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D.B.T. David

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Rev. D.B.T. David, Pastor, Arcot Lutheran Church

The Reverend Devanbu Balajob Thangaraj David (6 November 1936 - 21 September 2001) was a pastor of Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC), Tamil Nadu, India and an exchange scholar of Lutheran World Federation.[1] Better known as DBT David, he was well-regarded for his pioneering ministry with a gypsy community called the Narikurava (aka Vagri) in the districts of Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Namakkal, Kallakurichi, Villupuram and Chennai, spanning the last quarter of twentieth century. He was also deputed by ALC to serve as a faculty member at Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary (TTS), Madurai from 1982 to 1985.[2]

Early life and education

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Family of Rev. Devanbu David (father of DBT David); DBT is standing third from right, photo c1958. The bearded David Sr., known for his prayerful grassroots activism served ALC as an evangelist, then as Pastor from 1949, until retirement in c1965.

Reverend D.B.T. David was born on 6 November 1936 in Kalasapakkam, Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, as the sixth among eight children to Rev. Devanbu David and Rathnam David. He studied at St. Peter's High School (Thanjavur), intermediate course at Voorhees College Vellore (1954-56), Bachelor of Arts (1956–1958) at Madras Christian College and Bachelor of Divinity (1958–1962) at Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai.

Highlights of ministry

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Rev. D.B.T. David, as a LWF Exchange Scholar (Ministry Internship) at Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, 1970.

As an Exchange Scholar

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Under the aegis of Lutheran World Federation's International exchange scholar program, Pastor David was sponsored for Urban Industrial Mission at Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church (defunct since June 1997),[3] under Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Philadelphia, USA, from September 1971 to March 1972.[4]

As Pastor and Administrator

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The pastoral ministry of Rev. D.B.T. David spanned nearly four decades since his commissioning to ministry in 1962, followed by ordination in 1963. He ministered in several ALC parishes such as Christ Church (Neyveli), Centenary Church (Mandarakuppam),[5] Christ Jesus Church[6] (Broadway, Chennai),[7][8] North West Parish, Saron, Chengam (Tiruvannamalai district), Siloam (Tirukoilur), Carmel (Tiruvannamalai) and Broadway-Chennai (second term and last ministry station). Pastor DBT David had contributed articles to ALC's Church Messenger, Church Growth Missionary Movement magazine (Madurai), and local Tamil dailies - Dinamalar and Thina Thoothu, on special occasions. On invitation from All India Radio (Chennai) and FEBA Radio, he had delivered inspiring sermons. In addition to his pastoral ministry, Rev. D.B.T. David had served as the General Superintendent for Danish Mission Hospital, Tirukoilur (1991–1994) and as Correspondent of Danish Mission Higher Secondary School,[9] Tiruvannamalai from 1994 to 1996.

Rev. D.B.T. David, as the Pastor of ALC Chengam, leading a congregational procession, 1988.
Rev. D.B.T. David, founder of Canaan Nagar gypsy settlement, Tiruvannamalai. (Photo 1982)
Tiruvannamalai IOB bank's sponsorship of books for the 1st batch of gypsy children. Seated L-R: Advocate Muthu kumaraswamy, Rev. DBT David, Bank Manager Mr. Suryanarayana, lay leader Mr. DCJ Berry (& son). Squatting at 3rd row left is gypsy leader and first gypsy Christian - Thangavelu (Photo c1979).

Pioneering ministry to the gypsies

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From 1976 to 2001, Pastor David ministered to the gypsies called Narikurava also known as Vagri gypsies, in addition to his regular pastoral ministry, wherever he was stationed. From 1977-1979, with local funds from personal friends, lay leaders of the church and many generous well-wishers, Pastor DBT David founded "Canaan Nagar" (mispronounced by locals as Kana Nagar)[10] on a long stretch of poramboke land in the southwestern outskirts of Tiruvannamalai. Nearly a hundred mud houses were built with the involvement of volunteers and gypsies themselves. In due course, the local municipality regularized their dwellings with land deed (patta). With Pastor David as the repayment guarantor, the local Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) provided small business loans to gypsies for bead-making (by women), cane basket-making, mat weaving and sale of chickens to local restaurants. Later, the IOB sponsored school books to the first batch of gypsy children who were enrolled at ALC school, Saron.[11] Pastor David was frequently accompanied and helped in gypsy ministry by lay leaders like Mr. D.C.J. Berry, Mr. G. Sundar, Evangelists Augustine Joseph, and youth volunteers of Saron.  Church leaders like Bishop Dorairaj Peter, local Danish Missionary Miss. Else Krog,[12] local Catholic missionary priest Rev. Fr. Capiaghi[13] and some ALC pastors visited Canaan Nagar on special occasions and extended practical and spiritual support to the gypsies.

