Church in India
Quirk Memorial Baptist Church (QMB Church), founded in 1948,[1] is a Baptist Church affiliated to the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars. The Church is located on Rama Talkies Road in Resapuvanipalem, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (India).
The QMB Church is known among the Churches in Visakhapatnam for its proactive[3] programmes.[2]
History
The founding of the Church is attributed to the missionary endeavour of the Canadian Baptist Ministries which embarked on an overseas missionary enterprise in 1874 through the efforts of Thomas Gabriel. The QMB Church was established in postcolonialism era in 1948[1] by The Reverend E. L. Quirk who founded[1] what was originally known as the Baptist Church Maddilapalem.[1] The old edifice was reconstructed and dedicated on 24 July 1985.[1]
After more than twenty years, a new edifice was constructed and dedicated on May Day[4] 2009 in the presence of the Baptist patriarchs comprising The Rev. C. L. Johnson,[5] CBCNC, then Principal of the Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada and The Rev. G. Babu Rao,[5] CBCNC, then Church Relations Coordinator of Canadian Baptist Ministries during the incumbency of the present Pastor, The Rev. G. Isaiah.[4]
The Pastor
The senior Pastor, The Rev. G. Isaiah comes with enough experience in Pastoralia and had been an aspirant at the Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada during the period of The Rev. S. E. Krupa Rao, CBCNC. Subsequently, the Seminary Council sent Isaiah for ministerial formation to the Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad where Isaiah pursued spiritual studies during 1986-1989[6] during the Principalship of The Rev. S. Joseph, STBC and other Spiritual Formators including The Rev. M. Victor Paul, AELC, The Rev. Jürgen Fangmeier,[7] The Rev. R. R. Sundara Rao, AELC, The Rev. R. Yesurathnam, CSI and The Rev. G. Dyvasirvadam, CSI. As part of the University criteria, Isaiah also submitted a dissertation entitled, The life history of Prof. M. Theophilus and his contribution to the CBCNC,[6] fulfilling the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Divinity degree by the Senate of Serampore College (University), Serampore, West Bengal. The succeeding year, in 1990, Isaiah was awarded the B.D. degree by the University during the Registrarship of The Rev. D. S. Satyaranjan, IPC.
The QMB Church being a member of the Protestant Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars, Pastors here have adequate ministerial formation at any of the affiliated seminaries of the Senate of Serampore College (University).
| Succession of Pastors
|
| Pastor G. Joseph, CBCNC
|
| Pastor K. Prakasha Rao, CBCNC
|
| Pastor John Victor, CBCNC
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| The Rev. K. Y. Krupadanam, CBCNC
|
| The Rev. G. Peter, CBCNC
|
| The Rev. G. Lazarus, CBCNC
|
| The Rev. D. Daniel, CBCNC
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| Pastor I. John Simon, CBCNC
|
| The Rev. G. Sanjeeva Rao, CBCNC
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| Pastor K. Kumar Thomas, CBCNC
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| Pastor G. John Peter, CBCNC
|
| The Rev. K. Y. Krupadanam, CBCNC
|
| Pastor G. Steven Peter, CBCNC
|
References
- ^ a b c d e f G. Mathew Peter, P. S. Sunder Singh, G. Isaiah, D. Ananda Rao (Edited), Souvenir of 125 years platinum jubilee celebrations of northern association of CBCNC, 2008, pp.281-282.
- ^ a b Palm Sunday celebrated in The Hindu, Visakhapatnam, 13 April 2014
- ^ Prayers mark Good Friday in The Hindu, Visakhapatna, 19 April 2014
- ^ a b QMB Church Dedication in The Hindu Images, 2009
- ^ a b Invitation Card of dedication of new Church building of the QMB Church, Visakhapatnam.
- ^ a b G. Isaiah (Edited), Ruby Centennial Celebrations Souvenir of the St. Peter's Centenary Baptist Church, Published by St. Peter's Centenary Baptist Church, Gunnanapudi.
- ^ Leonore Krenzlin, Klaus Weigelt (Edited), Ernst Wiechert im Gespräch: Begegnungen und Einblicke in sein Werk, De Gruyter, Berlin, 2010, p.300.[1]
- ^ Katapalli Israel, Church Secretary's Report: Pastors who served the Church from 1948-1998 in Golden Jubilee Celebrations Souvenir 1948-1998 of the Quirk Memorial Baptist Church, Visakhapatnam, 1998.