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{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{short description|20th-century Indian President of the Lutheran Church Society}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = President
| name = G. Devasahayam, [[Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church|AELC]]
| title = The Reverend Doctor
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| church = [[Lutheran]]
| archdiocese =
| diocese = [[Synods]] of [[East Godavari]], [[West Godavari]], East [[Guntur]], West Guntur, Central Guntur
| see = [[Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church]] (AELC)
| term = 1956–1960<ref name="Kolluri"/> and 1963-1964<ref name="Kolluri"/>
| predecessor = [[A. N. Gopal]]<ref name="Kolluri"/> and [[K. Krupadanam]]<ref name="Kolluri"/>
| successor = [[K. Krupadanam]]<ref name="Kolluri"/> and [[K. Devasahayam]]<ref name="Kolluri"/>

| ordination =
| ordinated_by =
| consecration =
| consecrated_by =
| rank =

| birth_date =
| birth_place = [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]]
| death_date =
| death_place = [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]]
| previous_post = [[Professor]], Lutheran Theological College, [[Rajahmundry]] {{small|(1944-1956)}}, [[Professor]], [[Andhra Christian Theological College]], [[Rajahmundry]]/[[Hyderabad]] {{small|(1964-1972)}}
}}
'''G. Devasahayam'''<ref name="Kolluri"/> was the Indian President of the [[Protestant]] [[Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church]] Society and served during the periods 1956–1960<ref name="Kolluri"/> and again from 1963–1964.<ref name="Kolluri"/> During his second stint as President of the AELC, Devasahayam participated<ref>1966 Yearbook, United Lutheran Church in America
United Lutheran publication house, 1965, p.11. [https://books.google.com/books?id=677kAAAAMAAJ&dq=g.+devasahayam+andhra+christian+theological+college&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=g.+devasahayam]</ref> in the opening of the newly formed [[Andhra Christian Theological College]] then located in the same campus of the Lutheran Theological College in [[Rajahmundry]].

==Studies==
Gorikapudi Devasahayam completed his graduate studies<ref name="Foreign"/> at the Lutheran Theological College, [[Rajahmundry]] which at that time was directly affiliated to the [[Senate of Serampore College (University)]] and was assigned pastoral ministry. Later, Devasahayam was appointed to teach at his ''[[alma mater]]'', the Lutheran Theological College in Rajahmundry.<ref name="Foreign">The Annual Report of the Foreign Missions of the United Lutheran Church in America for the Year, 1945, p.25. [https://books.google.com/books?id=pGHfAAAAMAAJ&q=g.+devasahayam+lutheran&dq=g.+devasahayam+lutheran&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDYQ6AEwBmoVChMI2Zz63e7mxgIVhxuOCh2brw73]</ref>

The AELC Society sent Devasahayam on study leave to the [[Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia]] during 1953–1954<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=cUcPAQAAMAAJ&q=g.+devasahayam+lutheran&dq=g.+devasahayam+lutheran&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDsQ6AEwB2oVChMI2Zz63e7mxgIVhxuOCh2brw73 Minutes of the Annual Convention, 1955, p.86]</ref> where he studied during the period of the eminent [[human rights]] specialist, [[Frederick Nolde]]. The seminary awarded a postgraduate degree in [[Master of Sacred Theology]] ([[S.T.M.]]) upon Devasahayam in the succeeding convocation in 1955.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

==Ecclesiastical ministry==
Devasahayam began teaching at the Lutheran Theological College in [[Rajahmundry]] from 1944 onwards until his elevation to the Presidency of the Lutheran Society in 1956 and again in 1963 when Devasahayam proceeded to Guntur to take up the responsibilities of the Society. After his second stint as President ended in 1964,<ref>''The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who'', Bennett and Coleman, Calcutta, 1964, p.88. [https://books.google.com/books?id=LcEQAQAAMAAJ&q=G.Devasahayam&dq=G.Devasahayam&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjK7_jS9pLPAhXEk5QKHQiuAR0Q6AEIKjAD]</ref> Devasahayam returned to [[Rajahmundry]] and joined the faculty<ref>''Prospectus ACTC'', Printed by A. Nageswara Rao at Saraswathi Power Press, Rajahmundry, 1969, p.2.</ref> of the newly formed [[Andhra Christian Theological College]], a Protestant Regional Theologiate that included the [[Anglicans]], [[Baptists]], [[Congregationalists]], [[Lutherans]], [[Methodists]] and [[Wesleyans]].

