Victor Premasagar

Victor Premasagar (1927–2005) was the fourth successor of Frank Whittaker as Bishop in Medak.

He was an Indian churchman and Old Testament scholar who made major contributions to research on the Old Testament and to the field of theology.

Victor went to the United Theological College in Bangalore and studied spirituality during 1950–1954 and took his Bachelor of Divinity in 1955 in the ensuing convocation of the Senate of Serampore College (University) during the Registrarship of The Rev. William Stewart.

Others studying during that period at UTC Bangalore included G. Solomon, V. C. Samuel, E. C. John, Samuel Amirtham, N. D. Anandarao Samuel, C. D. Jathanna, K. E. Swamidass, G. B. Devasahayam.

Premasagar was a pastor hailing from the Church of South India who tended rural congregations in the Diocese of Medak in north Telangana until 1961 when he became a seminary teacher at Dornakal and then moving out to Rajahmundry and later Secunderabad in 1972 and taught Old Testament.

Premasagar first taught at the Andhra Union Theological College (AUTC), Dornakal, between 1961 and 1964, and his other colleagues included Eric J. Lott and later he left for specialized studies to England.

Premasagar was sent to Cambridge University where he specialized in the study of the Old Testament studying from 1964 to 1966 at Westminster College, Cambridge (affiliated to the University of Cambridge) and was awarded the Cambridge Tripos.

By this time, the AUTC together with the Lutheran Theological College, Rajahmundry and the Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada formed the Andhra Christian Theological College in 1964.

Premasagar's articles appeared in the Expository Times (1966), the Vetus Testamentum (1966), the International Review of Mission (1972), and the Indian Journal of Theology (1974) and cited in major works relating to the theme of Promise in the Bible and critical works on Psalms LXXX and the Hebrew word HOQ in the Tanakh.

By the time Premasagar returned from his studies in 1966, he was reassigned to teach at the new entity in the river town of Rajahmundry.

In 1969, the Board of Governors of ACTC accorded Premasagar study leave, which he used to go to St. Andrews University, Scotland for further studies in the Old Testament.

He studied in St Mary's College between 1969 and 1972 and was guided by William McKane and J. D. Martin.

He was awarded a Ph.D. by St. Andrews University based on his dissertation entitled The Theme of Promise in the Patriarchal Narratives.

After Premasagar's ordination as presbyter, he began pastoring parishes in Siddipet, Mancherial, Soan, and Shankarampet.

Again between 1969 and 1972 after a period of study leave, he returned to ACTC to continue his teaching and became its second principal in 1973 succeeding W. D. Coleman.

On invitation from Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, in the United States, he took sabbatical from ACTC to teach there for a year.

On his return, the board of governors extended the term of principalship by two more terms, 1973–1976 and 1977–1980.

David, a New Testament scholar, succeeded Premasagar as principal at ACTC.

Premasagar used to teach Old Testament and Hebrew language at the Andhra Christian Theological College, first at Rajahmundry and then at Secunderabad and co-faculty included W. D. Coleman and M. Vidyanandam.

By 1973, Premasagar's collegemate G. Solomon, a teacher in Old Testament at the Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological College joined the faculty, also teaching Old Testament.

By 1977, G. Babu Rao, a teacher in Old Testament at Serampore College, Serampore moved to the college.

In 1980, the Church of South India recalled Premasagar to take up ministerial responsibilities and made him general secretary of the Church of South India Synod at its XVIIth session of the held at Tambaram.

While continuing to serve at ACTC, he was elected in-absentia as General secretary of the Church of South India Synod at its XVIIth session held at Tambaram in 1980.

In 1983, Premasagar became a bishop and subsequently a moderator of the Church of South India Synod for two consecutive bienniums: 1988–1990 and 1990–1992.

Premasagar was born in Medak and was raised a Christian in what is now the Church of South India.

In addition to the ancient Indian epics, his boyhood was filled with stories from the Bible.

In the foreword to Promise in the Ancestral Narratives, his doctoral dissertation, Premasagar made mention of the Biblical stories that his mother told during his childhood and the promise they held.

He completed his schooling from Wesley School in Secunderabad.

It was around this time that he to study divinity.

He completed his college studies from the century-old Andhra-Christian College (under Andhra University), Guntur.

His contemporaries there included N.T. Rama Rao (a film actor and later Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh).

Premasagar was involved in athletics.

Football and tennis were his favourite sports.

Later, in 1983 he was elected as the bishop-in-Medak, Asia's largest Anglican bishopric.

It was at this time that indigenous methods were devised and put into practice for raising funds from the local congregations for supporting church programmes which was met with widespread success.

He was instrumental in bringing rapid development of the church – congregation-wise as well as in its social action.

As for the educational institutions in the Diocese of Medak, schools were made to adapt to modern trends to face the changing pattern.

St. George's Grammar School, Wesley College and other educational institutions were modernised during Premasagar's tenure.

During the XXth session of the Church of South India Synod held at Trivandrum in 1986, Premasagar was elected as the deputy moderator.

During the XIst session of the Church of South India Synod held during 13–18 January 1988 in Madurai, he was elected as the moderator of the Church of South India.