T. B. D. Prakasa Rao

Bishop T. B. D. Prakasa Rao[8][9] (born 17 December 1939; died 30 May 2018)[5] was the fourth[2] CSI-Bishop[10] - in - Krishna-Godavari of the Protestant Church of South India who occupied the Cathedra placed at CSI-St. Paul's Cathedral,[11] Vijayawada.

Prakasa Rao earlier led the Bible Society of India Andhra Pradesh Auxiliary from 1976 through 1981 especially during the period when common language[17] translations into vernacular languages were being undertaken by the Bible Society of India throughout the country from the original sources comprising the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Novum Testamentum Graece under the direction of The Rev.

[19] On Wednesday, 30 May 2018,[5] Prakasa Rao died while at his quarter in Bandlaguda Jagir and his funeral mass was held on Friday, 1 June 2018[6] led by the present Bishop - in - Krishna Godavari, The Right Reverend T. George Cornelious[21] and other clergy hailing from both the Diocese of Medak and the Diocese of Krishna Godavari at the CSI-Garrison Wesley Church Cemetery at Karkhana, Secunderabad.

After the three-year course in spirituality, Rao was awarded a Bachelor of Divinity degree by the Senate of Serampore College (University) in the ensuing convocation of 1963 led by its Registrar, C. Devasahayam, CBCNC.

After returning from Chennai, Rao began pastoring[2] parishes within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Society.

In 2000, Prakasa Rao led the Diocese in its Mission Festival in Vijayawada in the presence of the Old Testament Scholar Victor Premasagar and the Systematic theologian G.

As a bishop of the Church of South India, part[38] of the Anglican Consultative Council, Rao was entitled to attend the decennial Lambeth Conferences presided by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

During the bishopric of Rao from 1981 through 2001 as Bishop - in - Krishna-Godavari Diocese, he had attended the twelfth and the thirteenth Lambeth Conferences in 1988 and 1998[39] presided by Robert Runcie and George Carey respectively.

Incidentally, the Systematic theologian G. Dyvasirvadam, also hailing from the Krishna-Godavari Diocese was a member of the Faculty of the College coinciding with the Governorship of Rao.

After two decades of governorship at the College, Rao resigned from the Board of Governors in 2001 due to his voluntary retirement[37] from the Church of South India.

[citation needed] In 2001,[41] the Centre for Religious Studies at the State-run Andhra University, Waltair felicitated Prakasa Rao in his capacity as Bishop - in - Krishna-Godavari.

[citation needed] Prakasa Rao diedon 30 May 2018,[5] in Hyderabad and was buried with full ecclesiastical honours on 1 June 2018[6] at the CSI-Garrison Wesley Church Cemetery at Karkhana, Secunderabad.