Nalla Thomas
Nalla Thomas[8] (2 March 1946 – 19 April 2021[5]) was an Asian Christian[8][9] and a spiritual personality,[10] who served the Church in Assam and undivided Andhra Pradesh for nearly four decades, spanning the 1970s to the early 2000s.
[14] As a member of the Board of Governors of the near-ecumenical Andhra Christian Theological College in the 1980s, Thomas provided valuable leadership to his alma mater in matters of seminary administration.
Representing the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches on the Board in Secunderabad, he played a pivotal role in guiding youth in congregations to recognize their vocational calling and prepare themselves for the path of priesthood.
[12] After returning from Assam, he began focusing on the overall leadership of the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches (STBC), starting with youth development and spiritual growth initiatives.
[7] He was later appointed[1] as Associate General Secretary of the STBC,[2] with ecclesiastical jurisdiction spanning Tamil Nadu and undivided Andhra Pradesh.
B. E. Devaraj of the Church of South India (CSI), who was teaching at Andhra Christian Theological College, then located in the river town of Rajahmundry.
Robbie and James Francovich of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship were also ministering to the Lambadis[18] and took a keen interest in the progress of the translation work.
When the Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary approached Thomas to release a copy of the New Testament in the Lambadi language, he unwittingly became part of history.
Thomas discerned his calling toward spirituality and approached the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches (STBC), which evaluated his candidature and potential for Christian ministry.
Louis F. Knoll, Maurice Blanchard,[21] and Tracy Greer Gipson,[22] all of the American Baptist Mission (ABM), were leading theological education efforts.
For his spiritual formation, Thomas enrolled at the near-ecumenical Andhra Christian Theological College (ACTC) in Rajahmundry, where he studied from 1967 to 1970, completing an L.
[24] At ACTC, Thomas had the opportunity to interact with members of various denominations, including Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Anglicans, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, and Wesleyans.
After completing his ministerial studies in Rajahmundry, he returned to the Deccan Association of the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches to begin his ministry.
In 1973,[1] Thomas moved to Madhya Pradesh, where he spent two years[1] upgrading his studies at Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur, an institution managed[25] by the Methodist Church in India.
Thomas remained committed to his academic pursuits, frequently visiting ACTC in Secunderabad to continue studying Biblical languages under The Rev.
These efforts led him to attempt university examinations, aiming to qualify for a postgraduate course in Biblical studies at United Theological College, Bangalore.
After completing his spiritual formation in 1970,[1] Thomas was sent by the STBC to Maligaon, Guwahati, Assam, where he served as pastor of a Telugu-speaking congregation for two years.
Under his guidance, the church grew steadily, with Thomas working closely with its leadership to provide much-needed support for spiritual development and expanding its missions across the twin cities and beyond.
