The Rev. Dr. Busi Suneel Bhanu—Bridge Builder
A
tribute by Lawrence R. Wohlrabe
In June of 2007 I was blessed to meet Suneel for the
first time. He had traveled to
Moorhead, MN in the U.S.A along with three other representatives of the Andhra Evangelical
Lutheran Church (AELC) to be present for the annual assembly of the
Northwestern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA).
Why had these four Lutherans from India flown halfway
around the world? It was not simply to
attend a church gathering, but to witness the election of a synod bishop in
their companion synod.[1] The outcome of that election was that I was
called to be the bishop of the NW MN Synod, succeeding Bishop Rolf Wangberg who
had served since 2001.
And that’s why, the day after the 2007 synod assembly
adjourned, my wife Joy and I met with the AELC delegation for brunch in the
home of the Wangbergs. This gathering
offered me a chance to assure our sisters and brothers from the AELC that I would
continue to nurture the companion synod relationship between the NW MN Synod
and the AELC.
Thus began my friendship with Suneel who was, at the
time, a professor at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College & Research
Institute in Chennai (formerly Madras), Tamil Nadu, India. In addition to being a veteran pastor and
theological professor in the AELC, his keen facility in the English language
was invaluable in helping us connect with our new Indian friends.
So it was that two years later, when Suneel himself
was elected to a four-year term as Bishop of the AELC, we had already begun to
forge a new bishop-to-bishop partnership that blossomed into a deep friendship
which continues to this day. Inspired by
this partnership and friendship, I am pleased to offer the following tribute on
the occasion of Suneel’s 70th birthday.
ACCOMPANIMENT HALFWAY AROUND THE GLOBE
When I was elected synod bishop neither my wife Joy
nor I had ever traveled abroad. We
didn’t even possess U.S. passports! All
of that changed in the autumn of 2009 when we flew to India to become
acquainted first-hand with the people, the congregations and the territory of
the AELC. Accompanied by an
experienced India traveler, Professor Henry “Hank” Tkachuk of Concordia College
in Moorhead, we literally flew halfway around planet Earth.[2]
Although the trip was daunting—and our first
experience with pan-global jet lag was exhausting—we were filled with wonder by
actually seeing and walking on the terra firma of India. We also discovered how easy it was to love
and appreciate the people of the AELC, whose hospitality toward us was
overwhelming.
Joy and I experienced what we in the ELCA call accompaniment. The ELCA understands accompaniment in the
following manner:
“Accompaniment” is a
scriptural and practical way of understanding mission that has been articulated
in the past few decades in dialogue between churches in the “global North”—the
churches who historically sent missionaries—and churches in the “global
South”—churches in Asia, Africa and Latin America who historically received
missionaries. Today, there are more Christians in the “global South” than in
the “global North.” It’s a different world than that of the earliest
missionaries, and our understanding of and living out mission must respond.[3]
As we started to experience “accompaniment”
first-hand, we came to realize what a superb global partner God had given to us
in the person of Bishop Suneel. My experiences with Suneel have led me to think
of him as a bridgebuilder par excellence. This is the image of Suneel that I wish to
describe in greater detail in this tribute.
BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN THE AELC AND THE
ELCA
The primary context within which I have engaged with
Bishop Suneel has been the Companion Synod relationship between the AELC and
the NW MN Synod—a relationship that predated our service as colleague bishops
and a connection that continues to blossom and grow.
Central to the experience of being in a companion
synod relationship is the regular, back-and-forth exchanges of global visitors
between the two synods. Such
face-to-face encounters have been supplemented since the early 2000s by the
growth of social media, especially Facebook.
During my twelve years of service as bishop, there
were six person-to-person exchanges between the AELC and the NW MN Synod:
· As
has already been noted, in 2007 then-Moderator Bishop V.E.
Christopher and Mrs. Christopher, along with Rev. Subhashini Bondu (leader of
the AELC Bible Women evangelistic ministry) and the Rev. Dr. Busi Suneel Bhanu
as translator, participated in the NW MN Synod Assembly when I was elected to
my first term as bishop.[4]
· In
2009, shortly after Suneel was elected Moderator Bishop of the
AELC, Joy and I traveled to India for twelve days (November 5-17) accompanied
by Concordia College Professor Henry “Hank” Tkachuk—an experienced India
traveler. During this pilgrimage I met
with a number of key Lutheran leaders, including: Dr. Kunchala Rajaratnam (dubbed “The Grand
Old Man of Indian Lutheranism”)[5], Dr. Monica Melanchthon of
the faculty at Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Rev.
Dr. A.G. Augustine Jayakumar who was the executive director of the United
Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI),[6] and Pastor Subhashini
Bondu. In addition to traveling
throughout the AELC, we also participated in the annual “Pastors Day” in
Visakapatnam where I preached and took part in a Service of Ordination for over
70 new pastors of the AELC.
