{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 138,
  "chapterName": "1900. Resolutions of the South India Missionary Conference, Madras",
  "pageFrom": 270,
  "pageTo": 275,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 270,
      "ocrText": "270\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nplight you are reduced. You imagine that by causing a Kabulyat\nof loyalty to be written, you will drive us to a corner. But the\nsignatories of that document are nonentities. We have all the\nadvantages of the ancient greatness of India on our side. We\nare immortal. If you are wise, you should help towards the\nattainment of deliverance by India. Otherwise come, let us descend\ninto the arena of war. We hereby summon you to battle. See what\na mighty contest presently begins all over the country. The sons\nof the Mother are preparing themselves. All the arms-fiery\n(Agneya), watery (Varuna), airy (Vayabya) in her vaults, are\nbeing polished. Hark, the flapping of the fourfold arms of the\nMother? Are we afraid of your cannon and guns? Arm brothers,\narm! The day of deliverance is near. We have heard the voice\nand we cannot fail to see the chains of India removed before we\ndie. It is now too late to recede.\n138. RESOLUTIONS OF THE SOUTH INDIA MISSIONARY\nCONFERENCE, MADRAS (1900 A.D.)\nThe South India Missionary Conference held at Madras on 2-5\nJanuary, 1900, was one of the more important of the conferences of\nthis type. Its resolutions, some of which are reproduced here, had\nfar ranging influence. Its pattern of preparation and organisation\nas a work conference' was widely copied in subsequent missionarý\nand ecumenical meetings. Report of the South India Missionary\nConference Held at Madras, 1900, pp. 9 ff., pp. 16 ff., and pp. 70. ff.\nRESOLUTIONS ON THE NATIVE CHURCH\nResolution I\nThis Conference would re-emphasize the opinion that\ncongregations of long-standing should support their own\npastors, and that in other congregations some arrange-\nments should be made for the partial fulfilment of this duty.\nThe Conference cannot enter into the details of arrangements\nnecessary for the purpose, as these must largely depend on the\nconstitution and polity of the Church with which the Mission is\nconnected; but it believes that there will be no difficulty Ity in each\nMissionary Society's framing rules and regulations which, if\ndiffering in details, will yet be based on the same general principles\nand to work in harmony with them. Whilst the Conference cannot\nlay down specific rules or attempt to frame a Native Church consti-\ntution, it does consider that, as a general rule, an ordained Pastor\nshould not be placed over a congregation which does not give a\nfair proportion of his salary.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 271,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n271\nResolution II\nThe Conference car cannot lay down any rule as regards the salaries\nof Pastors, but considers it to be eminently desirable that, except\nunder very peculiar circumstances, the salary of a Pastor should\nbear some reasonable proportion to the income of the people to\nwhom he ministers. In village congregations this may be more\neasily done than in towns and large centres, where circumstances\nare exceptional; but allowing for such cases, the Conference\nrecommends the general principle as being the only sound one for\nthe self-support of the Pastorate by the Native Church.\nResolution III\nThe Conference strongly recommends, in order to dissociate\nin the minds of the people any connection between Missionary\nSociety and the support of Pastors, that all Pastors should be paid\nthrough some office-bearer of the Church other than the repre-\nsentative of the Missionary Society. Where the support of the\nPastor is not solely dependent on the congregation to which he\nministers, or when he does not draw his salary direct from it, a\ngroup of congregations should form a common sustentation fund,\nto which, if needed, the Missionary Society should for a time\ngive an annually decreasing grant, and over which for some years,\nat least, it should exercise some general control. The responsible\nmanagers of the sustentation fund should appoint a treasurer to\ncarry out its financial operations. In this way the pecuniary link\nbetween the Missionary Society and the Pastor will be broken and\nhe will learn to look to his own organised Church body for\nsupport.\nResolution IV\nThe Conference recommends that, as more responsibility will\nthen be placed upon Pastors and people, in each Mission a well\norganised system be established by which the Christian laity in\nthe congregations can be trained to take more interest in the affairs\nof the Church, and that, as they show fitness for it, the control\nof the Missionary Society should become less and less. Even\nwhere, at present, such men are not to be found, it should be consi-\ndered an important point of a Missionary's duty to gather the lay\nmembers of the congregations together, and, whilst retaining all\nneedful control, to train them as far as possible in habits of\nadministration. An energetic man may find it far easier to do\nall things himself, but a beginning must be made sometime and in\nthe opinion of this Conference should not now be delayed in any\ncongregation however humble.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 272,
      "ocrText": "272\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nResolution V\nThe Conference, having in view the greatness of the work yet\nto be done in the evangelization of the non-chritistian people of\nIndia, recommends all Missionary Societies to make greater efforts\ntowards the self-support of the Native Pastorate, thus setting free\nfunds much needed for the extension of missionary operatio..s. In\norder that this may be carried into effect, the Conference considers\nthat the various Societies should come to some common agreement\nas to the policy to be pursued, and, having arrived at that, should\ninsist on their representatives in India carrying it out. It is useless\nfor one Mission to introduce reforms in this respect, if a neigh-\nbouring one continues on the old system. In the opinion of the\nConference the Missionary Societies should at once move con-\ncurrently in the direction of making Native Churches more self-\nsupporting under their own Pastors and should mutually support\neach other in this undertaking.\nResolution VI\nThe Conference considers it to be of the utmost importance\nthat the Native Church should be constantly reminded that it is\nitself a great Missionary organization, and that upon it lies the\nsacred duty of making known the Gospel to those who know it not.\nThe methods to be adopted will necessarily differ in the various\nMissions, and the Conference can do no more than call attention\nto the principle; but it would suggest that such arrangements\nas may be made should be worked largely by the people themselves\nunder the guidance of their Pastors, and that voluntary help\nshould be sought for and encouraged.