{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 124,
  "chapterName": "1879. Clough on the Mass Movement at Ongole",
  "pageFrom": 229,
  "pageTo": 230,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 229,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n229\n124. CLOUGH ON THE MASS MOVEMENT AT ONGOLE\n(1879 A.D.)\nIn letters written to the American Baptist Missionary Union in\nthe summer of 1876, J. E. Clough, the only missionary in the field,\ndescribes the beginnings of the great mass movement at Ongole (Andhra\nPradesh). Some Madigas had become Christian before a severe famine,\nduring which Clough had secured work for them in digging a canal.\nDuring that period he refused to baptize any more lest they become\nChristian simply to get work. The baptisms reported here took\nplace after the famine period. It is clear that the converts did not\ngain any material benefit by becoming Christians. Cited in the Baptist\nMissionary Magazine, Sept. 1878, p. 348.\nWe have commenced baptising again, only a few of many\napplicants. We have up-to-date numbered as follows:\nJune 16, 1878, 102; June 17, 40; June 19, 3; June 20, 30;\nJune 23, 154.\nMost of the above were men, heads of families, and only one\nhundred from Ongole.\nYesterday our new chapel was crowded, -seven hundred at\nleast inside, and three hundred or more outside. So, while I\npreached to the seven hundred within, native preacher Rungiah\npreached to seven (?) hundred or more under the margosia trees\nnear by.\nBefore this letter reaches you, there will be five hundred baptised\nChristians, probably, within four miles of where I now write,\nresidents of Ongole and suburbs. If rain comes soon, and a harvest\nis given, as we hope, there will be three thousand baptisms in this\nmission (Ongole) within the next six months. The converts are\nnow waiting for the ordinance. This means addition to\nour Teloogoo mission of not less than fifteen thousand souls.\nPerhaps twenty thousand would be nearer correct. What am I to\ndo? I need, I must have help. By help, I mean that I want some\none sent out to help me whom God has called to this very place.\nMany men sent out as missionaries are no missionaries at all,\nnever were, and never will be. This class are like millstones about\nthe necks of the real God-appointed Missionaries. In sending an\nassistant to me, please do be careful and get the right man. Please\ntell brother\nthat I have not wholly given him up yet:\nhe is the kind of man I want for Ongole, and I want him if he will\ncome. Ongole, at the present moment, needs to be re-inforced by",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 230,
      "ocrText": "230\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nthe very best man available in the United States of America. Boys\nand novices are not required.\nIn Tinnevelly the S. P. G. Missionaries are having a great harvest:\nseventeen hundred have abandoned their idols, and are seeking\nChristian instruction. To meet the needs of this harvest, the S.P.G.\nSociety has appointed (so say the daily papers) ten new missionaries,\nand have authorised them to employ sixty new catechists. Here,\nwith an equal or greater harvest, I am all alone. Send help at\nonce, men and money! Do not plead hard times. God has the\nmoney, and will give it if you call; else, it seems to me, a mistake is\nbeing made here in calling so many to righteousness. Fear not!\nlaunch out! do not tarry! and God will send all the money you\nrequire: and I have no fears.\nLater. June 24 I wrote you at great length about many things,\nsome of which are of vital importance to your mission to the Teloo-\ngoos. I have not the time to write much this morning; but I have\nsome glorious news to tell, which you and the readers of 'The\nMissionary Magazine' are not unprepared to hear. The Lord\nhath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.'\nIn my letter of 24th, I mentioned that we had again commenced\nbaptising. We, on account of the famine stopped receiving\nconverts into the church early in March 1877 hence, for over\nfifteen months we had no additions to our number, while the famine,\nin its direct and indirect work, constantly thinned our ranks. On\nJune 16th we again commenced receiving converts, belivers in the\nLord Jesus as their Saviour and the Saviour of the whole world.\nSince then the work has gone on, widening and deepening; and now,\nas I write these lines, it seems to me that the blessed gospel which\nwe try to preach is going to sweep every thing before it\nAs reported to you on June 24, I and my native assistants had\nbaptised 328 converts. Since then we have baptised, June 24th, 75;\n26th, 77; 27th, 140; 28th, 150; 29th, 186; 30th, 212; July 1st, 199;\n2nd, 614; 3rd, 2,222; 4th, 731; 6th, 216; 7th, 279. Total number\nof baptised from June 16-July 7th inclusive 5,429.\nBut very few of these ever received any famine funds perhaps\nnot one hundred of the whole number ever received a pice' (quarter\nof a cent) even from me, directly or indirectly and never expect to\nreceive any more of financial aid in any way",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}