Muthyala Theophilus

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M. Theophilus (7 May 1895 – 10 December 1946) was a Baptist Patriarch and Spiritual Formator of the Protestant Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars, a major congregation along the Bay of Bengal in Andhra Pradesh, India that extends from Srikakulam District in the northern tip through Guntur District in the middle. Theophilus taught at the Baptist Theological Seminary, Kakinada during the period 1926–1946 and was also Senator^[2] of India's first^[3] University, the Senate of Serampore College (University) during 1942–1946 taking forward not only the theological concerns of the university but also the concerns of Serampore College, which as a dual University affiliated entity, had the arts, science and commerce faculties affiliated to the University of Calcutta.^[2] In matters of Church union, Theophilus actively cooperated^[4] with the National Council of Churches in India that not only incorporated the Protestant and the Oriental Orthodox Churches but also reached out to the Catholics.

The timeline of Theophilus (1895–1946), though short lived, can almost be put in the same line of Juhanon Mar Thoma (1893–1976), the Mar Thoma Patriarch who happened to study at the seminary in Bangalore around the period^[5] when Theophilus was undergoing spiritual studies at Serampore between 1919 and 1924.

Theophilus was an ecumenist who envisioned a Church that surpassed doctrinal barriers.^[6] Both Theophilus and his companion Gordon P. Barss took the lead^[6] to take up conversations between the Baptists and a few other Protestant congregations comprising the Anglicans, Congregationalists, Methodists, and Presbyterians for forming a Union. The untimely death of Theophilus in 1946 toned down the strength of the dialogue and the Baptists could not join the Church of South India that was inaugurated in 1947 at St. George's Cathedral, Madras. While this was so, the Baptists of North India joined the Church of North India in 1970. The Church Historian, D. J. Jeremiah, a member^[7] of the Church History Association of India writes that,^[6]

Theophilus was one of the chief architects of the Convention of Baptist Churches of Northern Circars. His leadership was well recognised both at the state and national level. His interest in other Churches and his contacts with other denominational leaders enriched and moulded his thinking and though he was an ardent Baptist, he fought for a Church Union. He could not bear nor did he believe in denominational differences. He strongly recommended for Church Union and published his articles in Ravi.^[8] But his death in 1946 put an end to the move towards union on the part of the CBCNC.^[6]

In 1948, G. R. Lorne of Kakinada wrote a well-researched biography replete with footnotes on M. Theophilus. In one of the chapters, Lorne highlights the personal prayer and devotional life of Theophilus who seemed to take much interest in reading titles on St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis de Sales, Sadhu Sundar Singh and other devotional reading material.^[1] Lorne wrote that Theophilus had much concern for the clergy seeing them as servants of Christ.^[1]