· In
the autumn of 2011 five representatives of the AELC paid a visit
to northwestern Minnesota: Bishop Suneel
and his wife, the Rev. Dr. Grace Bhanu (who was also serving as Director of
Women’s Ministries in the AELC); Mrs. Janagam Mary Grace, Secretary of the
AELC; Mr. Budithi C. Rajaratnam, Treasurer of the AELC; and Dr. Patta Devaraju,
longtime member of the AELC Executive Council.
· In
November of 2012, Hank Tkachuk, Joy and I led a pilgrimage that
brought 19 pastors and lay leaders from the NW MN Synod to the AELC. This was the largest group of NW MN Synod
folks to visit the AELC, and our delegation included six pastors (four of whom
were women) and thirteen lay persons representing all corners of northwestern
Minnesota. We experienced a fascinating and challenging
two weeks together that took us from Delhi to Vijayawada to Guntur to
Bhimavaram to Rajahmundry to Visakhapatnam and back
to Delhi for a day of sight-seeing at the Agra Fort, Taj Mahal and Fatehpur
Sikri, before heading back to Minnesota.
Highlights of the pilgrimage included another mass ordination event in
conjunction with the AELC’s annual “Pastors Day,” and a Service of Consecration
for Bishop Suneel and the synod (territorial) bishops of the AELC. We also paid particular attention to some of
the “ministries of mercy” of the AELC, including a school for blind children, a
leper colony, a shelter for destitute women, a stop at the AELC headquarters in
Guntur, and tours of several AELC educational ministries. The nineteen travelers from NW MN were
subsequently available for speaking
engagements in the congregations and conferences of the synod—and the entire
effort provided a “shot in the arm” for the companion synod program.
· By
2015 Suneel had concluded his service to the AELC, having been
succeeded in 2013 by the current Moderator Bishop Fredrick Paradesi Babu
Kollabathula. A delegation of four AELC
leaders--Pastor Nelson Francis Wesley Junipe, Mrs. Asha Kiran Kollabathula
(wife of Bishop Fredrick, who was unable to participate in this trip),
Professor Anitha Pranuthi Pinapati, and Dr. Deva Raju Patta--came to the United
States for an ELCA Churchwide /NW MN Synod consultation that began on March 18
in Chicago and concluded March 29 in Fargo, ND.[7]
· In
September of 2019 Dr. Patta Devaraju and his wife Indira attended
and brought greetings from the AELC at the installation of my successor, Bishop
William Tesch, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Moorhead, MN.
I have gone into some depth in providing this
historical timeline of personal encounters between individuals from the NW MN
Synod and the AELC, both to document the story of this companion synod
relationship and to highlight the occasions that fed the growth of this
relationship. Through it all, Suneel has
been integral to our joint efforts to forge a stronger relationship between the
NW MN Synod and the AELC.
Without a doubt, Suneel’s firm grasp of the English
language was significant in making this partnership thrive and grow![8] Suneel also was a superb interpreter and
“explainer” who never tired of responding to the many questions we Americans
asked him. Moreover, Suneel’s ready
smile, sense of humor and personal warmth were invaluable in strengthening this
companion synod connection. On a
personal level—as siblings in Christ who shared meals in each other’s homes—Joy
and I came to regard Suneel and Grace as personal friends whom we have grown to
love.
BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN THE ACADEMY AND
THE CHURCH
Down through its history global Lutheranism has had
many scholar-bishops, and without doubt Bishop Busi Suneel Bhanu must be
counted among them. His story, in so
many ways, reflects the genesis of Lutheranism itself, which was born in 1517
in the city of Wittenberg, Germany—in which the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
regularly preached in local churches even as he taught theology in the then-new
University of Wittenberg.
In my many experiences with Suneel I witnessed how he
has integrated his pastoral and professorial identities. Having served as a parish pastor in
Visakhapatnam in the late 1980s, Suneel helped grow a new AELC
congregation—Emmanuel Lutheran Church, a mission congregation developed by the
older Trinity Lutheran Church. In this
critical role Pastor Suneel acquired and honed skills in preaching, teaching,
pastoral care-giving, and church-planting.
But Suneel also had the academic gifts and advanced
studies to teach in institutions of higher education such as the Gurukul
Theological College and Research Institute.
His area of academic research has focused on the experience of Dalits
(sometimes called “untouchables”) in the caste system of India.
For Suneel this was not an esoteric subject. Truth be told, the vast majority of Christians in India are
Dalits. In pursuing his doctorate at
the International Christian University in Japan, Suneel focused on exploring
the similarities between India’s Dalits and Japan’s Burakamin people.