\nResolution VII\nIn order to carry out these principles the Conference considers\nthat more care should be taken in the practical preparation of men\nfor the Pastoral office, and that, as far as possible, none but those\nwho, in addition to the spiritual gifts and graces aces necessary necessary for so\nsacred a work, possess tact and firmness should be appointed to a\npastoral charge. The future of the Indian Church rests, humanly\nspeaking, so largely on the character of its Pastors that the Confe-\nrence would emphasize most strongly its sense of the need of the\nmost careful training for such men, especially in Pastoral work.\nResolutions on the Native Agency\nResolution VIII\nWhereas the native Pastorate represents the best fruit, the chief\nglory, and the highest hope of the Church of God in India;",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 273,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n273\nResolved-\n(a) That great care be exercised in the selection of candidates\nfor this sacred office, in order that they may be men of leadership,\nof character, of culture and of piety; such men as will be safe\nleaders of the church and will commend themselves and the\nCause to the non-Christian world;\n(b) That systematic efforts be put forth to train the native\nPastorate to assume gradually the responsibilities and enjoy the\nprivileges of the administration of the native Church.\nResolution IX\nWhereas in order to overcome the evils of caste within the\nChristian Church in South India it is necessary that its manifes-\ntation be totally discouraged;\nResolved-That every effort made be to convince mission agents\nand the members of our mission churches of the folly and wicked-\nness of caste prejudice.\nResolutions on Work Among Women\nResolution I\nThat this Conference urge it upon all Missionary bodies as a\nwork of great importance that more attention be given to work\namong the Christian women of our congregations; that thus the\nlife of the native church may become purified from its foundations\nup through all its parts.\nResolution II\nThat the staff of European women be increased wherever possible\nwith a view to giving special attention to the development of the\nspiritual life of Christian women, and that some be set apart\nespecially for this work.\nResolution III\nThat while recognising this as a present need we would urge\nthat more responsibility be thrown upon the women of our\ncongregations to undertake systematic voluntary work.\nResolution IV\nWe also recommend that more efforts be made to enlist Anglo-\nIndian Christian women in Christian work and to fit them for\nsuch work.\nH.C.I.-18",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 274,
      "ocrText": "274\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nResolution V\nThat this Conference considers it desirable that all women in\nmission employ and the wives of theological students should receive\na special course of Bible instruction and training to fit them for\nChristian work, and to this end we recommend the establishment\nof Bible Training Institutions or Training classes.\nResolution VI\nThat the work which is being done in some Educational insti-\ntutions for women in training methods of Bible teaching as a part\nof the Normal course is a matter of thankfulness, and that we\nrecommend that wherever possible, due attention be given in all\ntraining schools for girls, to this branch of work.\nComity Among Missions and Co-operation in Mission Works\nA. Missionary Comity\nResolution I\n1. That a geographical division may sometimes need to be\nmodified by considerations of language or relationship. Villages\njust beyond the border of one Mission may be closely connected\nwith villages of that Mission, and may therefore be more advan-\ntageously worked by it, than by its neighbour.\n2. That a Mission ought not to exclude others from territory\nwhich it is not really working itself.\n3. That where converts of one Mission take up their residence\nwithin the boundaries of another Mission, the agents of the former\nshould not be debarred from visiting them and administering the\nordinances of their church if they desire it, it being understood\nthat such visits are purely pastoral and not for åggressive\npurposes.\nThe above points being accepted, the committee recommend:\n4. That considering, on the one hand, the benefits that have\nfollowed in the past where territorial divisions have been observed,\nnamely, concentration of effort, evangelization of whole fields,\neconomy of labour, the securing of effective discipline, the promo-\ntion of harmony, and avoidance of denominational rivalries; remem-\nbering on the other hand the evils that have resulted from a dis-\nregard of this principle, namely, misunderstandings amongst missio-\nnaries, quarrels amongst native agents, questions regarding pay of",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 275,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n275\nworkers and Church order, unsettlement of the minds of converts,\ndisruption of churches, separation of Christians on caste lines,\ncontention and heart-burnings of various kinds this Conference\naffirms its cordial adherence to the principle of comity in regard\nto territorial divisions; urges its adoption in cases where for any\nreason it may not have been observed hitherto, and would express\nthe earnest hope that new Societies beginning work in South India\nmay be guided to labour in unoccupied portions of the country.\n5. But in expressing its cordial adherence to the principle\nunder reference, the Conference would, with equal emphasis, place\non record its strong sense of the injury done to the cause of India's\nevangelization by Societies exclusive claims to fields manifestly\ninadequately provided with workers. With any policy which\nwould aim at preventing other agencies from beginning work in\nsuch districts this Conference has no sympathy, but, on the cont-\nrary, would earnestly counsel withdrawal from such positions\nwherever they may exist, so that room may be made for other\nmissions better able to undertake the work.\nResolution II\nThe Conference draws attention to and endorses the resolution\nof the last Decennial Conference held at Bombay, recommending\nthe various Missionary Societies neither to employ agents nor\nmembers from other missions without proper reference to those\nfrom whom they come nor to receive members under discipline\nwithout similar consultation.'\nResolution III\nThe Conference would advise that every Missionary or Pastor\nshould give to any member removing to a distance a certificate of\nhis church status.\nResolution IV\nThe Conference urges managers, in localities where colleges and\nschools of different missions exist, to come to a mutual understan-\nding with reference to the scale of fees to be levied and scholarships\ngranted, so that there may be no unhealthy rivalry among mission\ninstitutions.\nB. Co-operation in Mission Work\nResolution I\nThe Conference heartily endorses the principle of co-operation\nin Missionary enterprise, and considers it valuable for the promo-\ntion of comity, as well as for the attainment of economy and",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}