S. E. Krupa Rao: Difference between revisions

Rao was an active [[Sunday School]] Teacher in one of the Churches of the [[Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars]].  As a resident<ref name="ABC">Akumarthi Samuel, ''Pastors who served in the Andhra Baptist Church, Jagannaickpur'' in A. Daniel, K. Venkata Ratnam (Edited), ''100 Years Souvenir of Andhra Baptist Church (1906-2006)'', Andhra Baptist Church, Kakinada, 2006.</ref> of [[Kakinada]], Krupa Rao came under the influence of then Principal of the [[Baptist Theological Seminary]], [[A. B. Masilamani]] who was acting as a Vocation Promoter leading youth towards Priesthood.  Masilamani became Krupa Rao's Spiritual Confessor and was able to guide Krupa Rao towards Priesthood making him take up a propadeutic course during 1959<ref>''Jubilee Year Reports:  Principal's Report for the year 1959-1960 and Report by the President of the Senate for the year 1960'', Appendix B, Theology Department: List of students, 1959-1960, Pre Divinity, Serampore, 1960, p.15</ref>-1961<ref name="Directory">[[S. J. Samartha]], [[M. P. John]] (Compiled), ''Directory of students 1910-1967'', [[Serampore College]] (Theology Department), [[Serampore]], 1967, p.21.</ref> at the [[Serampore College]], [[Serampore]] {''a constituent College of the [[Senate of Serampore College (University)]]''} during the Principalship of William Stewart where Rao discerned his avocation towards priesthood and returned to [[Kakinada]] and joined<ref name="ABC"/> the [[Baptist Theological Seminary]], [[Kakinada]] during the Principalship of [[Waldo Penner]] to pursue licentiate studies in theology leading to [[L.Th.]]  By this time, in 1964, the Seminary in Kakinada, together with the Andhra Union Theological College, [[Dornakal]] and the Lutheran Theological College in [[Rajahmundry]] jointly formed the near-[[ecumenical]] [[Andhra Christian Theological College]] and Krupa Rao's studies were transferred from the seminary to this College under the Principalship of [[W. D. Coleman]] and by 1965<ref>''Reports 1964-1965:  Report by the President of the Senate for the year 1965'', (List of candidates who are qualified to receive the Degree and Diplomas in 1965 Examination: L. Th. Diploma) [[Serampore College]], [[Serampore]], 1965, p.15.</ref> and was awarded an [[L.Th.]] in the ensuing convocation of the University during the Registrarship of [[C. Devasahayam]].

In 1968,<ref name="Souvenir"/> Krupa Rao joined the [[Ramayapatnam]] Baptist Theological Seminary''{affiliated to the [[Senate of Serampore College (University)]]}'' whose [[Bachelor of Divinity|B.D.]] section was housed within the premises of the [[Andhra Christian Theological College]], [[Rajahmundry]]  to upgrade his academics to [[Bachelor of Divinity]] studying under [[Gaddala Solomon|G. Solomon]], [[Louis F. Knoll]], K. Wilson, [[W. D. Coleman]], [[G. Devasahayam]], [[W. P. Peery]], [[Eric J. Lott]], [[B. E. Devaraj]], [[Ryder Devapriam]], [[Suppogu Joseph]], [[M. Victor Paul]] and other distinguished faculty.  After nearly a decade, Krupa Rao was sent to the [[Union Theological Seminary (New York City)|Union Theological Seminary]], [[New York City]] ''(affiliated<ref>Union Theological Seminary - programmes affiliated to the University of Columbia.  [https://utsnyc.edu/academics/degree-programs/]</ref> to the [[University of Columbia]])'' where he studied for a master's course in theology during 1979-1980 leading to [[S.T.M.]]<ref name="Souvenir"/>