Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College

{{Short description|University in Karnataka, India}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

{{Infobox university

|name = Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College

|native_name = BTESSC

|image =

|motto =

|established = 1975

|type = Regulatory body for Theological education in India

|endowment =

|staff =

|president = Zacharias Mar Aprem

|provost =

|director =

|rector =

|chancellor =

|secretary =

|dean =

|students =

|undergrad =

|postgrad =

|doctoral =

|faculty =

|city = Bangalore

|state = Karnataka

|country = India

|campus =

|affiliations = Senate of Serampore College (University)

|website = {{url|http://btessc.org}}

}}

The Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College (BTESSC) is the arm of theological education under the Senate of Serampore College (University).Wati Longchar [http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/education/mf101.pdf] Towards a common strategy and mechanismChristian Conference of Asia {{cite web |url=http://www.cca.org.hk/resources/papers/conference/ete20813p.htm |title=ETE paper |access-date=2008-08-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030053340/http://www.cca.org.hk/resources/papers/conference/ete20813p.htm |archive-date=30 October 2008}} Towards a common strategy and mechanism to facilitate theological education and human resource development in south Asia churches BTESSC was formed in 1975.

The Senate of Serampore College (University), under which the BTESSC was constituted, is a university within the meaning of Section 2 (f)Under Section 2 (f) of the UGC Act, 1956, University means a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act, and includes any such institution as may, in consultation with the University concerned, be recoginsed by the Commission in accordance with the regulations made in this behalf under this Act. The UGC took the opinion that the Senate fell under the purview of Section 2 (f) of the said Act since The Serampore College Act, 1918 was passed by the Government of West Bengal.{{cite web |url=http://www.senateofseramporecollege.org/act/UGC.htm |title=UGC and Senate of Serampore College (University) |access-date=2015-11-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926195054/http://senateofseramporecollege.org/act/UGC.htm |archive-date=26 September 2008}} of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956[http://www.ugc.ac.in/policy/ugcact1956.html The University Grants Commission Act, 1956] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229114428/http://www.ugc.ac.in/policy/ugcact1956.html |date=29 December 2007 }} (as modified up to 20 December 1985).

In fact, Serampore was the first institutionMurli Manohar Joshi, Higher Education in India Vision and Action, A paper presented at the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education in the Twenty First Century, Paris, 5–9 October 1998. Internet, accessed 22 August 2008. {{cite web |url=http://education.nic.in/unhighedu.asp |title=Department of Secondary&Higher Education |access-date=2015-11-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223010953/http://education.nic.in/unhighedu.asp |archive-date=23 February 2012}} to be given the status of a university in India.

The BTESSC is one of the major representative bodies of churches legally constituted and responsible for administering theological education in South AsiaWati Longchar, "Challenges for Ecumenical Theological Education : Towards a common strategy and mechanism", [http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/education/mf101.pdf] Jorhat, 2002, p.2

Secretary of BTESSC, The Rev. T. Matthews Emmanuel, CBCNC died on 24 April 2021 in Bangalore. He began his theological studies in Andhra Christian Theological College, Hyderabad and upgraded his studies in Union Biblical Seminary, Pune. For postgraduate studies, he enrolled in Federated Faculty for Research in Religion and Culture, Kottayam and went on to complete doctoral studies in South Asia Theological Research Institute, then in Bangalore. He began his teaching career from Baptist Theological College, Pfütsero (Nagaland), Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College, Shamshabad (Telangana), and Andhra Christian Theological College, Secunderabad (Telangana). He was Secretary of BTESSC from 2018 to 2021.