Leonard Theological College Graduation Service Held

“Leadership is not Lordship”, challenged The Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan, General Secretary, Church of North India. He was addressing the graduating students of the Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur at the graduation service held on April 18, 2009. The Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan, address at the service was a challenge to the leadership of the church in India and especially to the graduating students. These students will assume positions of leadership in the years to come. He further challenged the graduates and the church with regard to the qualities of leadership necessary for ministry in the present socio, political and economic context. 

His address emphasized on vision, industriousness, perseverance, discipline, etc, with Jesus as the model of these leadership qualities and with emphasis on his servant leadership. 

At the outset, twenty eight students received their diploma and certificates for courses ranging from two to six years. The students will now return to their sponsoring churches or bodies for appointments in various fields of the church’s ministry. 

The Leonard Theological College began as a Department of the Methodist Seminary in Bareli in Uttar Pradesh in 1918 and it was in 1922 that it moved to Jabalpur as a full fledged college. Since then it has been training men and women for various ministries of the Church in India.

The college has been affiliated to the Senate of Serampore College since 1928 for the grant of theological degrees. The Board of Directors of the college is composed of representatives of major Protestant denominations in India. This ecumenical vision of theological education is also reflected in the composition of the faculty and student body.

Academic awards for the year were given away to the graduating students. The Hindi and English choirs provided special music during the service. The graduation service was presided over by Bishop M. V Khristi o the Hyderabad Episcopal Area of the Methodist Church in India, and the Chairperson, Board of Directors, Principal Rev. Richard E. A. Rodgers and assisted by the faculty of the college, church leader’s heads of the institutions, dignitaries and families of the graduating students.