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History
The
TriennialConference of the Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
in India (later renamed as the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in
India - UELCI), which met at Guntur in 1926, felt the need for a theological
college for the Lutheran Churches in India. On July 6, 1927 when sucha
college started, only students from TELC enrolled for the first divinity
class. A summer palace bought in 1859 by the Leipzig Evangelical Lutheran
Mission from an Indian Raja, became the Centre firstly. Bishop Johannes
Sandegren, the first Principal of the college, named it Gurukul, meaning
a Guru (teacher) living together with his Sishyas (disciples). Though
it was planned at an All India level it was only in July 1931 that the
United Lutheran Theological College (Gurukul) was established with students
and staff from United Lutheran Mission (UMS), Andhra Evangelical Lutheran
Church (AELC), Church of Sweden Mission (CSwM), Leipzig Evangelical
Lutheran Mission (LELM), Danish Missionary Society (DMS) and the Tamil
Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC). Dr. Frolich of LELM was made the
principal of this United Lutheran Theological College.
In 1953, Gurukul received a new life with a wider participation of the
Lutheran Churches and so named as Gurukul Lutheran Theological College
& Research Institute. The college was then affiliated to the Senate
of Serampore College for Graduate and Post Graduate Studies. Dr. Sigfrid
Estborn became its Principal. Then Gurukul merged with the United Theological
College, Bangalore and Serampore College, West Bengal in 1971. From
then on, Gurukul became a Centre for continuing and extension education
for the churches in India under the stewardship of Dr. K. Rajaratnam,
a visionary and dynamic leader.
The reopening of Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.) studies at Gurukul by the
20th Triennial Conference held at Madras in 1984 enabled the reviving
of the regular BD studies at Gurukul from June 1985. A Bold Theological
Vision, as envisioned by Dr. K. Rajaratnam, became the corner stone
of academic activities of the college. In 1987, Master of Theology (M.Th.)
studies were introduced in two branches - Christian Theology and Religions.
In fifteen years, new branches - Old Testament, New Testament, History
of Christianity, Communication, Women's Studies and Missiology were
added. By 1999, with the approval of the Senate of Serampore College,
Doctor of Theology (D.Th.) program in Christian Theology commenced.
Old Testament, Religions, Communication and were later added.
Ecumenicity in character and practice is the special feature of the
new resurrected Gurukul. It is reflected in the composition of Governing
Board, Staff and Students of the College. It is quite obvious as the
Gurukul community now is composed of staff and students representing
Lutheran Churches (UELCI), Church of South India (CSI), Church of North
India (CNI), Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar (MTC), Orthodox Church,
Assembly of God, Mara Evangelical Church, Methodist Church in India
(MCI), Baptists, Independent and Charismatic Churches. There are two
representatives from the Church of South India and the Church of North
India in the College Council. The Council took a bold decision to appoint
a clergy of the Church of South India, Rev. Dr. Mani Chacko, as the
first non-Lutheran Principal of the College in January 2002.
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