Canaan Nagar in later years: It is observed that the name remains in its distorted form as "Kana Nagar." Just a remnant lives in Canaan Nagar. Due to push and pull factors there were sporadic migrations of the next generation of gypsies to bigger towns for business opportunities. In May 2008, the Tamil Nadu Government constituted[14] the Tamil Nadu Narikoravar Welfare Board[15] by which the current generation of gypsies all over Tamil Nadu are benefiting, by housing and welfare schemes.

L-R: Bishop J. Thangamuthu (CSI-Coimbatore), Bishop Dorairaj Peter (ALC), Rev. Dr. Gnana Robinson (Principal, TTS), and Rev. D. B. T. David, Faculty Member, TTS, 1983.

Ministry at the seminary and to Prisoners

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The Arcot Lutheran Church deputed Rev. DBT David to serve as the representative of Danish Missionary Society in the College Council (1974–1975) of the United Theological College, Bengaluru.[16] Later, as deputed by ALC, Rev. DBT served as a Lecturer of Christian ministry and Pastoralia, at the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary,[2] Madurai from 1982 to 1985, and coordinated ministry practicum for the students of Bachelor of Divinity course.

Rev. D. B. T. David with Founder of Jesus Calls ministy and Karunya University, Brother D. G. S. Dhinakaran, 1999.

Interdenominational involvements in ministry

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Reverend D.B.T. David served as Vice President of Christian Endeavor, North Tamil Nadu. On invitation from Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai, in January 1980, he served as a facilitator for an Inter-faith exposure program for a theological interest group from Europe. He also presented a paper on Vadalur Ramalinga Swamigal for a theological study group from Denmark, who visited ALC (1985). He was invited to give a talk on "Gandhi and Christ" at Bharathi Women's College, Chennai (1969). Pastor DBT had been a guest speaker for Pastors' conferences of Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church and Church of South India, Christian Medical Fellowship (Madurai chapter), and 'Jesus Calls' Institute of Power Ministry (Coimbatore).

Family

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D.B.T. David married Grace Sarojini (1939- ), a school teacher, daughter of John Manuel and Kamala Manuel, of CSI Memorial Church, Bengaluru on 23 October 1963. They have two sons and a daughter. Inspired by Pastor David, his younger son, Anand is active in the church as a lay preacher.[17]

Death

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Rev. D.B.T. David died on 21 September 2001 due a heart attack and was interred at Kilpauk Cemetery, Chennai. For a life lived for God and His Kingdom, Titus 1:7-9, became a fitting epitaph on his tombstone: As a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, holding fast the faithful word, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

Perception of ministry and legacy

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On the twentieth death anniversary year of Rev. David, the then Bishop of ALC Rt. Rev. V. Samuel Kennady paid a glowing tribute[18] in an online service[19] on 26 September 2021. ALC Congregations and Narikurava gypsies remember Rev. David as a 'missionary in his own right' to the gypsies. They reminisce about his forthright sermons and how he had been "an indispensable part of their lives - in inspiring them for ministry or in giving a recommendation letter for admission at a Christian college or hospital or a reference letter for jobs or by his standing as repayment guarantor for personal loans at bank, or in solemnizing their weddings (with a happy ever after), etc."[20] A gypsy man even became self-styled gypsy pastors like Paul Thangaraj, who has shared his memories[21] of Rev. David, when narrating his own story of transformation by God's love.[22]

Trivia

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  • With the mentoring of Pastor DBT, a released convict of Madurai Central Prison, pursued theology at TTS, and entered Christian ministry, in the late 1980s.
  • Pastor DBT had the habit of approaching any gypsy man he caught sight of on the road, to strike a conversation.  Once when he was in a new town, he greeted an unknown gypsy man with a gypsy term of salutation. The gypsy responded with a wide smile and fluent Vaagri booli! The Pastor couldn't make much of it, but was heartily amused that he himself was taken to be a gypsy.