Suneel’s facility in building bridges between the
academy and the church is evident when one observes—as I have—his warm rapport
with the young pastors of the AELC (many of whom called him “professor” before
they called him “bishop”). It is also
very clear that Suneel’s academic research in Dalit studies has strongly
influenced the emphases he has pursued as moderator bishop of the AELC--most
notably his persistent attention to calling the church to exercise special care
for the downtrodden.
BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
Indian culture, and the culture of the AELC, is quite
“traditional” in terms of how men and women relate to one another. Men dominate positions of leadership in
families, churches and society. Historically
women have been considered subordinate to men.
Suneel has been vocal and forthright in seeking to address
this reality. An interview with him
published by the Lutheran World Federation on March 1, 2016 included the
following comments from Suneel:
“Women’s dignity. The freedom, choices, aspirations and dignity
of women are eroded in India’s traditional and male chauvinistic ideals of a
woman: a dutiful housekeeper, submissive
to her husband and bears him children.
Many still remember the 22-year old woman in Delhi who was gang raped by
six men in December 2012, and later died from her injuries. The public protests over this case and
widespread violence against women led to the amendment of the criminal code in
2013 to include stiff penalties for rape.
Churches are called to speak out
and act more for the dignity of women, who make up 51 percent of our
population.”[9]
In my own experiences with Suneel I have witnessed his
deep commitment to according women in the AELC the kind of dignity and
opportunities that they deserve. Three
examples come to mind.
First, I know from my own experience with a gifted and
highly-trained female theologian in the AELC that Suneel has encouraged and
assisted her (and other women theologians) to secure teaching positions in
institutions of higher theological education.
Suneel’s wife, Grace, is another example of a woman who has been both ordained
as a pastor and called to teach at institutions of theological education such
as the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute and Andhra
Christian Theological College in Hyderabad where Grace currently is a Professor
of the History of Christianity.
Second, I have observed in Suneel a passion for having
more ordained female pastors serving in parishes of the AELC. Women have been ordained in the AELC since
1999,[10] but it has been very
challenging to secure calls for them to serve as parish pastors.
When the 19 pilgrims from the NW MN Synod visited the
AELC in 2012, Suneel invited me to participate in a Service of Consecration for
himself and the six synod bishops of the AELC.
I believe that a big reason why Suneel insisted that I participate in
the laying on of hands during this worship service was that in 2007 I had been
installed as synod bishop in a version of the “historic episcopate” (including
the presence of ELCA bishops who had been similarly installed along with an
Episcopal bishop).[11] But Suneel also insisted that all the
visiting pastors from the NW MN Synod be vested and participate in the Service
of Consecration—which means that four female ordained ELCA pastors were invited
to lay hands on Suneel and the synod bishops—all of them males. Only after the fact did I realize how subtle
and intentional Suneel had been, to shine a spotlight on these female pastors from
the United States, as a way (I have assumed) of encouraging members of the AELC
to become more open to receiving their own women clergy as pastors in their
parishes.
Third, during both of my visits to the AELC, Suneel
made sure that I (and those traveling with me) were able to spend significant
time with the “Bible Women” of the AELC. These Bible Women are among the primary
evangelists in the AELC—and they tend to focus on reaching females who are not
Christian. The theory, reflecting
Indian traditions for how men and women relate to one another, is that
Christian women can get into a home through the “back door” and thus engage
with non-Christian women who are considering conversion to Christianity. Fairly often these new converts then seek to
introduce their non-Christian husbands to the way of Jesus Christ. Suneel has been tireless in supporting the
AELC’s Bible Women, both in seeking financial existence and in paying attention
to the Bible Women’s formation in Christian faith and life.
BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN LUTHERANS AND
OTHER FAITH TRADITIONS
India is a deeply spiritual country, in which people
of different faiths have managed to live together in peace. In my travels to India I have been struck by
how open Indian people are to learning about and engaging with the
spiritualities of their neighbors. For
the AELC, such connections involve both (a) ecumenical relations with other
Christian faith groups and (b) interfaith relationships with people of
non-Christian religious groups.
The AELC has multiple avenues for ecumenical
engagement with other Christians, and Suneel has been a dedicated proponent of
such engagement. First, there are
relationships with other Lutherans in India, manifested in the United
Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI) which is an umbrella
organization of 12 Lutheran church bodies in India, representing 4 million
Lutherans. The UELCI also connects
Indian Lutherans with other global ecumenical organizations such as the World
Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation. The AELC also participates in the National
Council of Churches in India which is made up of 30 member church bodies
representing the Protestant and Orthodox Churches in India.
Throughout his ministry Suneel has been involved with
these various ecumenical agencies.
Since retiring as Moderator Bishop of the AELC, Suneel has been particularly
engaged with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF)—having served recently on a
LWF study group on “Lutheran Engagement in the Public Space.”
