Title The Reverend Doctor | Name M. Chacko | |
Born 1955 Kerala Education United Theological College, Bangalore/Senate of Serampore College (University), King's College London/University of London Parent(s) Thankamma and M. C. Mani Church Church of South India, Diocese of Madhya Kerala Offices held Pastor, Church of South India (1979-1990)
Professor, Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai (1990-2006)
Director, Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore (2006-2011) | ||
M. Mani Chacko (born 1955) is the present General Secretary of the Bible Society of India who was installed on September 13, 2011 at the CSI-St. Mark's Cathedral, Bangalore by the Bible Society of India Trust Association led by its President Navamani Elia Peter in the presence of a host of clergy, G. Dyvasirvadam, John S. Sadananda, G. D. V. Prasad, Robert R. Cunville, Joseph Mar Thoma, Ignatius Paul Pinto and others.
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Studies
Mani Chacko had his initial ministerial formation from 1975 to 1979 at the United Theological College, Bangalore, affiliated to the nation's first University, the Senate of Serampore College (University), under the Principalship of Joshua Russell Chandran where he studied a graduate course, Bachelor of Divinity. After a brief pastoral ministry, Chacko returned to the Seminary and registered for a postgraduate course, Master of Theology which he studied from 1981-1983 specialising in Old Testament under Theodore N. Swanson and E. C. John working out a dissertation entitled The theological understanding of the land in Deuteronomy. Both the graduate and post-graduate degrees were awarded by the University in successive convocations during the Registrarship of D. S. Satyaranjan. Chacko underwent research studies in Old Testament at the King's College London and returned to India in 1990. While at the London University, Chacko studied under the Old Testament Scholar, Ronald E. Clements and later published his thesis in book form in 2002 with the title, Liberation And Service Of God.
Chennai
From 1990 onwards, Chacko began to teach Old Testament at the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai. At one point of time, Victor Premasagar also began teaching at the Seminary as Professor Emeritus thereby increasing the research potential of the Seminary. In 2001, Chacko was appointed as Principal of the Seminary, a post which he held until 2006 when he moved over to the Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore to take up its Directorship.
Bangalore
Following the change of helm at the Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore in 2006, Chacko succeeded M. J. Joseph and served up to 2011 as its Director and then moved out to the Bible Society of India when its General Secretary, B. K. Pramanik stepped down after his extended superannuation came to an end resulting in the appointment of Mani Chacko as the General Secretary.