Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College (MBCBC), founded in 1920, is a Mennonite Bible College in Shamshabad and is affiliated with the Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches in IndiaSenate of Serampore College (University), List of Affiliated Colleges. and the nation's firstSankar Ray, 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. University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) 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 recognised 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. with degree-granting authority validated by a Danish charter and ratified by the Government of West Bengal.
History The year 1920R. S. Aseervadam, Mennonite Brethren Church and Social Action in Andhra Pradesh, Ithihas - Journal of Andhra Pradesh Archives, Volume 5, 1977.H. T. Esau, First Sixty Years of M. B. Missions, The Mennonite Brethren Publishing House, Hillsboro, 1954. is attributed to the founding of the college in Nagarkurnool under the name Bethany Bible SchoolPaul D. Wiebe, Christians in Andhra Pradesh: the Mennonites of Mahbubnagar, CISRS/CLS, Bangalore/Madras, 1988, pp.67-68, 188. which later on was moved to its present location in Shamshabad.Foreign Missions, India: The American Mennonite Brethren Mission in India 1898-1948, Board of Foreign Missions of the Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Church of North America, 1948, p.102. Over a period of time, the School was rechristened as Mennonite Brethren Bible Institute.M. Ezra Sargunam, Mission Mandate: A Compendium on the Perspective of Missions in India, Mission India, Chennai, 1992, pp.495, 508. The Rev. S. Solomon in A Brief History of Mennonite Brethren Bible Institute recorded the movements of the college to various towns chronologically, 1920 in Nagarkurnool, 1921-1923 in Shamshabad, 1923-1929 in Nagarkurnool, 1930-1944 in Shamshabad, 1945-1952 in Devarakonda, 1952 to present in Shamshabad
Even though the Church Society founded a seminary in 1920, it continuedJohn Lapp, Churches Engage Asian Traditions: A Global Mennonite History, Good Books, Intercourse, PA, 2011. to send its ministerial candidates to STBC-Ramayapatnam Baptist Theological Seminary in Ramayapatnam until 1970, when it chose Union Biblical Seminary, Pune and later, CSI-United Theological College, Bangalore. Finally, after gaining University affiliation in the 1990s, it began training its candidates within its Seminary for graduate education.
In 1969 when the Board of Governors of the Andhra Christian Theological College set up an internal curriculum revision committee to introspect their courses, the members of the Kretzmann Commission also visited the MBCBC for a field visit as part of their itineraryTheological Education in Andhra Pradesh - The Kretzmann Commission Report, Printed by A. Nageswara Rao at Saraswathi Power Press, Rajahmundry, 1970. led by eminent ecclesiastical personalities who include, The Rev. M. L. Kretzmann, IELC, The Rev. K. Devasahayam, AELC, The Rev. A. B. Masilamani, CBCNC and The Rev. C. S. Sundaresan, CSI.
University affiliation Efforts were made by the Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches in India to affiliate the MBCBC with the Senate of Serampore College (University) ever since the college began offering B.Th. courses from 1989 onwards during the Principalship of The Rev. R. S. Lemuel,Mennonite Archival Image Database CMBCI. It was in 1994 that the Senate Commission visited the college during the tenure of the University Registrar, the New Testament Scholar, The Rev. D. S. Satyaranjan who deputed the Church Historian, Bishop Emeritus J. W. Gladstone, CSI, the Systematic Theologian, The Rev. O. V. Jathanna,Indian Theological Studies, Volume 39, 2002, p.5 CSI and others followed by another Commission led by the Old Testament Scholar, The Rev. Gnana Robinson, CSI and the Systematic Theologian, The Rev. P. Kambar Manickam,James A. Bergquist, P. Kambar Manickam, The crisis of dependency in third world ministries: a critique of inherited missionary forms in India, Christian Literature Society, Madras, 1976. TELC, who conducted an academic feasibility following the thorough affiliating regimen of the university and reported to the Senate of Serampore College (University). Subsequently, the college availed the teaching of faculty from the nearest theologiate, the Andhra Christian Theological College for core subjects that included the Old Testament Scholar,G. Babu Rao, Content Analysis of Theological Syllabi – Old Testament in Religion and Society, Volume XXXII, Number 3, September 1985. The Rev. G. Babu Rao,Guide to Indian Periodical Literature, Volume 23, 1989, p.57 CBCNC who took up teaching on an adjunct basis and from thereon with the full-time faculty on its rolls, the college built up itself up to the B.D. level. The presence of The Rev. A. Wilson, CBCNC on the faculty during the years 1990-1993 and his administrative role as Registrar and Academic Dean was helpful in terms of meeting Senate's academic requirements on road to affiliation. Finally in 1995, the college was provisionallyLight of Life: Magazine of Christian Growth, Volume 38, 1996, p.68 affiliatedNational Council of Churches Review, Volume 119, 1999, p.440 to the Senate of Serampore College (University) and continues to be an important affiliated institution.
