The Church of Christ
(Based on the Word of God; dedicated to the promotion of independence, Indianisation, unity, co-operation, and to the removal of corruption and evil in all forms and in all places.)
| Volume | Date | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1969 | 2 |
Christ’s Heart Literally Broke in Two
VATICAN CITY April 4.
Jesus Christ may have died on the Cross when his heart literally broke in two as a writer for the Vatican magazine L’osservatoro Della Domenica said yesterday.
The writer the Rev. Antonio Figurard said this theory was first advanced a century ago by a noted British doctor William Strou, and was supported by recent studies in Korea which have shown that a young and healthy heart can be broken by violent stress.
It is probable that in the garden of Gethsemane there began - and the dramatic nature of the moment could justify it - a heart condition that lasted from Tuesday night until Friday afternoon aggravated by atrocious hours of the passion until the climb up calvary and the crucifixion he said.
Pope’s Call
Pope Paul said here last night that ‘a ferment practically of schism’ was dividing the Roman Catholic Church.
Speaking at a special Maundy Thursday mass in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Pope said: ‘how can the church be authentic and enduring if the spiritual and social bond uniting it suffers such attacks from opposition or neglect of its Hierarchical structure?’
‘How can it be a church that is a United people, when a ferment practically of schism divides and subdivides it, breaks it into groups attached more than anything else to arbitrary and basically selfish motives disguised as Christian Pluralism or freedom of conscience?’
The Pope questioned whether the Church was still really animated by a spirit of unity and charity.
‘Do not we too have divisions’ such as those St. Paul deplored among the Corinthians?
In an appeal for unity the Pope added let us renounce the spirit of discord, the verbal attack on brothers. If needs be let us open our minds to pardon anyone who has so treated us.
‘How can we approach the Christian banquet of charity and unity without this peace in our hearts?’
The Pope was speaking shortly after washing feet of 12 boys from six Roman Parishes in a traditional Maundy Thursday ceremony.
— N.T. PATRIKA, 5-1-69.
What Happened on Easter Day?
By Reverend Father A.P. Carleton
What happened on Easter Day? That is a great question, perhaps the most important question that can be asked. Undoubtedly something happened, for its repercussions were so great and wide-spread. It changed the disciples of Jesus from despairing, broken and scattered individuals into men full of hope and joy united in a common purpose. Beginning from that day a small group grew into a world-wide movement. Something had happened.
The Jewish priests had an answer ready; it had cost them some money judiciously distributed in bribes to get that answer into circulation. The disciples of Jesus, the rumour said had come by night and stolen the body from the tomb and given out that he had risen from the dead. Those who wanted to believe this tale had no difficulty, but those who knew what kind of men Peter, John and the other disciples of Jesus were and the kind of movement they were engaged in knew instinctively that the story was false. Such people as those dedicated men would not base lives on a wilful deception.
But what exactly did happen? People are arguing about it today and still thinking up explanations. It might be wise to ask what explanation the most intimate of Jesus disciples had to offer. John who was there on the spot, an eyewitness if ever there was one. Let us see what he had to say. His evidence was the last to be written down. A number of people claimed to have seen Jesus after his resurrection, and they were still alive to be questioned. Later, perhaps about 64 A.D., Mark the disciple of Peter wrote the first of the four Gospels and at the end gave a very brief account of the resurrection. Later Matthew and Luke wrote fuller accounts from different points of view. All these accounts differ in details but are agreed on the main facts, that the tomb was empty, and that Jesus appeared to different disciples at different times. This is what those who are accustomed to handling witnesses would expect if the evidence had not been arranged beforehand.
John who was the youngest of all Jesus’ Apostles outlived them all. In old age, near the end of the century, he wrote down the events of the final Easter Day as he remembered them. His account is so vivid and circumstantial that for most people it carries its own authentication. It is also one of the most dramatic and moving narratives in the Bible.
It was Sunday, what the Jews called the First Day of The week, the day when God began, His creation. The Sabbath, on which no work could be done was over. It was the third day since the body had been laid in the tomb. Early that morning there came to the house where Peter and John were staying an agitated woman. They knew her well. She was Mary Magdalene whom Jesus had rescued from a life of degradation. She was specially known for her devotion to him. They gathered from her broken sentences interspersed with tears that she had been to the tomb before dawn, while it was still dark and had seen that the great stone which closed the entrance had been rolled away. She was convinced that some people had come in the night and stolen the body away. Neither she nor other women who were with her knew where the body had been put.
Disciples
Peter and John, when they heard the story, got up and started for the tomb. They ran. The old man remembered, with perhaps a little excusable pride, how well he ran when he was young. He got to the tomb first but did not dare to do more than peep into the open entrance - it was a sort of cave in the hillside. Peter running up a few minutes later had no hesitation, he went straight in. He saw that nobody was there but that the clothes which had been wrapped round the body were still there all rolled up and the napkin which had been bound round the head was folded up in a place by itself. John then followed him in. He looked and looked, and then suddenly the truth came to him. “He saw and believed.”
