{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 140,
  "chapterName": "c.1900. National Missionary Society: Call to the Indian Churches",
  "pageFrom": 277,
  "pageTo": 278,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 277,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n277\n140. NATIONAL MISSIONARY SOCIETY: CALL TO THE\nINDIAN CHURCHES (c. 1900 A.D.)\nThis appeal to Indian Christians to form an indigenous missionary\nsociety for the purpose of evangelizing India was sent out over the\nnames of K.C. Banerji, S. Satthianadhan and Raja Sir Maharaj Singh.\nThe precise date is not known. Cited in Donald Fosset Ebright,\nThe National Missionary Society of India, 1905-1942, pp. 79-81.\nOur hearts have been stirred by the appalling need of the un-\noccupied fields of India. According to the Census Report there\nare, in the Bombay Presidency, over thirty Taluks with a popula-\ntion of over 50,000 each without a single Christian or Christian\nworker. Several of the small Native States in Rajaputana, Chota\nNagpur, Central India, the Central Provinces and elsewhere have\nyet to be evangelized. It is estimated that, with the utmost increase\nof existing missionary agencies, there will be fully 100 millions of\nthe people of India who cannot hear the Gospel message in this\ngeneration.\nIn spite of the earnest work of the Missionary Societies of\nEurope and America, for over one hundred years, to evangelize\nthis country, only one in a hundred is now nominally a Christian.\nThe resources of Europe and America in men and money are\ntaxed to the utmost; and now for some years we hear the oft-\nrepeated cry from various Missionary Boards that there is a deficit\nin men and money.\nThis being the case, we are sure you will feel with us that the\ntime has come when the Indian Christian Church should rise to her\nresponsibility for the evangelization of this land. India is ours,\nand we whom God has called out of this land to be His own are,\nin a peculiar way, responsible to God for the souls of our country-\nmen. The command to go and preach the Gospel to every creature\nis as binding on Indians as on Europeans. Indifference to this\neme command and has brought with it in every land stagnation\nand decay in the Church. If we do not, as a body, rise to this\nopportunity and fulfil our responsibility in this matter, we cannot\nlong enjoy the blessing of God.\nsupreme\nTo awaken in our people a national consciousness, to create in\nthem a sense of true patriotism, and to unite in the cause of the\nevangelization of our country the Indian Christians of all denomi-\nnations and provinces, it has been placed in the hearts of many of\nour brethren to organize a National Missionary Society of India\nwhich will be conducted by Indian men, supported by Indian money,",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 278,
      "ocrText": "278\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nand controlled by Indian management. Prominent Indian Chris-\ntians and many representative Missionaries from all parts of\nIndia, to whom the plan has been suggested, have already signified\ntheir cordial approval of this scheme and their readiness to co-\noperate in furthering the cause when such a Society is organized.\nThe object of the Society will be to evangelize the unoccupied\nfields in India and to lay upon our fellow-countrymen the burden of\nresponsibility for the evangelization of this land. The general\ndirection of affairs will be placed in the hands of a Council,\ncomposed of representative Indians elected by the members from\neach province together with members representing the larger\nmissions, and one or two missionaries who have deeply at heart\nthe interests of the Indian Church. An Executive Committee\nappointed by the Council will be situated at one of the presidency\ncities, and will have the immediate direction of the work of the\nSociety.\nIt must be understood that this will not mean the forming of a\nnew Church or denomination. We shall preserve denominational\nloyalty. As in the China Inland Mission, men of the same denomi-\nnation will work together, and their converts will be members of\ntheir own Church.\nOne might naturally ask whether we shall get for this enterprise\nthe required men and money. With more than a million Protestant\nIndian Christians, with large communities in some parts growing in\nwealth, influence and education, ucation, with the experience in self-support\nand self-government our community has gained in many places,\nwe have every reason to hope that the plan will succeed. There\nare certain communities, churches and even individuals who might\neasily support a Missionary of their own. Some individual\nmembers of our community have already offered, if such a Society\nbe formed, to support singly a worker as their representative;\nwhile others have said they will themselves go as workers if the\nway opens. May we not believe that when the responsibility is\nplaced upon them, our people will respond to this call for men\nand money to carry the Gospel to our countrymen?",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}