The Church of South India, Medak Diocese is an esteemed organisation, making lives better through Education, Healthcare, Service more than a Century The Diocese of Medak is one of the prominent Dioceses in the Church of South India, comprising nearly 250 Presbyters ministering to Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindustani (Hindi and Urdu), English.

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Former Treasurer

Rev. Dr. Bandari Prabhakar Rao / Former Vice-chairman & Treasurer, Medak Diocese

Rev. Dr. Bandari Prabhaker Rao is a Senior Presbyter in the Medak Diocese, who retired in 2010 after completing more than 40 years serving in the Diocese. He is well known within the Church of South India Dioceses and various Christian denominations.

He was born on April 5, 1945 to Mr Bandari Prakasham and Mrs Rebecca in Ramayampet, Medak District. His parents served in the Medak Diocese as evangelists. He is a third generation in the ministry. His maternal grandparents were also evangelists. He is the second in the family and has 3 younger brothers and an elder brother who went to be with the Lord in 2007. His father Mr Prakasham had a desire to send him to the ministry and serve the Lord. With no hesitation whatsoever he readily accepted his father’s wish and committed to full time ministry.

He had done his schooling in Wesley Boys High School in Secunderabad. This was the school which has produced many notable Elders, Pastors and Bishops who have contributed immensely to the Diocese. After completion of his school education he went to the village ministry to learn about serving in the community at the grass root level. Later he went to United Theological College in Bangalore for formal theological education and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity.

He was ordained a Deacon in 1969 and Presbyter in 1971. He has served in several Pastorates, rural, industrial and urban, within the diocese during his long career.

He is married to his cousin Dayamrutha who retired as Sr. Office Supdt in 2011. Her paternal and maternal grandparents too were evangelists in Medak Diocese. Her paternal grandfather Raduva Shadrach, Senior Evangelist, became a martyr. They are blessed with a son Nathan Bandari and he has married Shwetha. Both did their P.G., degrees in U.K., and are presently working in London. His neice Sumana as well lives along with her husband Santosh and two children in London.

He has served the diocese in various capacities of administration apart from the pastoral duties. He was elected as the Treasurer for Medak Diocese on 3 occasions and the Vice-Chairman and appointed as Bishop’s Commissary on 4 occasions during 1980s and early 90s.

While the diocese owes its existence and expansion to the Missionaries from the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society, notably Rev. Charles Walker Posnett. K-i-H., the credit of putting the frozen assets of the diocese to profitable use goes to Rev. Gordon Shaw, Diocesan Treasurer, who had built Posnett Bhavan, Jubilee Building, Market Street Complex which were harbingers meant to tap local resources. This move was continued by his successor Rev. R.A. Marsh.

“He was very vocal in voicing the concerns of the church workers and successfully persuaded the 1973 Diocesan Council to discontinue with the system of ‘Assessment’ levied on the pastorates”

During his time Rev. Prabhaker Rao directed his attention to safeguard and develop rural properties and had taken up several initiatives to improve them commercially and also set up institutions in the regions: viz., Siddipet, Ramayampet, Medak, Nizamabad, Yellareddy etc., He had set up English Medium Schools in 1980s in Sangareddy, Ramayampet, Daulatabad, Gaddi Annaram, Narsapur and Medak so that rural children had the benefit of education in English medium. Now the state government has introduced it in the rural schools.

He had established a School for the Deaf in Armoor with the help of KNH. He had strengthened the rural hospitals in Medak, Ramayampet, Dudgaon and Luxettipet with the support of CSI Medical Council by providing Ambulances, X’Ray Machines and other diagnostic equipments. He had submitted applications to the state government for Medical College in Medak and an Engineering College in Kamareddy. These were not pursued after he relinquished office.

He was the Director for Medak Agriculture Centre and Shankarampet- Gorrekal Rural Development Project for which he got funds from EZE. With the initiative of Mr. H. W. Dalzell he established a Rural Polytechnic Institute to train the village youth in their traditional skills in Yellareddy and a Centre for Rural School Drop out girls in Wadiaram. He had built numerous church buildings, parsonages and institutional buildings all over the diocese, notably Wesley Boys Degree College, Secunderabad, Nizamabad College Buildings, St. George’s Grammar Schools, Kamareddy School, Wesley Girls Junior College etc., He successfully represented to the govt., against land acquisitions in several places. He bought lands for the diocese.

He was very vocal in voicing the concerns of the church workers and successfully persuaded the 1973 Diocesan Council to discontinue with the system of ‘Assessment’ levied on the pastorates which got eventually adjusted against the salaries of Pastors and Evangelists as a ‘compulsory cut’ without reference to the collections that one would receive from the congregations. As soon as he became Treasurer in 1982 he stopped the ‘Assessment’ system and in its place he coined the contribution from the Pastorates as ‘Support of Ministries.’ He increased the salaries by 120% during his tenure and increased the P.F., contribution to 10%. He insured the church workers against accidents. He created a rolling fund for the loans to buy House Plots and arranged housing loans from ECLOF of WCC. He also created ‘Church Workers Welfare Fund’ from the returns of the New Commercial Complexes wherein no diocesan endowments are invested. He also started paying ‘Unemployed Church Workers’ Wives’ monthly stipend. He had drawn up ‘Uniform Salary Scales’ applicable to all the Church Sextons in the Diocese, which included P.F., Pension and Gratuity.