The two disciples went home, one at any rate quite calm and confident.
Mary had followed them, back to the tomb but when she arrived they had gone. She stood outside the tomb weeping. Then she stooped down and looked in. The tomb was not empty now. There were two persons, clothed in white, sitting where the head and the feet of the body had been. Mary the Jewess, who knew all about God’s mysterious messengers from her Scriptures, assumed that they were Angels. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘Because they have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have laid him’. Saying this she turned round and saw someone standing in front of her. He said to her, ‘Woman why are you weeping, whom are you looking for?’ She thought, he must be the gardener who looked after the place. She appealed to him. ‘Sir, if you have carried him away tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ The man said one word, ‘Mary’. She knew. Moving towards him, she said, ‘Rabboni’, or as we should say, ‘Guruji’. Jesus said “Do not try to hold me, for I have not yet ascended; but go to my brothers and say to them”, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
Mary went to find the disciples of Jesus and said to them, I have seen the Lord. She told them the whole story. They probably said to themselves, we want some better proof than the word of this hysterical woman.
That night, under cover of the darkness, the disciples of Jesus gathered in a room in Jerusalem. They shut and barred the doors. They were afraid of the Jewish authorities who had crucified their Master. Suddenly Jesus was standing in the midst of them. He had come, but not through the door. His first words were the familiar Jewish salutation, ‘shalom alechem’, ‘Peace be unto you.’ He then showed them his hands and his side. The scars of the nails and the spear wound were clearly seen. John remembered as he wrote what joy had filled their hearts. They could say nothing, only gaze with wonder. Again Jesus spoke. ‘Peace be with you.’ ‘As the Father sent me, so I send you.’ Then he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven’.
All the Apostles were there except Thomas the future Apostle of India. The others told him. ‘We have seen the Lord’. Thomas said, ‘I must see for myself. I must touch the scars on his hands and side and see for myself that it is a real body. Otherwise, I will not believe’.
For a week they waited and nothing happened. Then the following Sunday at the same time they were all together in the same room and on this occasion Thomas was among them. Again Jesus stood in the midst of them and said, ‘Pease be unto you’. Then he turned to Thomas and said, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands, and put out your hand and place it on my side. Do not be faithless but believing it.’ Thomas’ answer was to fall at his feet and say, ‘My Lord and my God’. Jesus then spoke the memorable words: ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe’.
The Fellowship of Christ in India
(Bharat Khrist-Sangh)
(A brief outline of its constitution)
Nature: Apostolic, Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical.
Basis: Peter’a confession - Matthew 16:16. (Also Mark 16:15-16, John 21:15-17, Acts 1:8). It is a Fellowship of all who confess Jesus Christ as personal Saviour and God irrespective of denominational affiliations.
Objectives:
- To worship God in Jesus
- To preach the Gospel
- To propagate the faith of Christ
- To found local groups, Ashrams etc.
- To acquire land and other properties
- To serve man
- To collect and disburse Funds
- To select, ordain and appoint Servants of God and man
- To create a social conscience.
The Ministry - sevenfold in order.
The Real Head of the Fellowship is Jesus Christ.
A visible head variously called Palak-pramukh, Sevak Pramukh, Bishop, Adhyaksha, etc. (for vigilance over doctrines and sacraments, for ordinations and oversight of administration).
Acharya, Guru, etc. (for Ashrams and training centres).
Palak, Purahit, etc. (for priestly functions).
Prerit, Procharek, Bbababadi, etc. (for witnessing and healing).
Paricherak, Sevak, etc. (for social, humanitarian and other secular activities).
Koshadhyaksha, Bhandari, etc. (for custody of funds and properties).
Mantri, Sampadak (for custody of records and convocation).
- Ministers to be chosen, wherever possible, from among earning believers.
- Names of functions will be different in different cultures and languages
Directive Principles
The ministers in seven orders shall be regarded as servants of God and man and not as officers or administrators.
The ministry shall be charismatic i.e. based on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Vide 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14).
No distinction of caste, colour, race or sex. The divisions of the Ministry are vertical and not horizontal. The order is not of importance but only of difference in form and kind of service.
Mere education, social position or wealth shall not determine fitness for the ministry.
Selection and ordination shall be according to N.T. principles and not by modern political method of vote.
Spirit of sacrifice, service, simplicity, equality shall permeate the ministry. “Give according to ability and receive according to need”. Acts 2:44-47; 4:32-35.
The priesthood of the believer - an accepted principle.
All local assemblies, ashrams etc. - as branches of the Fellowship - shall enjoy local autonomy within the general requirement of the Constitution and Doctrines of the Fellowship.
No group or institution shall be called after the name of any living person, western mission or by any distinctive doctrine.
