Why India?
Have you ever wanted to be part of a movement that is making history? In partnering with South Lallaguda Church, Highland Baptist has become part of a larger story that began over one hundred years ago in a land far, far away. Welcome to Canadian Baptist Missions History 101.
Our part in the story begins in 1867 in a small church just 50 kilometres from here: Ingersoll First Baptist. The Convention of Ontario and Quebec churches was holding what we now call Assembly, and during that meeting, they commissioned Rev. A.V. Timpany and his wife, Jane, for foreign missions.
Working with the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, the Timpanys headed to India and were followed two years later by Dr. John McLaurin and his wife.
Meanwhile in India, a Telegu pastor, Thomas Gabriel was already working on his own to spread the Gospel, but his work had grown beyond his ability to support. So he appealed for help to the BCOQ through McLaurin and Timpany. As a result of the partnership between these men, a separate Canadian Baptist Missions group was formed for the first time in 1874.
In the years that followed, Canadian Baptists started many schools and churches among the Telegu, Oriya, Saura and Kui speaking peoples. By 1922, Canadian Baptist missionaries were serving or working in partnership with approximately five million people in a territory that spanned between Calcutta and Madras. That’s equal to the distance between Windsor, ON and Montreal, QC. They established seven hospitals and two seminaries, which still function today. One of those hospitals, Sumpatha, became an eye hospital, and from there “Operation Eyesight” was launched.
During the 1970s, CBMs emphasis shifted to short term missions because of changes in India’s regulations governing foreigners. Yet, our partnership with India in mission has always endured. In 1992, for example, the Saura—a tribal people from the hills of Orissa where Ken and Shirley Knight worked—received the Bible in theitodayr own language as a result of the translation work of Canadian Baptists. According to Shirley Knight, there were about 40,000 people present at that service. Projects with the Sharing Way were also begun, which is how CBM became connected with South Lallaguda Church, through our partnership with David Sarma.
Our brief history lesson is over, but our story is not. The same challenges that faced our earlier mission partners– poverty, social issues, natural disasters, religious tensions–still face us and our partner church in Hyderabad, today. Of its 1.1. billion people, only 2% of India is Christian. Highland’s partnership with South Lallaguda Church is our affirmation of our on-going commitment to India and our on-going commitment to be a missional church.
History helps define who we are and how we got here, and we celebrate our history as a congregation. As Baptists in general, we also celebrate this rich history of ordinary people serving and forming partnerships with other ordinary people in India to further the Gospel. It is good to celebrate our memories, but let us also remember that we have history yet to make, a mission yet to complete, and a partnership and a friendship yet to uphold/fulfill.
We would be pleased to speak to you about how you can get involved in other capacities to support those who have been called to go to India. If you are interested, please speak to Mary Faith Rennie:
