ah sag Ay wainaas 4 } PREPARED FOR THE ia ‘HELD AT Bangalore, June, 1879. | FG, DAVIS. “bancatone: pm ar THY ‘Caxton Press, Roe am Bout! H PARADE, a a oak HISTORICAL SKETCH Methodist Gyiscoyal Ghwveeh, : ak SOUTH INDIA PREPARED YOR, THB SOUTH INDIA MISSIONARY CONFERENCE, HELD AT Bangalore, June, 1879. ¥. G. DAVIS, BANGALORE; PRINTED AT THE CAxToN Pruss, 10, SOUTH PARADE, 15793 + Va MS. x Ne Methotist Episcopal Church, oe Tt, is a pleasure to recognize the courtesy of the coms mittee which named the writer to give a historical sketch of the work of the Methodist Episcopal Church in South India, but while we do so we feel it must be very short. The history of the Methodist Episcopal Church began in Northern India in 1856 butit was not until 1874 that a course of events, which none in her communion had anti- cipated, led to the organization of this Church in several different centers south of Allahabad. In that year, Rev. William Taylor, then well known in all parts of the world as a successful, evangelist, came to India to spend a few months in the Master’s work and by a train of Providences not within the scope of this paper, was led, finally, to plant the Methodist Episcopal Church, not only in Bombay and Calcutta but in several parts of South India also. This paper has only to do with South India and will name only Madras, Bangalore, Secunderabad and Bellary, and we begin at once with Madras. Mr. Taylor arrived in Madras from Calcutta on the 4th February, 1874 and had been invited there by Dr. E. H. Condon who at once gave hima home and a hearty sup- port in all plans for work, and introduced him ‘to all the nonconformist ministers of the city, the Missionaries of the Church Mission, and a few of the Establishment, in their own houses.” His work proper, commenced in Madras on February i@th, when by the permission of the committee 9n charge, 4 he began a series of services at the Evangelistic Hall. These services were held four nights each week for three weeks and were then transferred to the Memorial Hall, where they continued for four weeks ‘more. It was about this time, ul ,Mr. Taylor having brought to the notice of a meeting of thése who invited him that about three hundred persons had professed to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ at the special services which he had been holding, and ‘that about one hundred and sixty of them had expressed, an earnest desire to be organized into a Church, that with the .concurrence of the meeting a Methodist Episcopal Church was organized; and by July 6th, the number of those who had formally united with the church was 340. At the close of the year the number was 390 and at’ the close of the year 1878 after deducting deaths and removals the number of members and proba- tioners in Madras and on the Railway line was 362. abkse Tt was,about this time that three steps were taken which, without design perhaps, decided the locations which were to be the principal points of our work in Madras. These were the renting of the London Mission Chapel in Pursewaukum, the building of a Pandal on the esplanade and the erection of a temporary place of worship at Peram- bore, Lhe London Mission Chapel is still used, though often too small for thecongregation. The esplanade Pandal was used until May 1878, and then the congregation hired a hall in Broadway where they now worship and the place at Perambore gave way to a comfortable little church in 1877. This church and lot are owned and paid for, as isa lot at Palaveram, anda site adjoining Doveton College has been purchased for a church to accommodate the congre- gation at Pursewaukum and Vepery. 5) Tn the Pastoral’ force: in Madras there have been few changes. Rev. C. P. Hard, u. A. and Rev. J. E. Robinson were the first to come. Mr. Hard reached Madras December- 1874 and at once assumedtharge of the work. All of the work started by Mr. Taylor, had at that time been attached to the India: Annual Conference in North India and that in the Madras Presidency and Hyderabad was called Madras. District,.and in addition to his pastoral duties he was made Presiding elder over the district. He held this office until the time of his departure forhome in April 1878. In 1876 he was re-appointed preacher in charge, and Rev. F. G. Davis, who had just arrived in India was appointed: assistant, These- appointments remained the-same for 1877, and. Benjamin Peters, who had been employed for more than two years as a Tamil Preacher was admitted into the South India Conference, just organized by Bishop: Andrews, and added. to. the list. In November 1877 three distinct charges. were made of the Madras work. Rey. @. P. Hard was appointed to the Vepery circuit{and B. Peters for native work. F. G. Davis was appointed to Black Town and Rev. W. F. G. Curties. to Perambore: and. S. W. Railway Line. In April, 1878, Rev: Mr. Hard re- turned home and Rev. J. Shaw was appointed to succeed him and Mr, Curties was sent to Chadarghat to take Mr. Shaw’s place, while-Perambore and the Railway Line re- verted to the care of Mr. Davis, and the oversight of the’ District was given to Rev. W, B. Osborn, Presiding: Elder of Bombay District.. This arrangement still continues. The appointments for Madras, for 1879 were announc- ed’ December 11th 1878 and: were :— Vepery, J.Shaw; Black Town, F. G. Davis, and Peram~ bore, A. Gilruth, supply; and, through God’s blessing: these all remain at their posts to-day. | 6 \ Two Episcopal visits have been paid our work since the beginning of 1876. ‘The first was paid by Bishop Andrews, who visited every charge in this part of India to the great satisfaction of all. The second «was made last December, by Bishop Bowman who presided over the session of the Annual Conference at Madras December 5—11; and every part of the work passed under the most careful inspection each time. | _ There remains butone more interest in Madras to