Income: lands, garden, houses, cattle, etc. Dakshina, legacy, title, thank offerings, altar gifts, assessment.
Funds and properties vested in Trust Bodies.
Fellowship naturalised in the country: methods of work and expression indigenous.
Discipline to be exercised according to principles of N.T. vide Matthew 6:12, 16:19, 18:15-35; John 8:1-11; Luke 17:1-4; James 5:19-20, etc.
Ordained workers to wear distinctive costume and mark on ceremonial occasions.
Open Bible - norm of conduct and standard of judgement.
In its relation to other bodies or individuals the Fellowship shall be open on it own side on the basis of this constitution.
The hope of the Fellowship: in prayer it will wait until other denominations and groups become Catholic and Apostolic. Then this will naturally come to an end.
The immediate purpose of the Fellowship is to unify groups and individuals that have seceded from western denominations and to apply indigenous principles.
“India” stands for the whole country in a geographical and cultural sense.
In different cultural and linguistic centres development will be along lines of the local culture.
The Fellowship’s ultimate authority is God in Christ, but it recognises loyalty to established Government in consonance with Christian principles.
The doctrine of the Fellowship.
It accepts Scriptures as containing all things necessary for salvation.
It further accepts the historic creed (the Apostles and the Nicene) as giving an accurate statement of essential Christian faith - its actual use in worship being optional.
It also accepts for guidance and lesson the ecumenical tradition subject to its right of expression in indigenous term and form.
A general statement of the Fellowship’s doctrinal position.
- The Holy Trinity
- Person of Christ being divine and human inseparably though distinguishably
- The Incarnation, Atonement, Resurrection, forgiveness, everlasting life, second coming of Christ and judgement. Differences of interpretation on scriptural authority recognised
- Sacraments: major - Holy Communion, Baptism and marriage. Other acts sanctified by prayer regarded as minor. Differences in mode and meaning on Scriptural authority allowed.
- The Fellowship believes the Church to be the Body of Christ and the faithful its members.
Government and discipline.
The Sammilani (General Assembly) holds ultimate power over policy and discipline. Membership - all ordained ministers, one delegate for every 25 (or less in case of smaller groups) communicants, persons representing special interests at Bishop’s discretion. Age 18 or above for eligibility.
Bishop to preside and declare decisions by his discretion if necessary in case of disagreements and when referred to by Sammilani.
Sammilani to meet ordinarily once in three years.
Normally ordinations and appointments to take place during Sammilani.
Serious cases of discipline (moral and theological) shall be dealt with by a court of three - Bishop, a minister and lay representative chosen by Semmilani.
Matters not covered by rules or conventions shall be settled by Bishop and a group of counsellors.
A Step to Renew the Church for India
Though Christianity has been in India for nearly 1900 years, it has not made its impact on the Hindu majority. All its educational, medical, social and other philanthropic activities have not helped to win their confidence and friendship, and on the other hand, day by day its opposition to the missionary enterprise has recently manifested itself politically as the religious freedom acts. No other religion, from outside India, has been opposed so vehemently even though nothing of non-Indian could be found in it.
Many a reason may be given such as political, fiscal, intellectual and spiritual reason. Recently, there has been much talk about the lack of development of indigenous theology and involvement in the society? Are these the reasons?
Anything which comes from outside a country has to be adapted to that particular country’s culture and heritage. Protestant Christianity has failed in this respect.
In the development of indigenous thoughts, except for late Mr. Chakkarai and Mr. Chenchiah, there were none. The Indian mind had been receptive, but never reacted to produce something original. Whatever was brought from the West was accepted as valid. So also, the system of administration, was a stumbling block for the healthy life of the Church and a scandal among others.
Our Lord said to His disciples, “You shall be witnesses for me” (Acts 1:8). They were called to preach the gospel (Mark 3:14) but this has to be backed by their living (Acts 2:42-47). In our experience we know the majority community is not opposed to the ‘Gospel’ as such, but they rejected it because it was not backed by the actual life of the Christian community.
Christianity is not an individualistic religion, but it is a corporate one. We are living as Churches (a body of Christians) among the non-Christians. There was a necessity for an administration. The administrative system adopted played a great part. This administrative system instead of being conducive to a healthy witness has become a scandal and a stumbling block and tarnished the image of Christ presented by the Gospel preaching.
Politically, we are just growing in democracy. Even here, we have not succeeded in the adoption of a democratic system of administration. In the churches it is unnatural to the heritage of Indian religious life. Hence, wherever we go, we find discussion, hatred, litigation etc. As a result, the church has failed in her mission in this country.
Take for example the mutts in India. The leaders of them are chosen not so much by election but by choice, by one who is the head of the organisation, and it is not by communal backing or by majority but by the leader’s spiritual attainment. For example, take Sri Sankarachariar of Kanchi Kama Koti Peetam. His successor is chosen not by casting of votes but by his choice. (Mr. R.D. Paul has well pointed out these defects in his article C.S.I. after 20 years. Part II - “the failures” published in the “Christian Focus” dated the 15th February 1969).
