M. Victor Paul

Victor Paul was born on 7 April 1935 into a pastoral family[1] in Rajahmundry, East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh as the eldest of nine children to Smt.

[1] Continuing the priestly family tradition, Victor Paul chose to pursue divinity and his Church Society, then under G. Devasahayam, AELC, sent him to Madras during the academic year 1959–1960 for ministerial formation at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College (GLTC),[1] Madras {affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College (University)} where Victor Paul pursued a graduate course in theology (B.D.

), which was then headed by Dr. P. David, AELC and was awarded a graduate degree after completion of studies by C. Devasahayam, CBCNC, then Registrar of the Senate of Serampore College (University).

In 1966, Victor Paul went to the Jesuit De Nobili College, Poona along with Gali Bali[5] to attend the biennial conference of the scholarly Society for Biblical Studies in India held on the theme The significance of the historical in the New Testament Kerygma.

[1] in Pastoral theology and Ministry and for academic years 1971–1973 and worked out a thesis titled Toward a Counseling Oriented Ministry to the People of Andhra Pradesh[6] in the Luther Seminary (a degree granting authority accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada duly recognised by the United States Government as an accrediting agency).

[1] James A. Bergquist[7] then Professor at the Luther Seminary was the guide of Paul and one of his companions hailing from Indian included the Religions Scholar, P. Kambar Manickam, TELC.

[10] While at the Luther Seminary, Victor Paul's doctoral thesis was entitled Socio-cultural dimensions of the Renewal of Ministry in Andhra Pradesh[11] done under the supervision of James A. Nestingen,[12] currently Professor Emeritus of Church History.

[1] After a period of overseas exposure in spirituality during 1970–1973, Victor Paul resumed teaching responsibilities beginning with the academic year 1973–1974 at the ecumenical Seminary in Secunderabad after completing studies in North America.

While this was so, the Old Testament Scholar[15] G. Babu Rao, CBCNC of Serampore College[16] had also moved, the same year, in 1977 to Secunderabad after efforts of Victor Premasagar, CSI[17] in bringing him to the Seminary fructified.

The Church Historian R. Joseph, a colleague of Victor Paul at ACTC, who compiled a bibliography of original Christian writings in Telugu with the assistance of B. Suneel Bhanu under the aegis of the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College included a book by Victor Paul entitled The Liberated Ones: Explanations of Lutheran Catechism and Confessions published as early as 1981.

[24] Being a person who puts theory into practice, Victor Paul as principal of ACTC once went ahead and invited the pioneer charismatic Pastor, Apostle P. L. Paramjyoti, IPC[25] to deliver the graduation address of the college in a particular year.

In the final phase of Victor Paul's tenure as principal, he contested the bishopric of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church and proceeded on leave from the college.