

References

Further reading

• Thompson, A. Frank (1997). "The Bairagi Madonna: Leaves from a Calcutta Notebook, Indian Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge (ISPCK), New Delhi ISBN 81-7214-372-9.".