Once a leader is chosen, he is the undisputed spiritual leader who claims homage from the philosopher down to the villager not because of his position and involvement in the administration of the Organisation, but because of his spiritual life and high thinking. He is the shepherd and his sheep hear his voice.
His spiritual-leadership is accepted because he never condescends to involve himself in the administration of his mutt. If he were to do so, he will lose his spiritual leadership; but when advices are sought for, he guides the people.
In the churches, the Bishop and the ordained priests should keep themselves above the administration, and be men of God to whom the people should look for guidance. This was done in the early church (Acts 6:1-4). The Apostles were able to guide the churches just because they did not involve themselves in the administration and the quarrels of the churches of their days.
The actual administration can be handled by the Laymen of the church. In India the village temples were administered by the men of the village and the priest had nothing to do. His needs were looked after by the villagers, and he was a spiritual leader to them. So, the priest had a distinct position in the village community. The Roman Church in India has adopted this partially with a measure of success.
The Diocesan Church council, and the pastoral affairs can be managed by lay representatives. The involvement of the clergy and the Heads of Churches have made them something like secular administration with the leader of opposition and a party head, etc. This situation makes their spiritual duties ineffective among the members of the congregation. The ordained people devote their time in devotion and in the development of spiritual life themselves and in the flock under their charge. This will help them to be the real shepherds of their flock. The people will look to them for guidance for the growth in their religious life which will make the Christian Witness effective in the land. India needs saints but not administrators in the spiritual field.
The unnatural administrative systems of the church not only takes away the time of the clergy, but also makes their Pastoral and Evangelistic work ineffective. Can we grow out of this stagnation?
(This is my personal view and hence I am responsible for the contents. Any criticism is quite welcome)
— K.G.S. DORAIRAJ - (N.M.I General Secretary - National Missionary Society
Letters
Thyregodvej 47, Brande, January 11, 1969.
My dear friend,
I am very thankful for the “Church of Christ” which you are sending me faithfully.
In 1968 No. 2 in which you printed my long letter of 7.12.67. I found under Notes your article “National Failure on all fronts”. This courageous appraisal of the situation in beloved India during the present crisis makes my heart sore over the truth. I at the same time feel it my duty to friends and also our public to say something about the true situation in India. Wordy generalisations say nothing.
With regard to my correspondence with Indian friend, I may inform you that I got some printed matter from Rev. S.K. Mundle and wrote to 1/1 Nazar Ali Lane, Calcutta-19.
In 22.5.08 I wrote to Shri Hriday Ranjan Samaddar and got his answer dated 29.6, and since then he has sent me 8 copies of the current number of “End Time Evangel”.
With Swami John Dharma Theerthan I have exchanged a few letters.
On 29.5.68 I wrote to Rev. Bhasker Sojwal, Nagpur, but got no answer.
Wrote Professor R.N.F. Boyd of Ahmedabad. I have exchanged several letters and have translated his valuable article on “Christian Interpretation of the Resurrection” for Northern Missionary service and with the following also I recently have exchanged letters - Chalom of Piruvannamalai, Rev. Sahib K. Subba Rao of Munipalli, Dr. V.N. Sharma of Madras, Vima Parekh, Rajkot and Right Rev. A.J. Appasamy who is sending me his latest books for review having read extracts of my letters to you in your paper.
With great pleasure I have read your “Convictions of an Indian Disciple,” Mark Sundar Rao’s “Ananyatva” and Dhanjibhai Fakirbhai’s “Khrsitopanishad”. Prof. Boyd has informed me of Fakirbhai’s recent death.
I am now going through Thangasamy’s “Theology of Chenchiah” and P.T. Thomas “The Theology of Chakkarai.” It is indeed a joyful experience to see that these valuable genuine Indian Christian Theologies rouse so great an interest now after so many years of nearly absolute silence.
“Inter-Religious Dialogue” No. 3 in the Devanandan Memorial series is also very valuable. Its rich content on so different aspects of genuine dialogue might be supplemented with Thomas Meston’s deep and inspiring essay “Contemplation and Dialogue” in his extraordinary five volume “Mystics and Ten Masters.” It is deeply regretted that Thomas Meaton passed away on the 10th in Bangalore where he had travelled to meet the Dalai Lama.
Affectionately yours in him as ever,
AKSEL J, KNUDSEN.
My dear friend,
After having read again the last two copies of the “Church of Christ” I feel I must add some commentaries for which there was no room in my first letter of the same date.
With great interest I read “Testimony of Ram Krishna Misara” first printed in “Banaras United City Mission” 1931. Please give me his address.
