Gadam Samuel Luke

Bishop G. S. Luke, CSI[1] Bishop – in – Dornakal (1980-1985)
The Right Reverend
Church	Church of South India (A Uniting church comprising Wesleyan Methodist, Congregational, Calvinist, Presbyterian and Anglican missionary societies – ABCFM, Dutch Reformed Church, SPG, WMMS, LMS, Basel Mission, CMS, and the Church of England)
Diocese	Dornakal
In office	1980-1985[2]
Predecessor	P. Solomon, CSI
Successor	D. N. Samuel, CSI
Previous post(s)	Pastor, Diocese of Dornakal (1945-1980)
Orders
Ordination	10 September 1950[2] by A. B. Elliott, CSI[2]
Consecration	7 January 1980[2][3] by N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel, CSI (Principal Consecrator) Solomon Doraiswamy, CSI (Co-consecrator)[3]
Rank	Bishop
Personal details
Born	Gadam Samuel Luke (1920-12-15)15 December 1920[2] Sriramulapalli,[2] Hyderabad state
Died	16 March 2000(2000-03-16) (aged 79) Khammam,[2] Andhra Pradesh (1956–2014)
Buried	Epiphany Cathedral Compound, Dornakal
Denomination	Christianity
Education	B. D. (Serampore)
Alma mater	CSI-Wesley Boys' High School, Secunderabad {Andhra Pradesh (1956–2014)} Madras Christian College, Tambaram (Tamil Nadu) United Theological College, Bangalore (Karnataka)

Bishop G. S. Luke was the fourth Bishop in Dornakal Diocese of the Church of South India occupying the Cathedra in the CSI-Epiphany Cathedral in Dornakal from 1980 to 1986.

Early life and education

After early schooling at the mission schools in Jagtial, Medak and Secunderabad, Luke went to Madras in 1940^[2] and studied at the Madras Christian College, Tambaram. After discerning his avocation towards priesthood, G.S Luke moved to the United Theological College, Bangalore where he studied from 1945 to 1948^[4] for the graduate course leading to Bachelor of Divinity awarded by the Senate of Serampore College (University), India's first^[5] {a University under Section 2 (f) of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956}^[6] with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish Charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal.

Career

After his ordination in 1950^[2] by Bishop A. B. Elliott, Luke ministered^[7] in the parishes of Diocese of Dornakal. In 1962, he went on a sabbatical to Episcopal Diocese of Olympia and on his return continued to pastor in the Diocese of Dornakal. In 1979, Bishop P. Solomon retired on attaining superannuation and the bishopric remained sede vacante. The Church of South India Synod appointed G. S. Luke whose consecration took place at the CSI-Epiphany Cathedral, Dornakal by N. D. Ananda Rao Samuel and Solomon Doraiswamy.^[3]

Luke was the brother^[2] of the educationist, G. S. Prakasha Rao.^[8] In 1983, Luke attended a national colloquium in Madras on Christian perspectives on contemporary Indian issues^[9] in which K. M. Mammen Mappillai also happened to take part. On his bishopric, Luke became a member of the Board of Governors of the Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad in which the Diocese of Dornakal also has a stake.

In 1985, G. S. Luke retired on attaining superannuation resulting in sede vacante. Church of South India Synod filled it in 1986 with the appointment of D. N. Samuel.^[2]

M. Edwin Rao who compiled a centennial edition of the CSI-Diocese of Dornakal writes that G. S. Luke was a writer who used to contribute articles to the Telugu language magazine Kapari edited by the Baptist Pastor, A. B. Masilamani of the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars.^[2]

References

1. Mar Aprem, Indian Christian who is who, Bombay Parish Church of the East, Bombay, 1983, p.41. [1]
2. M. Edwin Rao (Compiled), Prophet Azariah and the Blessed Dornakal: A centenary revisit 1912-2012, Dornakal Diocese, Dornakal, 2012, pp.85-87
3. K. M. George, Church of South India: life in union, 1947–1997, Jointly published by Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and Christava Sahitya Samithi, Tiruvalla, 1999, pp.20-23 and p.106. [2]
4. K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), Directory of the United Theological College 1910-1997, Bangalore, 1997. p.22
5. Sankar Ray, The Hindu (Business Line), 11 April 2008 Almost a century later, the charter was endorsed officially under the Bengal Govt Act IV of 1918. Internet, accessed 30 November 2008. [3]
6. The Senate of Serampore College (University) is a University within the meaning of Section 2 (f) of the UGC Act, 1956 under which a University means a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act, and includes any such institution as may, in consultation with the University concerned, be recoginsed by the Commission in accordance with the regulations made in this behalf under this Act. The UGC took the opinion that the Senate fell under the purview of Section 2 (f) of the said Act since The Serampore College Act, 1918 was passed by the Government of West Bengal.
7. Sir Stanley Reed, The Times of India Directory & Yearbook, Including Who's who, Times of India, Bombay, 1955, p.812. [4]
8. Report of the Secondary Education Commission, Issue 410; Issue 697, Ministry of Education, New Delhi, 1965, p.221. [5]
9. Ram Singh, Christian perspectives on contemporary Indian issues: a national colloquium, Institute for Development Education, Madras, 1983, p.249. [6]

Religious titles
Preceded by P. Solomon 1956-1979	Bishop - in - Diocese of Dornakal Church of South India 1980-1986	Succeeded by D. N. Samuel 1986-1996
Academic offices
Preceded by P. Solomon 1964[1]-1979	Member, Board of Governors, Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad 1980-1986	Succeeded by D. N. Samuel 1986-1996

Further reading

• Anantha Sudhaker Bobbili (2000). The Road from Poodur in Biographical Passages: Essays in Victorian and Modernist Biography : Honouring Mary M. Lago, University of Missouri, North America. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 978-0-8262-1256-6.

1. The Andhra Christian Theological College was formed in 1964