William D Coleman (pastor)

Scholastic and collegiate

Coleman studied up to twelfth standard at the Kodaikanal International School, Dundigal in Tamil Nadu (India) and proceeded to the United States where he pursued a graduate degree in arts at the Muhlenberg College, Allentown in Pennsylvania from where he obtained a B.A. in 1936.

Graduate and postgraduate

In fall 1936, Coleman enrolled at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in Philadelphia for a graduate course in spirituality leading to B.D.. Coleman studied at the seminary during the Registrarship of The Rev. Frederic Whipp Friday and completed his studies by 1939 and was ordained the same year and returned to India for Christian mission service.

During 1946-1948, Coleman went to the United States where he again enrolled at his alma mater, the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and submitted a dissertation fulfilling the requirements for the Bachelor of Divinity course based on which the seminary awarded him a B.D. degree in 1947.

In fall 1946, Coleman enrolled for a postgraduation course leading to S.T.M. at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia where he spent two semesters studying under Frederick Nolde, Roswell P. Barnes, Henry Smith Leiper, Franklin Clark Fry, and other faculty. Coleman also attended two additional seminars in 1947-1948 and was able to submit a dissertation entitled The Doctrine of Incarnation in Hinduism and Christianity based on which the seminary awarded him with an S.T.M. degree in 1948.

Doctoral

During 1953-1954, Coleman pursued doctoral studies at the Yale Divinity School and the Hartford Seminary, Hartford, Connecticut where he wrote a thesis titled, The Development of the Indigenous Church in the Andhra Area in India on the Background of Hinduism, leading to the award of Ph.D. by the Hartford Seminary.

Ecclesiastical ministry

After initial theological studies in the United States, Coleman returned to India in 1939 and began serving as Missionary of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Pastoral

After Coleman returned to India in 1940, he was given the role of District Missionary in Bheemavaram and Narsapur Fields of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church which he served from 1941-1946. After a two-year gap, Coleman was assigned as Evangelistic Missionary in the East Godavari Synod during 1948-1953.

1952-1964

In 1952, Coleman was taken on the teaching staff of the Lutheran Theological College in Rajahmundry and also continued his role as an Evangelistic Missionary in the East Godavari Synod up to 1953. Coleman taught for more than a decade from 1952-1964 and also became Principal of the Lutheran Theological College in 1962.

1964-1981

When ecumenical efforts fructified resulting in the formation of the Andhra Christian Theological College in 1964 in the erstwhile premises of the Lutheran Theological College, Coleman was chosen as the Principal of the College, a position in which he continued up to 1973 in Rajahmundry.

In 1973, when the College was relocated to Hyderabad, Coleman continued to teach at the College and was Dean of External Studies from 1974-1981.

Retirement and death

Coleman resigned from the College in 1981 and took up a role with the Division of World Mission and Ecumenism of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and was stationed in New York during 1981-1982. After serving for a year, Coleman retired from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

After leading a retired life for nearly 18 years', Coleman died on 22 October 2001 at Colebrook, Pennsylvania (United States of America).

Reminisce

Talathoti Punnaiah who studied a 3-year theology course leading to Bachelor of Theology at the Andhra Christian Theological College, both at Rajahmundry and at Hyderabad from 1970-1973 recalls his association with W. D. Coleman,

Coleman was a Lutheran missionary who was born and raised in Andhra Pradesh. He was our Principal and used to speak Telugu very fluently. He was our Old Testament Professor and a very good Administrator. He was strict in his dealings. I noticed several administrative skills in him such as work abilities, promptness and activeness. The entire faculty used to respect him and cooperate with him in the administration of the Seminary. He was well versed in Old Testament and a good preacher.