{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 144,
  "chapterName": "1905. An Appeal to Indian Christians by the Founders of the National Missionary Society",
  "pageFrom": 292,
  "pageTo": 292,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 292,
      "ocrText": "292\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n144. AN APPEAL TO INDIAN CHRISTIANS BY THE\nFOUNDERS OF THE NATIONAL MISSIONARY\nSOCIETY (1905 A.D.)\nThe National Missionary Society (Bharat Christya Sevak Samaj)\nwas founded at a meeting of Indian Christians held in Seram-\npore from the 24th to 28th of December, 1905. This appeal was\nmade shortly thereafter. Found in The National Missionary Society\nof India (N.M.S. Press, Madras, n.d.). Cited in Donald Fosset Ebright,\nThe National Missionary Society of India, 1905-1942, pp. 94-95. The\nsource is not identified by Ebright.\nThe National Missionary Society is now organised. We stand\nbetween a hundred millions of our fellow-countrymen without\nChrist, and the Christian community which could be aroused to\ngive them the gospel. We are men called to witness for Christ,\nchosen out of many as a kind of firstfruits, that we might give the\ngospel to our fellow-countrymen. Shall we fulfil our trust or fail\nGod in his hour of our country's need and the Church's oppor-\ntunity? God expects a great service of us. Our Lord in calling us\nhas trusted us that we would prove faithful, that we would win\nIndia for Him.\nNo man need wait for a further call. The call of God is not\nso often a personal call as the call of an opportunity.' And what\nopportunity could be greater? To unite as members of the one\nBody of Christ, to join hands as Christians from every province\nin this great empire in one mighty and unceasing effort ort to win\nour land for Christ-this is the opportunity to which God is\ncalling us. After two hundred years of Protestant Missionary\neffort from foreign lands, are we not yet ready to take up our\nown burden, and live and die for our own country? If we are\nnot ready now, when shall we be? We have waited too long\nalready; we have been weakened from in-activity; we shall grow\nstrong only by effort. The hour of India's opportunity has struck !\nWe shall not fail our God in the day of His power.\nIndia is awakening. God is speaking to our age and to our own\nland in the mighty reviving work of His Spirit. In Wales we have\nseen a nation well nigh reborn in a day. In Assam we have heard\nof His mighty power. In parts of Northern, Western and Southern\nIndia the revival has already begun. A revival of whom-and for\nwhat? The spirit of pentecost is arousing the Church to-day,\nnot for ecstatic emotions or pleasant feelings as an end in themselves,\nbut in order to give service for the unsaved. We have heard of\nvisions and voices in these days of revival, and we rejoice in every\ntrue vision; but let us not forget this vision of the day in men",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}