View source for Malagar, Pyarelal Joel (b. 1920)

Pyarelal Joel Malagar, the first [[India|India]] national ordained to the office of bishop in the [[Mennonite Church in India|Mennonite Church in India]]. His parents, Joel and Janki, residents of [[Balodgahan Mission Station (Chhattisgarh State, India)|Balodgahan]] via [[Dhamtari (Chhattisgarh State, India)|Dhamtari]], were village evangelistic workers ([[Lay Evangelists|lay evangelists]]) employed by the [[Mennonite Board of Missions (Mennonite Church)|Mennonite Board of Missions]] ([[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church]]). Pyarelal received [[Elementary Education|elementary education]] in Balodgahan, and [[Secondary Education|secondary education]] in Dhamtari. After graduation from the Mennonite high school he joined the evangelistic program of the mission. He was sent to the Bangalore Bible Institute in south India to train for evangelism. In 1948-1950 he studied in [[Goshen College (Goshen, Indiana, USA)|Goshen College]] and [[Goshen Biblical Seminary (Goshen, Indiana, USA)|Goshen Biblical Seminary]], [[Goshen (Indiana, USA)|Goshen]], IN., receiving the BA and ThB degrees. Later he received the BD degree from Serampore Theological College in West Bengal.

He married Satyavati Prabhudas, a teacher in the English Primary School in Dhamtari. They had two sons and one daughter.

Pyarelal was ordained a minister (1945) and bishop (1955) in the Mennonite Church. He has served for various periods in the following positions: editor of <em>Shanti Sandesh, </em>a peace magazine; director of [[Mennonite Central Committee (International)|Mennonite Central Committee]] of India; director of [[Mennonite Christian Service Fellowship of India|Mennonite Christian Service Fellowship of India]]; president of Fellowship of Reconciliation in India; moderator of the annual conference of the Mennonite Church in India.

Pyarelal's second visit to [[North America|North America]] was in 1975. He and Satyavati attended the biennial meeting of [[Mennonite Church General Conference|Mennonite Church (MC) General Assembly]] in Eureka, IL, and the meetings of the [[Mennonite World Conference|Mennonite World Conference]] presidium, of which he was a member.


= Bibliography =
Lapp, John Allen. <em class="gameo_bibliography">The Mennonite Church in India, 1897-1962,</em> Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, vol. 14. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1972: 180, 191.

Malagar, Pyarelal Joel. <em class="gameo_bibliography">The Mennonite Church in India</em>. Nagpur: National Council of Churches in India, 1981.


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