Suneel has also fostered good relationships between
the people of the AELC and their non-Christian neighbors. He affirms the efforts of congregations like
Transfiguration Lutheran Church in Kakinada, India, which we visited in 2009,
to welcome intentionally “seekers” of other faiths and no faith to explore the
worship life and ministries of AELC congregations. To foster such inter-faith hospitality,
Transfiguration’s building is open from the early morning to late evening, so
that persons of any faith tradition can pray there daily. On Sundays, roughly 30% of those attending
worship are non-Christians.
BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN CHURCH AND
SOCIETY
Closely related to the previous section of this paper,
Suneel has emerged during his retirement years as an important voice for
cultivating interfaces in India between church and society. With the rise of Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and his BJP party, various forms of “Hindu nationalism” have challenged
the religious diversity that has characterized India. Although India is an officially secular
country, the current government has shown favoritism to Hindu believers and
Hindu faith practices.
In this context of religious intolerance, Suneel has
drawn upon his work with the Lutheran World Federation’s “Lutheran Engagement
in the Public Space” study group to challenge the AELC and other Christian
groups to understand the church as “a public space for people with diverse
attitudes and orientations to share their ideas and resources for the wellbeing
of all.” As they claim this role in
Indian society, Suneel has drawn particular attention to Christians’ need to
address issues such as “the rights of Dalits, women’s dignity and human
sexuality.”[12]
IN CONCLUSION
As I conclude this brief tribute I’m keenly aware of
the fact that, with respect to the topic at hand, I have barely scratched the
surface. Indeed there are certainly
other ways in which the title of “Bridge Builder” could be ascribed to Busi
Suneel Bhanu. And I expect that Suneel
himself will continue to cultivate his gifts and commitments in this
regard.
My ardent wish for my good friend and brother in
Christ is that, in addition to having a happy and blessed 70th birthday
celebration, God will continue to work through him for many years to come.
Soli deo gloria!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lawrence Robert Wohlrabe was born in 1954 in Mankato,
Minnesota, U.S.A. He graduated from
Minnesota State University, Mankato, and Luther Seminary, St. Paul. In 2003
Luther Seminary awarded him a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) degree with
distinction. Ordained in 1981, he served parishes in Willmar, MN; St. James,
MN; and Moorhead, MN. He was also on the staff of Luther Seminary, St. Paul,
and the SW MN Synod ELCA, Redwood Falls, MN. Larry was elected bishop of the
Northwestern Minnesota Synod on June 10, 2007 and was re-elected to a second
term on June 7, 2013. He retired at the end of his term on September 1, 2019.
During 2020 he came out of retirement to serve 9 ½ months as Interim Bishop of
the Eastern North Dakota Synod ELCA. Larry's wife, Joy, is retired after
working many years as a hospital and hospice social worker. They have two young
adult children, Erik and Kristen (married to Aaron) and three grandchildren:
Olivia, Micah and Malachi.
[1] Companion
synod relationships of the ELCA connect Lutheran churches throughout the world
with ELCA synods and congregations. These relationships are concrete
expressions of the communion and fellowship with the more than 140 Lutheran
member churches of The Lutheran World Federation. Each of the 65 synods has at
least one international church companion and many have additional
relationships, resulting in more than 120 companion synod relationships. Companion Synod Relationships -
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (elca.org)
[2] Hank colorfully described for us
the fact that if we dug down through the center of the earth, starting in
Moorhead, we would find ourselves in India, not China!
[4]
Six years later, in 2013, I was re-elected to a second term.
[5]
Dr. Rajaratnam died the next year, 2010.
See https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/dr-kunchala-rajaratnam
[6] Dr. Jayakumar died in 2019 after suffering
from kidney disease for years. https://gltc.edu/reformation-day-celebrations-2020/
[7] This was the last AELC/NWMN Synod interchange
that involved Professor Tkachuk, who died suddenly in September of 2018, less
than a month before we had planned to send a small delegation of NWMN Synod
folks to the AELC. That pilgrimage,
unfortunately, was cancelled because it was still being planned by Prof.
Tkachuk when he died.
[8] We
can not over-state the significance of Suneel’s command of the English
language—a quality possessed by neither his predecessor, Bishop V. E. Christopher,
nor his successor, Bishop Fredrick Paradesi Babu.
[10]
In the AELC the practice is to have a mass ordination for all candidates who
have completed their seminary education and been approved for
ordination—whether or not they have received calls to serve in
congregations. This stands in contrast
to the practice in the ELCA, in which persons who have met all the requirements
for ordination must have a “Letter of Call in hand” before being ordained.
[11]
This practice emerged in the ELCA only after its 1999 Churchwide Assembly in
Denver approved Called to Common Mission (CCM) which allowed the ELCA
and the Episcopal Church to enter into full communion with each other.
[12]
See footnote 9 above for the source.
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