Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches

Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches (STBC) is a

The Samavesam of Telugu
Baptist Christian denomination in the three states of Andhra
Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu in India. The churches Baptist Churches
are part of the Telugu Christian community of Southern Abbreviation STBC
India. Its language is Telugu. It is affiliated to the Baptist Classification Protestant
World Alliance (BWA), the National Council of Churches in
India (NCCI) World Council of Churches (WCC) and Orientation Evangelical
Christian Conference of Asia. Headquarters is in A.B.M Scripture Bible
Compound at Markapur, Prakasham District, Andhra
Polity Congregational
Pradesh. The Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches today
consists of 830 churches and 740,000 baptized members. Governance General
Council

History President Chilaka Nissi

Praneeth
American Baptists started missionary work in South India Add General Secretary C.D.Prakash
among Telugu-speaking people in 1836.[1] In February Rao
1840, Samuel Day along with his family moved to Nellore
Associate Secretary G.Joseph
and rented a small bungalow to start his work. In March
1840, one more missionary couple, Van Husen and his wife Director for Evangelism Rev.J.Vijay
joined them and with the help of a local British judge, Mr. Kumar
Walker, they got some eight acres of land for a mission Region Andhra
compound where a bungalow and a chapel were Pradesh, Tamil
immediately erected on this land by 1841. On September 27,
Nadu and
1840, the first Telugu person Venkappa was baptised in the
[[Telangana]
Penna river near Nellore. The Nellore church was formally
organized in 1844 with 8 members including two missionary [SPl GPA
couples, two other Americans, and only two local people. Holder
The first local person to be ordained as a priest by the Rajkumar
mission was Kanakiah who was from the Naidu caste and a Rodricks from
native of Visakhapatnam. In 1855 when he was eighteen Telangana to
years old he took baptism and in 1860 he became the first protect
ordained native pastor of the Nellore church. [2] Missionary
Properties]]
In 1887 the existing churches were organized into the
Convention of Telugu Baptist Churches. In 1962 the Language Telugu
convention became the Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Headquarters Markapuram
Churches, with a unanimously adopted constitution. It was
Founder American
registered in 1963. According to a census published by the
association in 2023, it claimed 1,214 churches and 844,150 Baptist Foreign
baptized members.[3] Mission
Society

Activities Members 740,000

Places of worship 830
Primary schools 14
It runs educational institutions, hospitals, health centres, and Secondary schools 14
one theological seminary, in Ramapatnam. There are five
degree colleges, eight junior colleges, 14 high schools, and 14 primary schools. The STBC would have
4,500 Sunday schools with an enrollment of some 72,000 children.[4]

The STBC strongly favours interdenominational cooperation through the regional Councils of Churches in
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI). It
participates actively in the programme of retreat and training centres of the Councils of Churches, for the
training of voluntary church workers. It is involved in the work of the Henry Martin Institute of Islamic
Studies in Hyderabad and the Christian Medical College in Vellore. It supports the Student Christian
Movement and the United Mission Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Arogyavaram.

Recently with R.C.No.3/2021 dated: 28/06/2021(New Registration), the members have Re-Organised the
General Council and General Body of Samavesham of Telugu Baptist Churches (Nellore), presently as
Markapuram as Headquarters, A.B.M Compound at Markapur, Prakasham District, Andhra Pradesh.

Theological college
The STBC train Pastors to work in its affiliated Churches through Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological
Seminary, Ramayapatnam, Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Christian Theological College
is an interdenominational theological college at Hyderabad is affiliated with the Serampore University,
Kolkata.

Notes

References
1. Robert E. Johnson, A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches, Cambridge University Press,
UK, 2010, p. XX11
2. "Telugu Baptist History" (https://telugubaptisthistory.weebly.com/reaching-out-to-telugu-peop
le.html). telugubaptisthistory.weebly.com/.
3. Baptist World Alliance, Members (https://www.baptistworld.org/member-unions/),
baptistworld.org, USA, retrieved May 5, 2023
4. Samavesam of Telugu Baptist Churches (https://www.oikoumene.org/member-churches/sam
avesam-of-telugu-baptist-churches), oikoumene.org, retrieved May 8, 2021.

Further reading
A. John Prabhakar (2016). "Preaching Contextually: A Case with Rural Dalits in India".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
Ch. Vijaya Kumar (2016). "Educational services of the American Baptist Telugu Missionaries
in Andhra Pradesh (International Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research)". 5
(1(3)). ISSN 2277-7881 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2277-7881). {{cite journal}}:
Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
T. Punnaiah (2010). "My Memoir, Ministry and Message". {{cite journal}}: Cite
journal requires |journal= (help)
K. J. W. Jayakumar (Compiled). "The Lights That Never Quench - Baptist Missionaries".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
 R. Joseph (2003). "A History of the Telugu Baptist Churches (American Baptist Mission)".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
R. Joseph, B. Suneel Bhanu (Compiled) (1993). "Bibliography of Original Christian Writings
in India in Telugu". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
American Baptist Historical Society (1968). "Foundations: A Baptist Journal of History and
Theology". 11–12. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
David Downie (1924). "The Lone Star: A History of the Telugu Mission of the American
Baptist Foreign Mission Society". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal=
(help)

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