Friday, August 19, 2016

​Christian Theological collelge - the choicest venue of Amnesty for sedition

Amnesty International organized a programme on 13th August 2016, which is alleged as aimed at maligning Indian Army.  The events of the programme created controversy which force the Karnataka state police to file an FIR against Amnesty International for sedition charges.  Public protest is growing against individual and organizations who collaborated to organize the programme. Obvious question in this occasion is who provide the venue for the progrmme. Here is a brief introduction of UTC, the venue of the programme. 

The College was inaugurated in July 1910 under the name "The United Theological College of South India and Ceylon" for teaching Christian theology. It was established through the co-operation of the Christian Missionary societies, Churches of Scotland and Americas.  Churches of Jaffna and EU gave monetary support for establishment of the college. 

In the decades of 1950 and 1960, Churches, Missionary Societies and other Christian organizations from various regions of India and abroad supported the college.  Specifically, the Church Missionary Society, the society for the Propagation of the Gospel, Danish Lutheran Church, Danish Missionary Society, Basel Evangelical Mission of Germany,  Kolhapur Church Council, church of South India, Mar Thoma Church,  The Council of Y.M.C.A's in India, Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon (now merged in the Church of North India), Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church have joined hands with UTC providing money and all other support. 

Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute merged with UTC and after that several Lutheran Church and Missions (Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church, South Andhra Lutheran Church, Church of Sweden Mission, the Lutheran Church of America, the American Lutheran Church-both presently merged in the Evangelical Church of America, India Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Leipzig Evangelical Lutheran Mission ) became supporting bodies of the College. The Malankar Jacobite Syrian Church also joined in decade of 1970.

UTC currently offers various courses aimed at preparing people for serving Churches. The Bachelor of Divinity is a four year course which equips a candidate for pastoral ministry and ordination. The Master of Theology course is a two year course under the Senate of Serampore. This equips a candidate for teaching ministry and is offered under various departments like Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, Ethics, Counselling, Missiology, Women's Studies and Communication.  Doctor of Theology is a research programme with minimum of three years of duration and maximum of seven years.  Diploma in Pastoral Counselling is offered by the Counselling Department. It is a one year diploma which equips candidates in Counselling skills.  Diploma in Women's Studies is a one year diploma offered by the Women's Studies department. It equips candidates with the latest trends and research in Women's Studies.  The YMCA has a unit inside UTC and it runs a YMCA secretaries training programme in the campus.  

Presently, about 30 students are studying for Bachelor of Divinity, 15 students in Doctor of Theology programme. There are about 20 faculty members, 4 administrative staff, 8 in office, 20 in maintenance staff employed by UTC.