During the time as Professor in Rajahmundry, Devasahayam also served as a Pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Rajahmundry from 1947–1950.<ref>Martin Luther Dolbeer, ''The Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church: A Brief History'', 1951, p.77. [https://books.google.com/books?id=YGLZAAAAMAAJ&dq=g.+devasahayam+rajahmundry&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=g.+devasahayam]</ref>

==Reminisce==
Talathoti Punnaiah who studied a 3-year theology course leading to [[Bachelor of Theology]] at the [[Andhra Christian Theological College]], both at Rajahmundry and at [[Hyderabad]] from 1970–1973 recalls his association with Devasahayam,
{{quote|Devasahayam was President Emeritus of the AELC who taught us modern religious movements. He was very friendly in the class and used to share his experiences with us. We were blessed to have him as our Professor.<ref>Talathoti Punnaiah, ''My Memoir, Ministry and Message: 60 years Life Experiences 1950-2010'', Kakinada, 2010, p.24.</ref>}}

{{S-start}}
{{s-rel}}
{{Succession box| before=[[A. N. Gopal]] 1951-1955/<br />[[K. Krupadanam]] 1961-1962<ref name="Kolluri">Kolluri Luther Richardson, ''Towards Self-Reliance : A historical survey of the programmes and efforts of Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1927 to 1969'', Published by Christopher and Kanakaiah, Vijayawada, 2003, pp.78, 85, 86.</ref>| title=President<br />[[Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church]]
| after=[[K. Krupadanam]] 1961-1962/<br />[[K. Devasahayam]]1965-1969<ref name="Kolluri"/>| years=1956-1960 and 1963-1964<ref name="Kolluri"/>}}
{{S-end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal
| author=Kolluri Luther Richardson
| title=''Towards Self-Reliance : A historical survey of the programmes and efforts of Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1927–1969'', Published by Christopher and Kanakaiah, Vijayawada
| year=2003
| volume=
| issue=
| url =
}}
* {{cite book
| author=Michael Bergunder
| title=Die südindische Pfingstbewegung im 20. Jahrhundert: eine historische und systematische Untersuchung
| year=1999
| volume= of Studien zur interkulturellen Geschichte des Christentums
| series=113| isbn=978-3-631-33771-4| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=Wo3YAAAAMAAJ&q=
}}
* {{cite journal
| author=R. Joseph and B. Suneel Bhanu
| title=Bibliography of Original Christian Writings in India in Telugu
| year=1993
| volume=
| issue=
| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=3YPgAAAAMAAJ&dq=Bibliography+of+Original+Christian+Writings+in+India+in+Telugu
}}
* {{cite journal
| author=Martin Senftleben
| title=''Influences of Hinduism on Christianity in Andhra Pradesh.'' Unpublished PhD thesis, Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati
| year=1992
| volume=I
| issue=
| url=http://www.drmartinus.de/bio/de/thesis1.pdf
| journal=
| access-date=19 July 2015
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209131403/http://www.drmartinus.de/bio/de/thesis1.pdf
| archive-date=9 December 2008
| url-status=dead
}}
* {{cite journal
| author=_______________
| title=''Influences of Hinduism on Christianity in Andhra Pradesh.'' Unpublished PhD thesis, Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati
| year=1992
| volume=II
| issue=
| url=http://www.drmartinus.de/bio/de/thesis2.pdf
| journal=
| access-date=19 July 2015
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209131418/http://www.drmartinus.de/bio/de/thesis2.pdf
| archive-date=9 December 2008
| url-status=dead
}}
* {{cite journal
| author=M. Victor Paul
| title=Parish Renewal in Reflections on Theology Today – Papers presented by the ACTC faculty during the academic year 1988–1989 on Theology and Mission and Ministry of the Church
| year=1990
| volume=
| issue=
| url =
}}
* {{cite journal
|author=B. C. Paul
|title=The Emergence of a Church in South India: A Study of the Growth and Development of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church: 1905–1927. Unpublished Th. D. thesis submitted to the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
|year=1984
|url=http://archive.elca.org/archives/dgm/India.html
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712112221/http://archive.elca.org/archives/dgm/India.html
|archivedate=12 July 2011
|df=mdy
}}

{{Protestant missions to India|state=expanded}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devasahayam}}
[[Category:Indian Lutherans]]
[[Category:Indian Christian theologians]]
[[Category:Translators of the Bible into Telugu]]
[[Category:Telugu people]]
[[Category:Christian clergy from Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian translators]]
[[Category:Senate of Serampore College (University) alumni]]
[[Category:Senate of Serampore College (University) faculty]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

G. Devasahayam - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 21:42, 13 August 2023