Your commentary “Around Subba Rao” is of very great historical importance as a necessary supplement to what already is known on the beginning of the Hindu Christian movement. The summary you have made along with your criticism of Subba Rao’s over critical attitude towards Missions missionaries and Baptism is extremely proper, right and necessary from all points of view. I have myself felt some anxiety because of Subba Rao’s lack of true Christian love and compassion. This one-sided criticism does a lot of harm for his and our Christian cause. For a rather recent convert to be the centre of a Dynamically led Christian movement needs great humility in order to be able not to run into fault and failure in important aspects.
So your remarks are very apt and relevant when you stress the urgent necessity to consolidate and unify the small groups of Hindu Christians into the greater Hindu Church movement of all India that they might be open-hearted and inclusive, find and utilise those fundamentals that constitute their membership of the true apostolic and Catholic Church of Christ outwardly and inwardly. Might God by His Holy Spirit call a Christian brother gifted with Christian experience, wisdom and humility to be used in this unifying work that seems so necessary opportune and relevant to the spiritual situation of India these important years.
11-1-1969.
Yours in Him,
Aksel J. Knudsen.
His Eminence Mar Athanasius Joel S. Williams
INDIAN NATIONAL CHURCH
287, Bellasis Road, Bombay 8. BC. (India)
Thursday, January 9, 1969.
Dear Reverend Acharyaji,
We have been lifting you up before the throne of grace all along, and thank God for your life, learning and your activities for the honour of our land and the glory of our Lord. We are grateful to you for having favoured us with your literature from time to time.
With all good wishes for every blessing,
Yours sincerely,
J.S. Williams
Dear and Venerable Acharyaji,
Wednesday, January 22, 1969.
We are in receipt of your most welcome letter of January 20, 1969, and we are grateful to you. We rejoice in the Lord that He hath kept you so well amongst us to guide us with regard to His Church in our land of birth.
Your vision with regard to India’s own indigenous independent Church has been a great success, and we all owe the deepest gratitude for the way you have led, fought and made triumphant the glorious struggle in India. The crimes of the foreign missionary systems of administration in India are so heinous that the Indian National Church refuses to accept their funds and firemen. They both demoralise and denationalise us, and they are a curse upon India.
Sometimes people presume, in their simplicity, that we are Anti-foreign and we, in the Indian National Church, have nothing to do with the Church outside India. If the people presume wrong things we cannot help it, the fact is that while we hate to remain under the foreign direction and domination, but we desire their fellowship as equal partners in the kingdom of God. With very few exceptions the white men consider it an insolence on the part of the Indians to talk of equality and brotherhood with them.
But, all independent Indian Christians must get together, irrespective of all their differences and we in the Indian National Church are ever ready for such a unity of Christian brethren. No difficulty would ever be raised by any of us while you are willing to lead us into a truly indigenous unity of Christians in India.
The Bharat Khrist Sangh, as we have known it for so many years, deserves all our respect as an indigenous Christian Organisation of the true sons of India. It will indeed be an honour for us to be known as its integral part or in its deeper Christian fellowship.
With most respectful Christian greetings to you and your beloved colleagues in the Bharat Khrist Sangh,
Yours sincerely,
J.S. Williams
Servants of Christ Society
VIZAG, DATED 25-2-69
Praise the Lord!
Dear Acharyaji,
My salutation to you in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
I thank you for your post card.
I read about your ideas about Indianisation of Christians. I am quite in agreement with you. Foreign missionaries have introduced much of foreign staff into our Church life, which is neither suitable nor helps us to grow spiritually. Now that, God’s people are rising to shoulder responsibilities in our own country. I am confident that we shall introduce our way of life in the practice of our faith as per the doctrine and teachings of prophets, and disciples of Christ, as they did in Antioch.
The present churches, of course, will hate us since we are in infant stage. But surely truth will provoke and the Church of Christ (a living Church) will emerge. And this will happen when Blood washed children will rise to match the challenge of our time. India is ours as much as it is for any Hindu. I can best serve my country in these times of violence and corruption and irreligiousness by giving them the Gospel of Truth and love of Christ and make them better citizens of this world, thereby fit for heavenly citizenship.
Please communicate with me if possible so that we can work together for the common cause of heavenly Kingdom and serve the Master.
With kind regards,
Yours in Christ,
J. James.
Quotes
Virgin Birth Possible, Says Sunday Times
LONDON, Feb. 18 - Cambridge University experiment on fertilising human ova in a test tube indicated that virgin birth is possible, The Sunday Times reported says UPI.
The Times said one ovum that was not fertilised - with spermatozoa in the experiments began developing in an identical fashion as ova that were fertilised. Dr. R.G. Edwards announced a last week that he had succeeded in fertilising ova in a test tube at the physiological laboratory of Cambridge.
Scientists previously scoffed at stimulation of a human ovum without fertilisation by spermatozoa. Recently it was discovered that ova from rabbits could be activated into producing if removed from the female, and exposed to cold and then reinserted.