He took keen interest in maintaining the commercial complexes and also to enhance the rents. He strived hard to get the Govt. of India G.O., of 1972 which precluded enhancing the rent of private buildings occupied by the Central Govt., Offices, amended by the Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet in 1982 making it applicable to the entire country wherein a ‘provision was made to enhance rent every five years on the market value.’ Thus, Jubilee Building rent was raised to 62,000.00 per month from that of 14,000 p.m., that was being paid from 1972 and arrears of 12.00 lakhs was paid to the diocese.

Rev. Dr. B. Prabhaker Rao had also been part of the CSI General Synod from 1980 -94. During this period he was also the member of the Executive Committee and Finance Committee. He was Secretary for the CSI ommission on Political Questions.

He has been the Manager and Correspondent for the St Georges Grammar Schools, Wesley Girls School and Colleges and St Thomas SPG School. Rev. Dr. Prabhaker Rao was the Convenor for the Diocesan Centennial celebrations in 1979 which was a huge event in the church history as it marked 100 years of the establishment Wesleyan Methodist Missionary work in the Diocese which is the largest Diocese in South India and was attended by many people across the region to celebrate the event.

He had the privilege of hosting and arranging special events for various notable personalities’ visits to the Diocese. The most important and special event was when he was assigned the role to plan and follow protocol to host Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1983 at Holy Trinity Church, Bolarum, Secunderabad where she celebrated her 36th Wedding anniversary. He had also arranged the visit to the Diocese for Rt. Hon’ble Most Rev. Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury by personally handing over the invitation at the Lambeth Palace in London and LateSmt.Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India to a service conducted at the Medak Cathedral.

He has travelled widely and been a member and held important portfolios at National and International platforms. To name a few, he was a member and Chairman, National Council Of Churches in India – NCCI: Unit III – National Issues; Convenor – Dalit Christian Council Of India, Convenor: Christian Conference of Asia & NCCI Joint Consultation held in Madras and presented papers in conferences of CCA held in Singapore and Manila; Member of World Council of Churches: Church & Society; Member of United Nations (UNO): WCC representative on UNCED; Participated in the South Asia Consultation on ‘Sharing of Personnel in Mission’ by Council for World Mission, Madras; Member, Joint Council of CSI-CNI-Mar Thoma Churches; General Secretary,UNESCO Federations of AP.

As part of his role and duties for the Diocese, he worked closely with the International Mission Boards and Funding Agencies, viz., Methodist Church Overseas Division, CMS, USPG, Christian Aid, EZE, EMS, Bread for the World, KNH, World Vision, CASA etc., to help in getting much required funds and support for the growth of the institutions in the Diocese and the pastors serving for the growth of the ministry.

He is very passionate about reading and writing which is the reason why despite his busy work schedule during his career he has managed to complete a few more degrees along the way including M.A., Philosophy, Pre-Ph.D., from Osmania University and Doctorate in Divinity from JCM Bible College. He has also published a book under the title “The Missiological Motifs of the Miracles of Jesus Christ” by ISPCK, New Delhi. He was a Member of the Governing Councils of United Theological College, Bangalore, Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad and Building Committee of Henry Martin Institute of Islamic Studies, Hyderabad. He also is currently active with his work supporting theological teaching in the capacity of a Professor for Doctoral Studies and Chief Advisor for institutions such as Jesus Commissioned Ministries, JCM Bible College and Good News Bible College.

He is also serving as the President for the Telangana Christian Forum which supports the Christian men and women of their rights and issues within the region. He is also the Chief Advisor for the National Independent Pastors and Churches Association which looks at supporting and protecting the rights and role of Christian leadership within the national spectrum.

Rev. Prabhaker Rao has keen interest in communications both print and electronic media. He was part of Indian journalists invited by ‘Dienste en Uberse’ (Missions Overseas) of Germany to tour Europe, especially East and West Germanys to help in its efforts to unite both the Germanys in 1985. He is a regular speaker on All India Radio and Doordarshan and rendered songs for them along with choirs. He produced and acted as Jesus in Telefilms for Doordarshan: Kristu Jananam, Jeevadhipathi Yesu, Christu Vijayam, Mruthyumjayudu, Prema Margam.

“He strived hard to get the Govt. of India G.O., of 1972 which precluded enhancing the rent of private buildings occupied by the Central Govt., Offices, amended by the Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet in 1982 making it applicable to the entire country wherein a provision was made to enhance rent every five years on the market value. Jubilee Building rent was raised to 62,000.00 per month from that of 14,000 p.m., that was being paid from 1972 and arrears of 12.00 lakhs was paid to the diocese.”