D.B.T. David

The Reverend Devanbu Balajob Thangaraj David (6 November 1936 - 21 September 2001) was a pastor of Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC), Tamil Nadu, India and an exchange scholar of Lutheran World Federation. Better known as DBT David, he was well-regarded for his pioneering ministry with a gypsy community called the Narikurava (aka Vagri) in the districts of Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Namakkal, Kallakurichi, Villupuram and Chennai, spanning the last quarter of twentieth century. He was also deputed by ALC to serve as a faculty member at Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary (TTS), Madurai from 1982 to 1985.
Early life and education
Reverend D.B.T. David was born on 6 November 1936 in Kalasapakkam, Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, as the sixth among eight children to Rev. Devanbu David and Rathnam David. He studied at St. Peter's High School (Thanjavur), intermediate course at Voorhees College Vellore (1954-56), Bachelor of Arts (1956-1958) at Madras Christian College and Bachelor of Divinity (1958-1962) at Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai.
Highlights of ministry
Ministry as an exchange scholar overseas
Under the aegis of Lutheran World Federation's exchange scholar program, Pastor David was posted for Urban Industrial Mission at Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church (defunct since June 1997), under Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Philadelphia, USA, from September 1970 to March 1971. On his way to the USA, he visited Danish Missionary Society (DMS), Denmark. On his return journey to India, he was privileged to minister as a guest pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Palo Alto, California, a Lutheran church in Malaysia and another in Singapore.
Pastoral ministry
The pastoral ministry of Rev. D.B.T. David spanned nearly four decades since his commissioning to ministry in 1962, followed by ordination in 1963. He ministered in several ALC parishes such as Christ Church (Neyveli), Centenary Church (Mandarakuppam), Christ Jesus Church (Broadway, Chennai), North West Parish, Saron, Chengam (Tiruvannamalai district), Siloam (Tirukoilur), Carmel (Tiruvannamalai) and Broadway-Chennai (second term and last ministry station). Six new rural churches were build during his eventful pastoral ministry. Pastor DBT David had contributed articles to ALC's Church Messenger, Church Growth Missionary Movement magazine (Madurai), and local Tamil dailies - Dinamalar and Thina Thoothu, on special occasions. On invitation from All India Radio (Chennai) and FEBA Radio, he had delivered inspiring sermons. During his second term at ALC Broadway parish (Chennai), some segments of festive services (1999-2000) were on brief coverage by Doordarshan TV, Chennai.
ALC institutions
In addition to his pastoral ministry, Rev. D.B.T. David had served as the General Superintendent for Danish Mission Hospital, Tirukoilur (1991-1994) and as Correspondent of Danish Mission Higher Secondary School, and other Schools of Danish Mission in Tiruvannamalai district, from 1994 to 1996.
Pioneering ministry to the gypsies
From 1976 to 2001, Pastor David ministered to the gypsies called Narikurava also known as Vagri gypsies, in addition to his regular pastoral ministry, wherever he was stationed. From 1977-1979, with local funds from personal friends, lay leaders of the church and many generous well-wishers, Pastor DBT David founded "Canaan Nagar" (mispronounced by locals as Kana Nagar) on a long stretch of poramboke land in the southwestern outskirts of Tiruvannamalai. Nearly a hundred mud houses were built with the involvement of volunteers and gypsies themselves. In due course, the local municipality regularized their dwellings with land deed (patta). With Pastor David as the repayment guarantor, the local Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) provided small business loans to gypsies for bead-making (by women), cane basket-making, mat weaving and sale of chickens to local restaurants. Later, the IOB sponsored school books to the first batch of gypsy children who were enrolled at ALC school, Saron. Pastor David was frequently accompanied and helped in gypsy ministry by lay leaders like Mr. D.C.J. Berry, Mr. G. Sundar, Evangelist Augustine Joseph, Mr. Mohandoss Daniel, ALC Evangelists K. John and D. Jayaraj, DBT's younger brother Sahayaraj, nephew A. Baskaran, and youth volunteers of Saron - Visu, Thiagu and others. Church leaders like Bishop Dorairaj Peter, local Danish Missionary Miss. Else Krog, ALC Secretary Mr. Azariah R. Isaacs, local Catholic missionary priest Rev. Fr. Capiaghi and a few ALC pastors visited Canaan Nagar on special occasions and extended practical and spiritual support to the gypsies. The gypsy youth grew up to be responsible adults in the society and ran small businesses. The grandchildren of gypsies went on to study in prestigious English medium schools such as the CSI Bain School and Loyola college, Chennai.
Ministry at the seminary and to prisoners
The Arcot Lutheran Church deputed Rev. DBT David to serve as the representative of Danish Missionary Society in the College Council (1974-1975) of the United Theological College, Bengaluru. Later, as deputed by ALC, Rev. DBT served as a Lecturer of Christian ministry and Pastoralia, at the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary, Madurai from 1982 to 1985, and coordinated ministry practicum for the students of Bachelor of Divinity course. He also served as the Convenor of the Seminary's Ministry to Prisoners, and implemented outreach programs for the prisoners and socioeconomic rehabilitation initiatives for the family members of prisoners, scattered across Tamil Nadu.