April 1963 International Review of Missions
The Breaking in of the Future. (the problem of Indigenisation and cultural synthesis) by Vern Rossman.
Indigenisation and the Renaissance of Traditional Cultures - a comment by M.M. Thomas.
History or past is not merely an oracle or lesson but a reality and substance persisting and developing.
Indigenisation is not an artificial product. But a natural growth.
In the Fellowship on Faith and Work
Our young friend - Pastor David Dutt - visited some southeast Asian Christians in company with a few international preachers and conducted evangelistic meetings in Indonesia in recent months. He is in the Assam hills at the writing (17/5/69) taking meetings especially among the naga people. We shall pray that his meetings may be fruitful and through God’s grace he may return home safely.
Ishananda S.K. Paul had an evangelistic tour in the districts of Orissa, afterwards suffered from ill health for a month in his Ashram home in Jamboo. He is better now and out again to preach starting in Cuttack.
At Jamshedpur they had the I.C.A. annual meetings and helpful services during the Holy week of Easter.
Acharya Das spent the cold season in the old mission church, Calcutta visiting Christian groups and Hindu enquirers and editing a Bengali book on our Lord’s life and teaching being written by sister B. Dutt. She has now gone to Simla for a few months, where there are some enquirers in whose spiritual welfare she is deeply interested. She has been in indifferent health in recent weeks. We shall uphold her in prayer.
Acharya Das was in Delhi in March for three weeks to be near his eldest daughter, who was to undergo a major operation. The operation was successful, and she is much better through the Lord’s grace. On his way back Acharya Das spent some time including the Holy Week in the Ashram in Varanasi. He is passing this summer living in a village 8 miles out of the City of Calcutta in the midst of Hindus many of whom are established refugees from E. Pakistan. Please pray that his dream of a small and humble Ashram in rural surroundings not far from Calcutta may come true.
Varanasi Ashram has in the past four years been upheld and maintained by the sympathy, prayer and generous financial help extended from the family of Mrs. B. Dutt and Pastor D. Dutt of Calcutta. But for their timely and prompt assistance the Ashram would have been closed long before this. For this generous Christian charity, I am sincerely grateful to the Dutt family and above all am most thankful to the Almighty Father for his goodness and love. In this brief note I want to publicly express my grateful thanks. May God reward them by showering upon them his richest blessings of peace, health, and happiness and abundant life of joy and victory.
As to the future. As I have arrived at an age when no hard work or responsibility is possible the Ashram will have to cease. Over the years I have appealed to many individuals and parties to continue and witness in the city. But it seems Christians are diffident and afraid to face Hinduism in its stronger and purer forms. I have surrendered everything into the loving hands of our Heavenly Father.
(R.C. DAS)
Executive Secretary, B.K.S.
Notes
1. Some Modern Sects With Fertilising Power
They have two broad names - evangelical and Pentecostals, most of them are leftist fundamentalists. They choose someone or two doctrinal fads and thrive on them. To be sure, they have no soul burden for the salvation of the heathen of India but possess ardour for the conversion of Christians. So there is an actual competition among those too many parties to plough the sands of all too narrow native Christian fields. These are variously called - Chhitani Mission (Oxford) who claim that they are the only true church. Seventh Day Adventist mission who hardly preach the Gospel but cry themselves hoarse or write mightily upon the sanctity and authority of the Jewish Law (which, by the way, was fulfilled and so abolished by Christ who even broke the Sabbath in his own life). They also have been giving actual dates of the earthly return of Christ and have postponed them ad infinitum. They produce a glut of literature on health, hygiene and vegetarianism but hardly consider the claims of Christ Crucified and Risen upon human life. Both these sects, very narrow and hard-headed, have been practising sheep stealing. They belong to past decades and are old numbers more or less. There are others (too many to count) of later appearance. Such as Pentecostal of different hues - tongues, independents, missions, divided and subdivided under some biblical name. They are virile and enter other established sheepfolds openly in daylight like dacoits and are the major cause of Church splits. They indulge in flatly unscriptural practice of tongues and horribly noisy and disorderly united prayer. They emphasise the baptism of the Holy Spirit - a good thing but too much over done. In these practices and preachings there is too much active zeal and a lot of hypocrisy and instead of the Holy Spirit a lot of evil spirits have been exploiting the credulous and the emotional simpletons. There are examples of many homes broken (because of the wife’s claim to Holy Spirit), of the break of health and head of many a young girl or housewife. Their main targets are well-to-do widows, disgruntled wives, midwives, nurses, jaded teacher etc., the main motive being collection of tithes and donations in abundant measure. They do well by praying for the sick and casting out devils. But the healing being mostly emotional and deep-rooted the genuine faith disappears soon, and sometimes the devil possessed ones are beaten up almost to death by healers who themselves need to be exorcised of the devil of anger and passion! They do well by preaching the Gospel - the cross, repentance, sin etc., but their neglect of love, peace, forgiveness, humility etc., and overemphasis on the Blood, burning hell, inevitable rejection of the heathen and the unbeliever, entire falsehood of other religions etc., turn them to zealots and fanatics often creating problems of law and order. Some of the leaders of independent Pentecostalists claim infallibility, end-time sole apostleship, erratic prophecy etc. In all cases in meetings and outside, the close association with women and young girls has been unhealthy.
