By T P Kurian ANN
Pastor John Rathinararaj was re elected as the President of Southern Asia Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church during the General Conference Session at Atlanta.
A brief background
Rathinaraj John was born in Kanyakumari at the southern tip of India on March 3, 1949. He attended a government school but moved to Spicer College where he worked his way through a degree in Religious Philosophy and a minor in Religious History, graduating in 1973. The South Tamil Section appointed him pastor of a high tithe-paying congregation and at the same time principal of a small boarding school. During the seven years he was there Pastor John established another two new churches and a day school.
The South Tamil Section ordained him to the gospel ministry in 1979 and posted him to one of the church’s largest day schools in Madurai where he again served as church pastor in addition to his responsibility as principal. Pastor John moved to Pondichery as principal of our largest school in 1983 but only for a year since he was elected president of the South Tamil Section in 1984, a position he held till 1993. After three years he responded to a call to serve as principal of the James Memorial Higher Secondary School in the pioneer Adventist community of Prakasapuram. During this time he completed an MA in History and a B.Ed., but his school administration days were over.
From 1996-1997 he served as president of the Karnataka Section and just a year later was elected president of the South India Union, which at that time included all of Kerala, Tamilnadu, and Karnataka. The membership grew under his leadership exceeding 80,000 members in over 1,000 churches, so in the year 2000 the Union was divided into three unions—East Central India, South Central India, and South East India. Pastor John moved from Bangalore to Chennai to the headquarters of the South East India Union serving as the president till 2005. At the General Conference Session in St Louis that year he was elected Secretary of the Southern Asia Division. Upon the resignation of Ron Watts last year, R John was nominated by an overwhelming majority to replace Elder John’s wife Flora John coordinates the work of the Adventist Child India at the Division office. He has two married children, his son has a master’s degree in physiotherapy and is principal of a school; his daughter works at the Division Office. He has two grandchildren
Dr. Gorden E Christo was re elected as the Secretary of the Southern Asia Division
A brief background
Gordon Christo spent most of his life at Spicer College (Pune, India), having been born when his parents were stationed there, then spending four years as a student in high school, completing his DSLC, and ISC, followed by five years in college, earning the BLA and BTh degrees. Finally he and his wife spent 26 years on the faculty. At various times, Dr Christo headed the department of Biblical Languages and the department of Religious Philosophy. He also served as the Dean of the School of Religious studies, and Vice President for Academic Administration. At Spicer, Gordon, at various times, also conducted the choir, served as youth pastor, coordinated social activities, and worked closely with the Spicerian and Oreodoxa publications.
Gordon Christo began his ministry in 1972 in the Calcutta church. He later served in the Chandigarh and Ajmer churches, and then in Union evangelism till he obtained a visa for the Philippines where he completed his MA and MDiv degrees. Before returning, he married Rosenita Moncayo with whom he had been singing in the PUC Ambassadors choir.
In 1986 Dr Christo was sponsored to Andrews University where he completed his PhD in Old Testament Studies. Though he has written a number of articles for Church magazines and scholarly journals in the areas of Biblical studies, and contextualization, his passion is history of Adventism in India.
At the Division office Dr Christo has served as Director of Higher Education, Vice President, and Secretary of the Division.
Rose Christo serves at the Division office as coordinator for the Adventist Volunteer Centre, and editor of the Southern Asia Tidings. They have two children. Gerald teaches music at a school in Bangalore, and Cheryl works as an interior designer in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Pastor G S Robert Clive was re elected as the Treasurer of the Southern Asia Division
A brief background
Ganta Solomon Robert Clive was born to Pioneer Adventist Parents on September 16, 1946 at Kesinapalli in Andhra Pradesh. After his primary education in a Government School, he moved to Flaiz Adventist High School for his elementary and secondary education. He graduated with majors in Bachelor of Business Management and Economics from Spicer College in 1969 and went on to obtain a Masters of Commerce degree from Pune University. After which he began his denominational service as a school accountant in 1972.
He served the church for 38 Years, as a School and Hospital Accountant, Section Treasurer, Union Assistant Treasurer, Union Treasurer, General Manager of OWPH, Under-Treasurer of Southern Asia Division and was elevated as the Division Treasurer in 2005. He was re-elected to serve another term as the Treasurer of Southern Asia Division on June 28, 2010. He was awarded the best Section Treasurer of the Division in 1984. While serving as the Treasurer of Central India Union he conducted two Evangelistic Crusades, as a result two hundred and eleven (211) members were added to the church. He was ordained to the Gospel Ministry, on November 18, 2000.
His wife Jayamani retired from active service after serving as a teacher in the Adventist Schools for 34 years. He has three daughters who completed their undergraduate education – an Office Secretary, a Medical Doctor, and a BSc. Nurse. He is blessed with three grandchildren. As the son of a pioneer Adventist Evangelist he is passionate about evangelism. He always prioritizes resources to meet the primary goal of the Adventist Church which is to “Tell The World”.