mention —ithat of Native work; andin this connection itis natural to mention street preaching first. This was begun by B. Peters, who found pardon in one of Mr. Taylor’s services about April 1874. He was helped by afew friends, and soon joined by P. B, Gordon, Esq., who from that day to the present, has spent almost daily, some portion of time in the streets after business hours. The circuit soon began to support Mr. Peters that he might give his whole time to preaching and he gave up his secular business. and has remained a constant native worker until the present. He devotes most of the morning to tract distribution and visiting and the latter part of the day to street preaching. His wife also visits some houses regularly and reads the Bible to the women, The work at Poodoopett was partly native and partly English speaking, but was considered more important for. its opportunities for native work than English. A greater part of the time for the last five years, among other work that was done there, were many native chil- dren who were regularly taught the scripture. The School is now stopped for want of a building. * The native work has known the conversion of several and the proclamation of the gospel to thousands.” . 7 In 1874 2 man named Pappiah heard the Gospel preach- ed in Poodoopett Pandal, accepted the Saviour and ear- ried the glorious news to his native village, called Truchoor, 65 miles from Madras. A delegate of four men invited us to preach the Gospel. Mr. Peters and Mr. Hard accompanied them, and the result of the preaching was the conversion of 60 souls. A mission was established, but a year afterwards it was handed over to the Church Missionary Society. There is a Tamil Class now belonging to Madras, part of whom are regular in their attendance and two are in ser- vice on the Hills. From the Tamil Converts in the work in Madras. and Truchoor four died in the faith. These were visited recular- ly by our Native Pastor and he was with three of them at the moment of death. Two of these were from Heathenism and two from Catholicism. ‘Two of them in their sickness gave clear testimony of their trust in Jesus, and one said to her pastor before death ‘ Here he is come. Good by.” There were, by the reports of 1878, 362 Members and Probationers in Madrasand on the south Line, 339 S.S. Scholars and Rs 27,018 have been raised by the Madras work for all purposes since it was begun. The next place of mention which Mr. Taylor visited was Bangaloreand he at once arranged for service. Clarendon Hall was placed at his disposal, and. preach- ing was begun, and in less than seven weeks one hundred and forty professed to find forgiveness, of whom about one hundred united to form a Church, and the work was called Bangalore circuit. The Richmond Town congregation began in Thornlie Bank and worshiped there until the completion of a Chapel on our building site where the Richmond Lon. M. EH. Church now stands. &. This: place of worship cost about Rs. 2,500:and became: the home of the congregation for two and a half happy years. Some repairs were needed however, and after a thorough remodeling at a cost of about Rs. 2,000: it became the nice, tidy Church that now. accommodates the congre-- gation. St. John’s. Hill had not been so fortunate in a place of worship and in March 1876 it became evident that a. better: place must be obtained and after earnest efforts another though temporary chapel was built... This occurred in June: 1876 and then begun two years and a half of happy religious life both for pastor and people. God however had better things in store for the: little,, but brave congregation. and about Oct. Ist 1878, “it hav- img been made known to some generous-hearted Christian. friends, that it was. considered about time to. build, they. by united effort, secured.five plots of ground immediately adjoining the old Chapel premises ; and through: the Pastor, made them over as a.gift to the Methodist Episcopal Church.” This generous act, with assurances of assistance from. other Christian friends, led to the conviction. that then was. God’s time to begin work ; therefore it was decided » “in. the fear of the Master immediately to set about the building of. new, neat, comfortable and commodious Church for His worship.” The work was begun. at once-and through the: special blessing of God there stands, at this writing, ready.for dedication in.a few days, a beautiful church, worth, with lot Rs, 10,000. In the pastorate, Bangalore has. had. fewer: changes than Madras. Rey. James Shaw followed Mr. Taylor and’ remained in charge until November 1877. Rey W. K. Newlon, joined the work in December 1875, and became Pastor of St, John’s Hill congregation. and remains. ¥ in charge to-day. In November 1877 the circuit was divided into two charges and Rev. J. H. Robinson, the present pastor at Richmond Town was appointed. The ‘present ‘statistics show, for both charges, Members and Probationers 71, Sunday School Scholars 184and Rs. 22,371 raised for all purposes since the organization of the church, These statistics do not include 18744 and the membership has lost heavily by removals. ‘SECUNDERABAD is older than either Madras or Bangalore ‘and was started by a lay-man. He had found pardon in Mr. Taylor’s Meetings at Bombay: but being transferred ‘to the Nizam’s Dominions soon after, began to work for God both among soldiers and civilians. In January 1874, Rev. Geo. Bowen from Bombay went to: him to help him and a Church was organized during his visit, Shortly after, Rev. J. Shaw became the Pastor and his labors were blessed with special success, and soon had a ‘Church of ‘one hundred members ‘and probationers. This work progressed during the year with ‘ consider- ‘able success,” and extended to several points near by: and it is a just record to say that much of the success was due to faithful lay-men connected with the Church.