There are other Evangelical groups who have formed themselves into an all India Fellowship claiming as if they were the only evangelical church and evangelistic agency. Long-established evangelical churches and their widespread missions and many famous and fruitful evangelists are excluded from this body. In their doctrinal position they exhibit an amount of dogmatism and self-righteousness, and have condemned the big organised churches as apostate. One such is the India Bible Council of churches (a constituent of the International Bible Council of Christian Churches). They have been posing as a rival of the national Christian Council of India. They do not think there is any “Bible Christians” except themselves. They regard Hinduism as untouchable, its study by Christians as Satanic. Can egotism and fanaticism go further? There are other organisations - youth for Christ, Oriental missionary Society, operation mobilisation, Every Home crusade, etc. The first two are comparatively sober. The third emphasises the importance of ritual life - Bible study, prayer, meditation etc., lives in simplicity, but is rather hectic in its literature distribution work. The last and the fourth are obviously inflated, showy, and propagandist.
All these sects and groups and others not mentioned here (except possibly Oxford mission and the operation Mobilisation) command huge funds especially the Seventh Day Adventist Mission, A.G. Missions and India Bible Council deal in millions of dollars. The main driving force is not faith or love but material resources. The distribution of patronage is generous and not wise or discriminate. This attracts many unemployed personnel and the restless youth who are glad to have an opportunity for romantic adventure. There is little of genuine conviction or spiritual experience, plenty of emotional enthusiasm. With a large force of sentimentally led youth hurriedly and mechanically trained in certain western ways of Christian work, these foreign missions go through a rapid programme of their respective work - literature distribution, open air and bazaar preaching, Text preaching, call to the altar, immature baptisms, church construction calling in seminaries etc., over all involving a huge expenditure unnecessary and unhealthy in Indian social conditions. These so-called Christian workers, mostly young, discover their connections and position in these foreign organisations to be stepping stones to fulfil their worldly ambitions. Many have gone abroad on these props and materially improved their world position. Quite a lot of them draw very high salaries and live in comfort and even in luxury which is true also of the older and bigger organisations. On the whole they acquire a spirit of servility and extraterritorial loyalty. The missionaries in some of these groups offer to build, most unnecessarily and sometimes gratuitously, church, dispensaries, schools in the midst of Christians of other denominations who ought to look after themselves in these respects. They have their own Bible schools where they train young boys and girls parochially and narrowly in their respective faddist theologies.
Thus, the total impact of these groups upon the Churches is a serious disruption of the natural growth of church life on indigenous lines in the context of Indian social and natural life. It creates mutual exclusiveness, disunity and even hatred among Christians and between Christians and Hindus by their dogmatic preaching with superficial or no understanding of the local faith and on a fundamentalist basis; so, far from exalting the name Jesus in this country and attracting Hindus to the message of love, regeneration, power and hope in Christ they are leaving behind an evil legacy of misunderstanding between communities which is harmful from all points of view - religious, social and political.
2. Some Foreign Missions Centres - Disguised
As homes, holiday resorts, Ashrams, humanitarian ventures. Are they genuine Christian centres or meant for some other secret purposes? They have been listed in some Indian papers and suspicion in public mind has been roused not only in these institutions but also in the long-established Christian Missions that have baptised converts and planted national Churches. This does not augur well for the future of the Christian church in India and for the cause of peace and unity in a wider perspective.
While not entertaining undue suspicion in regard to the situation of these smaller centres, one is struck by certain characteristics of these organisations. They are situated along India’s borders with other countries, among the hill tribes and Adibasis and Jungles, on hill stations etc. They have hardly any Indian members. A few Indians are just nominal having no power, no access to committees. Foreign members are also very few. Most of them come and go. Religious exercises and philanthropic activities are slight as if just to cover up something. They are not rooted in the neighbourhood community. Some of the so-called missionaries have been recently accused of subversion and spying work and some have been banished. Again there are some foreign missionaries attached to the bigger missions in cities and towns ostensibly doing something not important nor necessary for Indian Church. They are just hanging around.
These few considerations will naturally arouse doubt as regards their Christian bonafides. Add to this the considerable number of foreign visitors and travellers and recently arriving large number of foreign vagrants variously called Beatles, Gipsies. Some of whom are well-educated and well-to-do. Many of these are pseudo-Hindus with external marks of Hindu life. None of these seems to have a serious purpose for which one comes to a foreign country. Though looking like vagabonds with torn and dirty Indian clothes some of them stay in expensive hotels. Under the circumstances it will be wise for Christians, the public and the Government to beware of them.