References

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  1. ^ Source for this article: Biographical booklet titled, "Rev. D.B.T. David: Pastor par excellence" printed by the family, for local readership in Chennai, Nov 2001.
  2. ^ a b Seminary, Tamilnadu Theological (1990). "Samuel Amirtham, ‎C. R. W. David (1990). Venturing into life : the story of the First Twenty Years of the Tamilnadu Theological Seminary, p245".
  3. ^ The seventy-fifth anniversary of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church 1897-1972 : Helen and Clearfield Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / the Rev. Michael G. Merkel, Pastor; https://gsp.kohacatalog.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=14709&shelfbrowse_itemnumber=14716
  4. ^ Kvande, Carol (1997). Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church 1897-1997, p6
  5. ^ Jensen (g. Hørlyck), Lilly (1971-12-22), South Arcot District, India. Procession of pastors at Consecration of the Centenary Church at N Syd Arcot distrikt, Indien. Præsteprocession ved indvielsen af Hundredårskirken i Neyveli (Mandarakuppam), 22.12.1971. Forrest ALCs præsident Dorairaj Peter og en syrisk præst. Endvidere ses bl.a. Neyvelis to præster, D. B. T. David og J. Paramanandam samt pastor I. Christodass, tidl. Neyveli. (Anvendt i: Dansk Missionsblad nr 6/1972), retrieved 2025-01-22
  6. ^ Albert, S. V. (1999). Chennai Christian Directory. India: Church Growth Association of India, p82; https://books.google.co.in/books?id=FdPYAAAAMAAJ&q=%22D.B.T.+David%22+-wikipedia&dq=%22D.B.T.+David%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&printsec=frontcover&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiH062i4JeLAxUbzDgGHYe8Hfk4ChDoAXoECAQQAw
  7. ^ Blæsbjerg, Ellen (1998), Chennai/Madras, Tamil Nadu, South India,1998. Rev. Karen Berntsen visiting Broadway Church with Chennai/Madras, Tamil Nadu, Sydindien, 1998. Pastor Karen Berntsen på besøg i Broadway Kirke sammen med Pastor D. P. David, retrieved 2025-01-22
  8. ^ "ALC Broadway Chennai celebrating 125 year, p48".
  9. ^ D M Hr Sec School, Tiruvannamalai India (2024-11-26). 125th Annual Day Celebration Day-2. Retrieved 2025-01-22 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "MMS-KANANAGAR - Tiruvannamalai Municipal District Tiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu)". schools.org.in. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  11. ^ "Facebook of ALC Higher Secondary School, Saron, Tiruvannamalai". Facebook. Retrieved 26 Jan 2025.
  12. ^ Miss. Else Krog, Danish Missionary, Lebanon Home for Destitute Women, Tiruvannamalai; https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/asset-management/2A3BF1CW0XFR, accessed on 25 Jan 2025
  13. ^ "Parishes". www.rcparish.com. Archived from the original on 2024-06-12. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
  14. ^ "Welfare Board for 'Narikkuravas'". Oneindia. Retrieved 25 Jan 2025.
  15. ^ https://krishnagiri.nic.in/scheme/tamil-nadu-narikoravar-welfare-board/
  16. ^ Annual Report of the United Theological College, Bangalore, 1973-74, p3; https://iiif.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/binary/1942a95a-8c9b-4381-8c84-3d6bf2e4a6d9.pdf
  17. ^ "Messages – Word of Guidance". Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  18. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr6hkgDGGWs&t=3536s
  19. ^ Arcot Lutheran Church - India (2021-09-25). 17th Sunday After Trinity-Virtual Worship Service of ALC - 26th Sep 2021 Message by Rev.A.Augustine. Retrieved 2025-01-22 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ ALC Carmel Church's centenary souvenir (1914–2014), Tiruvannamalai, p76
  21. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=558cVNIqthE
  22. ^ ADHISAYAM TV (2022-12-25). மேகம்போன்ற சாட்சிகள் | Episode 24 (Pastor Paul Thangaraj part 1). Retrieved 2025-01-23 – via YouTube.