M. Mani Chacko

Modayil Mani Chacko (born 1955^[5]) is an Old Testament scholar and a management consultant. In a career spanning over four decades from the eighties, his roles included ministering, teaching, directing and managing largescale human resources in educational, goodwill-promoting and literary organisations with a pan-Indian presence.

The Reverend Doctor Mani Chacko, CSI Ayyagaru
Born	Modayil Mani Chacko (1955-02-23) 23 February 1955 (age 69) Kottayam, Travancore–Cochin
Education	B.D. (Serampore)[1] (1979) M.Th. (Serampore)[1] (1983) PhD (King's College)[2] (1990)
Alma mater	United Theological College, Bangalore[1] (1975-1979/1981-1983) King's College London (United Kingdom) (1986–1990)
Occupation	Priest
Years active	1979–present
Known for	Old Testament scholarship and able administration
Parent(s)	Smt. Thankamma (Mother) and Bishop M. C. Mani (Father)
Religion	Christianity
Church	Church of South India (A Uniting church comprising Wesleyan Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian and Anglican missionary societies – ABCFM, SPG, WMMS, LMS, Basel Mission, CMS, and the Church of England)
Ordained	1987[2]
Writings	1983, The theological understanding of the land in Deuteronomy.[3] 2002, Liberation And Service Of God[4]
Congregations served	Kolkata, Chennai and London[2]
Offices held	Pastor, Church of South India (1979–1981) Teacher, Serampore College, Serampore (West Bengal) (1983–1986) Teacher, Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai (1990–2006) Director, Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore (2006–2011) General Secretary, Bible Society of India, Bangalore (2011–2023)
Title	The Reverend Doctor

In this Indian name, the name Modayil Mani is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Chacko.

Spiritual formation

Karnataka

Mani Chacko had his initial ministerial formation from 1975 to 1979^[1] at the United Theological College, Bangalore, affiliated to the nation's first^[6] 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 to 1983^[1] 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^[3] under guidance of Rudolf Ficker.^[7] Both the graduate and post-graduate degrees were awarded by the University in successive convocations during the Registrarship of D. S. Satyaranjan.

England

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.^[4]

Ecclesiastical career

West Bengal

Mani Chacko was taken as faculty member on Serampore College, Serampore (West Bengal) from academic year 1983–1984 onwards, where he began to teach Old Testament, also providing his guidance to Scholars studying in North India Institute of Post Graduate Theological Studies. After a three-year teaching period, Chacko took study leave in 1986 and proceeded for doctoral studies to King's College, London to upgrade his studies.

Tamil Nadu

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,^[8] 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.

Karnataka

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 his appointment as the General Secretary. He was installed on 13 September 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.^[2]

Other offices
Preceded by B. K. PramanikLaity 1985–2011	General Secretary, Bible Society of India, Bangalore 2011–2023	Succeeded by Kavito G. Zhimo, CBCNEI
Educational offices
Preceded by M. J. Joseph, MMTSC 1997[9]-2006	Director, Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore 2006–2011	Succeeded by Cherian Thomas, MMTSC 2011–2016
Academic offices
Preceded by D. W. Jesudoss, TELC 1992–2001	Principal, Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai 2001–2006[8]	Succeeded by S. W. Meshack, IELC 2006–2011[10]

References

Notes

1. K. M. Hiwale (Compiled), Directory of the United Theological College 1910–1997, Bangalore, 1997. Past students of the college diploma course, p.54; Postgraduate course, p.118.
2. E. Leelavathi Manasseh, Nicholas G. Parmar, Installation Service of the new General Secretary in Sowing Circle, Volume 27, Numbers 3 and 4, July–December 2011, pp.8–11.
3. M. M. Chacko, The theological understanding of the land in Deuteronomy in Thesis Titles, Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College, Bangalore, 1991.
4. M. M. Chacko, Liberation And Service Of God, ISPCK, New Delhi, 2002.
5. Xavier Tete on Mani Chacko in Anand Amaladass, Indian Christian Thinkers, Volume 2, Satya Nilayam Publications, Chennai, 2005, p.301.
6. UNESCO Structures of University Education in India, 1952
7. Rudolf Ficker geht in den ruhestand in Bread for the World article
8. George Anthony, Bible Society of India elects Rev. Dr. Mani Chacko as new general secretary in Christian Today.
9. John C. England, Asian Christian Theologies: Asia region, 7th–20th centuries; South Asia; Austral Asia, ISPCK, New Delhi, 2002, p.318.
10. Martin Luther Christian University

Further reading

• Johnson Thomaskutty (2013). "An Interview with Dr. Mani Chacko, General Secretary of the Bible Society of India". New Testament Scholarship Worldwide. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)