3. Anticonversion Bills in M.P. and Orissa
The real motive is not religious - to save Hinduism but political - to secure votes from credulous and superstitious sections of society. Janasangha, Hindu Mahasabha, R.S.S., Ramrajya Parishad, Communists are behind the anti-Christian movement. They and the public conveniently forget that there are more conversions quietly going on today to Buddhism and Islam from Hinduism than to Christianity, but the presence of foreign missions and number of active Christian preachers gives this a handle to use to enable them to enlarge their party interests and strength.
It is most unnecessary for anybody to introduce such one-sided legislation since the penal Code of India is competent to deal with any fraudulent conversions. It is very strange that the President could give his assent to such bills in the face of fundamental right to freedom of conscience and religion. It looks malicious for any chief minister, assembly speaker to allow such a bill to be considered.
The fact is that few men among Hindus today are fair-minded, just or even careful and interested enough to feel responsible for good government and for national harmony. For some time it has been what looks like an idle pastime for some pigmy politicians to have such puerile law passed against a harmless peace-loving community as the Christians.
It is the privilege of Christians to patiently bear it. Let enquirers of religious truth and would-be-converts face magistrate and declare their sincere intention to embrace a religion in which they find their soul’s solace and peace and joy. And let Christian workers eschew all unworthy methods of inducing converts except disclosing the inherent beauty, power, and attraction of Jesus Christ - the Divine Guru and Saviour whose glory and onward march no power on earth can stall. It will produce a purer and stronger Church as a consequence.
4. The Role of the Y.M.C.A
There has been of late fairly widespread critical discussion of the purpose, role and the Paris basis of membership of the Indian Y.M.C.A. That the Y.M.C.A. has deviated from its original mission is borne out by evidence. It has lost its spiritual motive and become almost fully a secular organisation dominated by over-whelming non-Christian membership. It seems the majority of its secretaries are just good men keen humanists. There is hardly any religious activity worth the name it is negligible and tame. Cultural and secular activities constitute 90% of Y.M.C.A. life. The life of the average worker is devoid of any Christian spirit so, it cannot attract the Hindu or Muslim youth to the life and teaching of Jesus Christ who is supposed to be the invisible Head of the organisation.
For some years there has been a persistent effort to mollify, dilute and even alter the Paris basis through verbal jugglery. It shows that in many Christian minds convictions have been loosened by worldly pressures. Religious pressure from non-Christian membership for a change of the basis is more imagined than real. In any case non-Christians cannot force a change so long as the present Indian Constitution is in force. The Y.M.C.A. is like a way-side inn or hotel or a rest house or a nursing home built on the foundation of Christian truth and principles, open to all who volunteer to come in and enjoy its facilities. None is compelled or induced through trickery. The regulation of its life and policy shall be in the hands of those who are convinced that Jesus Christ is Saviour, Lord and God and are free to present his message to all who are prepared to listen. Any dilution of the Paris basis will not satisfy the Hindu until he will get complete power over the organisation and then the salt of the organisation will lose its savour. It will then be only an international and interreligious club which can be opened and closed at will.
5. High Prices of Consumer Goods
In some cases prices, specially of rice, are exorbitant and even prohibitive for service of poor people. Starvation deaths are common, though Government have never admitted it. Suicides due to poverty are fairly widespread. Then all cases do not get published in newspapers. The congress has apparently forgotten and written off its original ideals. They have not only ignored but deliberately repudiated their own pledges and promises to the poor masses to give them cheaper food, accommodation land and jobs, for the last 21 years our rulers have been running the country on slogans giving empty hopes. There has been hardly any implementation of accepted policies and definite decisions. So there is a general loss of confidence on the part of the people in Government’a bonafides. This is a curious situation. Under such circumstances struggle for life involving violence and antisocial activities is inevitable.
The markets and shops are full of goods. In fact there is a glut of them. But the common people have no money. It is a famine of money among the majority of the population. Are there no economic and financial experts among the rulers who can solve this problem? Will our politicians and statesmen, legislature and ministers continue being busy in wrangles and intrigues for power, position, wealth and pleasure? The nation is going down. The centre has been exhibiting for some time indifference, indecision, equivocation, inefficiency, lack of moral stamina. Under these circumstances, especially in conditions of general moral breakdown, it is not easy to see what Christians as a community can do. They have their representatives in the legislatures, in Government and in administration but are they Christian enough to stand out for truth, justice, honesty and purity in public dealings? It will not be out of place for Christian churches everywhere to pray correctly for our rulers and leaders as well as for the suffering and struggling masses.
Edited and Published by:
Rev. R.C. Das, M.A.,
Khristpanthi Ashram,
129, Dashashwamedh, Varanasi, India
Printed at:
Evangelical Press,
“CHRIST NAGAR MISSION”,
Badagayedapadavu Post, Mangalore Taluk, S. India