Academics Course offerings The MBCBC offers the following three courses, two of which are affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College (University). For those taking up full-time vocation of Priesthood, the college offers full-time 5-year fully residential B. D. course with University affiliation for Christians of Protestant, Orthodox, Charismatic and the Small and Indigenous Churches. A Diploma level course introducing Christianity is open for people of all faiths,Senate of Serampore College (University), Courses offered. also offered through the university. In addition, the college has initiated a post-graduate diploma in peace studiesJohn D. Roth, Historical Conditions of Mennonite Peacebuilding Approaches: Global Anabaptism and Neo-Anabaptism in Andrew P. Klager (Edited), From Suffering to Solidarity: The Historical Seeds of Mennonite Interreligious, Interethnic, and International Peacebuilding, Wipf and Stock, Eugene, 2015, p.109. under the seal of the college. +Course offerings at the MBCBC Course NameDuration Mode Academic requirementCommunity requirementAcademic Authority Bachelor of DivinityMBCBC, Entry to B.D.5 yearsResidentialIntermediateChristiansSeramporeDiploma in Christian StudiesMBCBC, Academics1 yearDistanceIntermediateOpen to all faithsSeramporeP. G. Diploma in Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution StudiesMBCBC, Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies1 yearDistanceIntermediateChristiansMBCBC
Faculty The faculty of the MBCBC have a minimum of master's level qualification with teaching experience across affiliated colleges of the Senate of Serampore College (University) from various Protestant Church congregations. +Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College Faculty (as per updated faculty list of the MBCBC uploaded by the Senate)Senate of Serampore College (University), Faculty with subjects taught. DisciplineFaculty Name GenderDomicile HighestDegree Alma materUniversityOld TestamentThe Rev. K. DavidMTelanganaM.Th.GLTCRI, ChennaiSeramporeReligionsThe Rev. Kondra SrinivasMTelanganaM.Th.ARRC, ShamshabadSeramporeOld TestamentMr. I. Sukanth SimonMTelanganaM. Th.UTC, BangaloreSeramporeChurch HistoryMs. Samarpita PetraFWest BengalM.Th.GLTCRI, ChennaiSeramporeChurch HistoryThe Rev. B. Raja ShekarMAndhra PradeshM.Th.ARRC, ShamshabadSeramporeCounsellingThe Rev. M.J. Shanthi DathaMTelanganaM.Th.UTC, BangaloreSeramporeCommunicationThe Rev. R. EzraMAndhra PradeshM.Th.TTS, MaduraiSeramporeOld TestamentThe Rev. K. Vijaya KumarMAndhra PradeshPh.D.SHUATS, AllahabadSHUATSEnglish languageMs. Christina LurdhamaniLaityFTelanganaM. A.FPU, FresnoTheses presented by students seeking the Master of Arts Degree in Peacemaking and Conflict Studies from Fresno Pacific University.Fresno PacificSystematic TheologyThe Rev. Jeyaraj RajaiahMTamil NaduSecunderabad St. Thomas Mission, Clergy, Jeyaraj RajaiahPh.D.Utrecht University, UtrechtUtrechtNew TestamentMs. Sindhu JosephFKeralaD.Th.UTC, BangaloreSeramporeHistory of ChristianityThe Rev. Y. D. Jayaker, CMBCIMTelanganaD. Th.FFRRC, KottayamY. D. Jayaker, The Role of the Mennonite Brethren Church of India in the upliftment of Telangana region from 1958 - 2008, Masters thesis submitted to Senate of Serampore College (University), 2011.SeramporeNew TestamentThe Rev. K. Suraj Kumar, CBMMAndhra PradeshPh.D.University of Cape Town, Cape TownCape TownHistory of ChristianityThe Rev. I. P. Asheervadam, CMBCIMTelanganaD. Th.UTC, BangaloreI. P. Asheervadam, The Historical Setting for Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Churches in India, Mennonite Life, Volume 56, Number 3, September 2001.[https://ml.bethelks.edu/issue/vol-56-no-3/article/the-historical-setting-for-mennonite-and-brethren/]Serampore
Library The Library at the MBCBC is well stocked and has three sectionsMBCBC, The Library and well maintained. In fact, prior to becoming the Principal, The Rev. I. P. Asheervadam used to oversee the library. Main Library, Historical Library and Archives, and Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies (CPCRS) Peace Library Peter Penner writes that the missionary Ms. Emma Lepp who used to teach at the college was entrusted in 1962 with the task of consolidating the library acquisitions. During the later years, there have been overseas Librarians who have guided and helped in the maintenance of the library, which includes, Ms. Shirley AnneKaleidoscope - Bethel College Mennonite Church, April–May 2014, p.6. of Kansas.
The library is one of the oldest and continues to preserve archival holdings and was referred to by the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College when it initiated the series Bibliography of Original Christian Writings in IndiaBoard of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College, Bibliography of Original Christian Writings in India, 1994, in the 1990s during the incumbency of the Christian Theologian, The Rev. H. S. Wilson, CSI, the Christian Ethics Scholar, The Rev. Hunter P. Mabry, UMC and the New Testament Scholar, The Rev. Zaihmingthanga, PCI for which the Christian Theologian, The Rev. Ravela Joseph, STBC, and the Religious Scholar, The Rev. B. Suneel Bhanu, AELC were entrusted with the compilation in Telugu language.R. Joseph, B. Suneel Bhanu (Compiled), Bibliography of Original Christian Writings in India in Telugu, published by the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College, Bangalore, 1993. The library continues to be oftThe Mennonite Quarterly Review, Volume 81, 2007, p.18 referredJames Elisha Taneti, History of the Telugu Christians: A Bibliography, Scarecrow, Plymouth, 2011, pp.39, 42, 44, 53, 71, 89, 99. to by Scholars with the recent being the Systematic Theologian, James Elisha Taneti who also made use of the resources here in compiling History of the Telugu Christians: A Bibliography in 2011 for the American Theological Library Association.
Student life and annual days