A Visit to the South India Mission by J. S. James

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 12, 1916

A Visit to the South India Mission

By J. S. James

J. S. JAMES

IMMEDIATELY following the spring council of the Union committee held in Mussoorie, India, May 7-14, I started for South India, to spend a few weeks in that field, and hold a general meeting for the workers. This meeting was one of a series planned for each division of the Union by Prof. H. R. Salisbury before he left India to attend the Loma Linda council; and when he met with the accident in which he lost his life, he was hurrying back to India to hold these meetings before the hot season. The journey down and back covered a distance of three thousand miles, and was made during the hottest part of the year, when traveling in India is extremely trying and uncomfortable, and is avoided as far as possible. Five months had elapsed since I had been called away from the local responsibilities of that field to care for the general work of the Union, and it was a pleasure to greet the workers in that mission again, and to find the health and courage of all good.

WORKERS AND BELIEVERS ATTENDING THE SOUTH INDIA GENERAL MEETING

The Sabbath before the meeting began I spent with the church at Pondicherry, where Brother A. Devasayaham, our Tamil evangelist, and his wife, have been hard at work in a heathen and French Roman Catholic community. The Lord's blessing has continued with the work in that place, as shown in new converts to the message. After the usual Sabbath school in the morning, the ordinances of the Lord's house were celebrated, and in the afternoon I was privileged to baptize five persons, who were received into the church. There are still others at that place who are being prepared for baptism.

The meeting for the workers of the South India Mission was held May 26 to June 4, at Coimbatore, where Brother and Sister G. G. Lowry are in charge of the training school. For months all the workers had been looking forward to this occasion, and at the beginning of the Sabbath, when seventy-five workers, students, and believers joined in the opening service of the meeting, it was evident that all hearts were full of praise for answered prayer. From the first service, the Spirit of the Lord was present to bless and instruct.

This gathering of workers and believers was particularly interesting from the fact that four languages were represented by those in attendance,—English, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. These are four of the six principal languages spoken in south India. All the preaching and instruction had to be interpreted at least once, and much of the time two interpreters were engaged simultaneously. There were present representatives from Madras, Pondicherry, Tinnevelli, Ceylon, Travancore, and the Telugu field. Although it was necessary for our European workers who were taking their vacation in the hills at this time, to break into their leave in order to attend, I was glad to see all present to share in the blessings of the meeting. On the last day of this spiritual feast I was happy to baptize fourteen new converts to the truth, seven of whom were people speaking the Malayalam language, from the native state of Travancore.

The morning following the close of the meeting, all in attendance witnessed a pretty wedding ceremony performed by Pastor Lowry for one of our faithful colporteurs and a girl from our training school, after which a company of seventy-five sat down to a Tamil wedding feast. By evening all had dispersed to various parts of the field, some returning to finish their furlough in the hills, some to evangelistic work in their stations, some to teach, and some to scatter the printed page. The bride and groom went to Travancore to start a station among the Malayalam people, and to take the oversight of the colporteur work just starting in that new field.

All in attendance at the meeting felt that it was a great blessing and help. Undoubtedly it was the best meeting ever held for our workers in India, and the meeting next year will be looked forward to with interest and pleasure. These annual gatherings afford a splendid opportunity for uniting the sympathies of workers and believers in the one great cause of truth, for developing and unifying plans of church organization and missionary endeavor, and for stimulating the zeal of the entire working force.

Workers attending the meeting from outside the mission were Brother A. W. Knight, the general canvassing agent, and Brother A. H. Williams, the treasurer of the Union Mission. The help and counsel rendered by both these brethren were very much appreciated.

The prospects for a large ingathering of souls in this mission were never more promising. Brethren V. E. Peugh and P. C. Poley are finding a large number of interested readers in Madras, some of whom have already taken their stand. Brother Asirvatham, our Tamil evangelist, is also meeting with encouraging success in his work. Very gratifying results have crowned the efforts of Brother and Sister Lowry in the school at Coimbatore, as evidenced in the conversion of some of the students, and the good grade of work done. This year there is a better attendance at the school than ever. Brother E. D. Thomas, our Tamil evangelist in charge of the work at Nazareth, has been greatly blessed in his ministry the past year.

Some advance stakes have been driven in recent months, consisting of one main station in the Travancore country, three outstations in the Tamil country, and one outstation in the Telugu field. Work is now going forward on two new quarterly journals, one for the Telugu and one for Malayalam people, and men speaking these languages are waiting to be trained for the colporteur work.

These two papers, together with other literature being prepared, will give us access with the truth to twenty-six million people, for whom nothing has been done heretofore.

I am glad to report that all the workers and believers in south India are united in spirit and purpose, happy in service, and strong in faith for what God can do for those who put their trust fully in him. Remember the work and workers in this mission in your prayers.