Rev. Dr. Surekha Nelavala is called and ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Dr. Nelavala has a PhD in Biblical Studies, NT, from Drew University, NJ, with several years of teaching experience both in India and in USA. She taught as a visiting lecturer in Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Gettysburg, PA, and as an adjunct faculty at Hood College, Frederick, MD, and also at Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India. Dr. Nelavala has also worked as an Excutive Director, Women's Desk, UELCI, and involved in church ministries and social advocacy for justice.

Dr. Nelavala has authored two books and published several articles internationally. She has delivered lectures and made paper presentations on several academic and church forums that include United Nations, World Council of Churches, and Lutheran World Federation on the topics related to Religion, church and social justice. Dr. Nelavala has traveled internationally and thus cultivated inter-cultural and inter-contextual perspectives as a biblical scholar through her international experience, exposure and participation in various forums.She is committed to the ecclesiological cause of bringing scholarship and people of God together in developing praxis-oriented liberating hermeneutics of the Bible, which she intends to use effectively in her ministry. Rev. Nelavala' passion as a minister is to bring good news of Christ to the people effectively while offering theologically grounded Christian teaching through preaching, liturgy and Bible studies.