User:Caroline Theophilus

Solomon Surya Rao is a fundamental Baptist, a fervent soul winner, a walking-Bible, and a great lover of God’s Word. He is a native missionary to India with the vision to reach the Telugu-speaking people for Christ. He established the Philadelphia Baptist Mission which is recognized world-wide for the translation of the King James Version Bible into Telugu.

His early life Solomon Surya Rao Saripalli was born on 27th October, 1936, in a remote village near Suryapet, Andhra Pradesh, South India. His father was Solomon Saripalli and his mother was Jemima. He had a humble upbringing because his mother as a single parent brought him up. He belonged to the Church of South India (CSI). His schooling was completed in the district of Karimnagar and his early years of college were from Hyderabad. He worked at Machines Manufacturing Company, Praga tools.

From CSI to a Baptist

Though Solomon Surya Rao had a pious approach towards Christ and his church, the work of the cross was yet not done in his heart because he trusted his good works to take him to heaven. But in November 1958, an American Baptist missionary, Dr. J.T. Midyett, preached in Hyderabad. He was saved after listening to the gospel preached from Ecclesiastes 11:9, 10. He was at first reluctant to be‘re’-baptized because he was already baptized at one of the churches of the Church of South India. But after the Lord spoke to him through Bro. J. T. Midyett , a Baptist Missionary sent out by Hudson Ave. Baptist Church, Oklahoma, Solomon Saripalli was baptized.

His calling Saripalli began his preaching career as an honorary pastor of Mt. Hermon Baptist Church at Vidyanagar, Hyderabad. His burning desire for souls was evident in the areas of ministry he served. He served as a teacher in Sunday school, youth ministry, soul winning programs, and helped in translation to the missionaries. Solomon Surya Rao was called by God to full time service. He followed the leadership of God by resigning his job with fifteen years of service at Praga Tools. The transition was hard financially because he had 5 children but he always demonstrated great faith in God. Leaving his wife and five children, he took a step by faith and departed to the college God chose for him. It was Independent Baptist College in Dallas, Texas. He landed at Dallas, Texas on August 19, 1975. It was at East Side Baptist Church, Vernon, Texas where Saripalli first presented his burden and the need for India to be saved. He was ordained by East Side Baptist Church . He was sent back to India as native missionaries. He came to India and began his ministry in Andhra Pradesh among the Telugu-speaking people.

 The ministry in India: it comes at a price

The Saripallis came back to India in January, 1980. He began the ministry in a village called Annaram which is 30 kms away from the city of Secunderabad. The family along with a few converts sang and shouted salvation verses as they paraded the streets, passing the tracts, and soul winning. The whole village gazed as he baptized all those who professed to be saved. When the ministry needed a place to gather, a hefty man offered to sell his half acre, an ideal place for the construction of a church. By the end of 1982, Philadelphia Baptist Church was established. This was the first church he started.

Saripalli was a man of faith and this has been demonstrated many a times. In a neighboring village, bandits were hired to kill the Dr. and Mrs. Saripalli. The bandits waited on the road to kill them. At eight o’ clock that evening, as the Saripallis were returning from the church, the bandits stopped them with guns and asked them whether it was a “prayer car”, and Mr. Solomon Saripalli answered “yes”. They looked inside; they saw Mrs. Nirmala Saripalli and some other women. With confusion on their faces, they let them go. As he took off, some of them who were hiding behind the trees screamed, “that is the car,” but by then, they were far-gone.

In 1982, Saripalli began to reach out to an area which was filled with tuberculosis-infected people and lepers. Though they are very infectious, he along with his family started spreading the gospel. Seventy souls were saved. He established the mission as Bethany Baptist Church in 1983. Gradually many Baptist churches all around Andhra Pradesh were established.

Street preaching is a very successful tool to preach the gospel because the whole village hears the gospel.

The ministry is burdened to reach the nationals of other countries living in India. Saripalli established a church for the nationals of Nepal in our state. We are able to witness to these people who have come from their country seeking for a better livelihood.

The ministry in the eastern world is filled with strange experiences. Accusations of exorcism and doctrinal errors were highlights to Saripalli’s legacy.

Philadelphia Baptist Mission Today

The Saripallis are working on translation of the KJV English into Telugu. The New Testament already been translated, and been published by Bearing Precious Seed.

To train future leaders towards evangelism, the Baptist Institute for Biblical Learning and Education (B.I.B.L.E.) was started in the year 2002.

Children’s ministries are always of great importance to my grandfather because of the connection he easily makes with them. He wants to expand the Nepali ministry but this needs a lot of prayer, money and manpower.

His family

Mrs. Nirmala Saripalli was a key support to Saripalli. Her love towards the Lord and towards the ministry his husband did was evident in her hospitality. She helped with the women in the church. She attended to their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. She accompanied Saripalli on every missionary venture. Her passing away on 27th January, 2016, came as a blow to the ministry.

He has five children. His two children, Rufus Saripalli , his elder son, and his eldest daughter, Mary Saginala, are now helping with the ministry.