Interdenominational involvements in ministry
Reverend D.B.T. David was cordial to the clergy and independent pastors of other denominations. He conducted ecumenical carol services, wherever his ministry base was. He served as Vice President of Christian Endeavor, North Tamil Nadu. On invitation from Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, Chennai, in January 1980, he served as a facilitator for an Inter-faith exposure program for a theological interest group from Europe. He also presented a paper on Vadalur Ramalinga Swamigal for a theological study group from Denmark, who visited ALC (1985). He was invited to give a talk on "Gandhi and Christ" at Bharathi Women's College, Chennai (1969). Pastor DBT had been a guest speaker for Pastors' conferences of Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church and Church of South India, Christian Medical Fellowship (Madurai chapter), and 'Jesus Calls' Institute of Power Ministry (Coimbatore).
Family
D.B.T. David married Grace Sarojini (1939- ), daughter of John Manuel and Kamala Manuel, of CSI Memorial Church, Bengaluru on 23 October 1963. Mrs. David served as a teacher at the Government Girls' Higher Secondary School, Tiruvannamalai from 1973 to 1993. Their adult children - all married, are John (Florida), Rachel (Chennai) and Anand (New Delhi). Inspired by Pastor David, his younger son, Anand is active in the church as a lay preacher.
Death
Rev. D.B.T. David died on 21 September 2001 due a heart attack and was interred at Kilpauk Cemetery, Chennai. For a life lived for God and His Kingdom, Titus 1:7-9, became a fitting epitaph on his tombstone: As a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, holding fast the faithful word, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
Perception of ministry and legacy
On the twentieth death anniversary year of Rev. David, the then Bishop of ALC Rt. Rev. V. Samuel Kennady paid a glowing tribute in an online service on 26 September 2021. ALC Congregations and Narikurava gypsies remember Rev. David as a 'missionary in his own right' to the gypsies. They reminisce about his forthright sermons and how he had been "an indispensable part of their lives - in inspiring them for ministry or in giving a recommendation letter for admission at a Christian college or hospital or a reference letter for jobs or by his standing as repayment guarantor for personal loans at bank, or in solemnizing their weddings (with a happy ever after), etc." During Rev. David's posting at the Seminary in Madurai and his years away at other pastorates, the local Danish Missionary Miss. Else Krog followed up with the gypsies of Canaan Nagar, particularly on the development of women and well-being of children, till her retirement and return to Denmark in 1993. Thereafter, the Arcot Lutheran Church appointed an evangelist for gypsy ministry. Wherever the next generation of gypsies moved on as numerous young families, they have associated themselves with some local church, of their own volition. Some even became self-styled gypsy pastors like Paul Thangaraj, who has shared his memories of Rev. David, when narrating his own story of transformation by God's love.
Canaan Nagar - an Update of Subsequent Decades: The name remains in its distorted form as "Kana Nagar." Just a remnant (of old gypsy men and women) lives in Canaan Nagar as empty-nesters. There were many push and pull factors for the migration of the next generation of gypsies. Due to lack of adequate income, some had to sell out their houses for want of capital to embark on small businesses in bigger towns (rural-urban migration). As a result of urban expansion and rising cost of real estate, reliable sources say that the gypsies were allured by loan sharks who lent with exorbitant interests that it went beyond their capacity to repay, and that the lenders seized their houses, eventually (land grabbing). It is also alleged that some local ruffians picked up trouble by misbehaving with gypsy girls. That, and the animosity of new neighbors made some of the distraught gypsies to undersell their houses and escape to other gypsy settlements in the periphery of neighboring towns (distress migration). In May 2008, the Tamil Nadu Government constituted the Tamil Nadu Narikoravar Welfare Board by which the current generation of gypsies all over Tamil Nadu are benefiting, by housing and welfare schemes.
Trivia
* En route to the USA as LWF exchange scholar, while visiting the headquarters of DMS, Denmark, Pastor David also availed that opportunity for a short ferry trip from Helsingør to Helsingborg (Sweden) via the Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry route. On his return route from the USA, he briefly toured Japan and Hong Kong too, making the most of his round trip around the globe by orientation, in which he departed westward to USA from Madras (Chennai) and returned to Madras from the East (Singapore).
* Pastor DBT had the habit of approaching any gypsy man he caught sight of on the road, to strike a conversation. Once when he was in a new town, he greeted an unknown gypsy man with a gypsy term of salutation. The gypsy responded with a wide smile and fluent Vaagri booli! The Pastor couldn't make much of it, but was heartily amused that he himself was taken to be a gypsy.
* With the mentoring of Pastor DBT, a released convict of Madurai Central Prison, pursued theology at TTS, and entered Christian ministry, in the late 1980s.
* Mrs. Grace David's mother's side of the family is related to CSI Bishop in Nandyal (1967-74) Ernest John who also served as the Vicar of the Cathedral Church of the Redemption, New Delhi, when he was also deputed by the Anglican communion in 1964 as a non-Catholic observer to the third session of the Vatican Council II.

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