CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM
Great Men and Women of God--Part 1
WILLIAM CAREY
CLTP 4
DFO
June 1993
(Suggested reading for age 9 and up)
(A glossary has been provided on page 27 for the words marked with an asterisk *.)
(Christian Leadership Training Program publications Introduction Great Men and Women of God are circulated free of charge on a strictly non-profit basis.)
CONTENTS
Introduction
2
South Central Asia: Confronting Ancient Creeds
3
Points to Ponder by Maria
5
William Carey
6
Life in England
8
Facts about India
14
Major Religions of Asia/Caste System
15
India Today
23
Family Stats on the Subcontinent
24
Insights
26
Glossary
28
Pubs Reference List
32
Great Men and Women of God is a series of biographical studies to be included in your Christian Leadership Training Program. This series also makes an excellent study for any of several scholastic subjects such as history, political science, geography, sociology, etc. The rich and colourful style of writing and challenging use of English vocabulary in this material makes it excellent material for literature appreciation and vocabulary development as well.
A Christian education is not complete without a study of the lives and work of some of the great men and women of God who have helped carry the Gospel of hope to the World. Christian history is rich in good lessons to be learned from those who have gone before us, often battling against great opposition* to preach the Word of God. A wise student of the Gospel preparing to be a disciple in the Lord's service can learn much from the experiences of these men and women.
The people covered in these studies probably differ in many ways from your time and place of service and perhaps had some slightly different doctrines and beliefs. However, their personal determination, successes and failures, battles, faith, conviction and obedience to God in the face of difficulty remain a rich source of learning and a lasting role model for all who have chosen a path of fulltime service in the Lord's Work.
We pray that this study will help deepen your knowledge and understanding of others and give you greater insight into how to better counsel, witness to, learn from and work with the people you encounter.
Each biographical article comes with a challenging and stimulating set of discussion questions for you, your class or your study group to use to help bring out and apply these lessons to your own lives. We believe as you explore these different lives and points of view and learn to look at things in new ways, putting yourself in others' shoes, you will become a wiser, deeper Christian leader.
"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the World are come" (1 Corinthians. 10:11).
South Central Asia: Confronting Ancient Creeds
1. South Central Asia--what an ironic* setting for the first major thrust of Protestant foreign missions*. It was here in the subcontinent* of India where the World's oldest and most complex religions were born and where religious beliefs pervaded* every facet* of society. It is no wonder, then, that the teeming* millions who elbowed their way through the crowded marketplaces looked with scorn on those who would bring them a new religion. What could a "Western" religion offer them that Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism*, or Jainism* could not? (See "Major Religions of Asia," page 15.) And what appeal could there be in a dogmatic* religion like Christianity? Hindus, with their thousands of gods, prided themselves in their tolerance and looked down on the exclusive* claims of Christianity.
[Box: MAJOR RELIGIONS OF ASIA
HINDUISM -- Hinduism developed from indigenous religions of India in combination with Aryan* religions brought to India around 1500 B.C. Hinduism is a term used to broadly describe a vast array of sects to which most Indians belong. Hindu beliefs include the acceptance of the caste system, which ranks people from birth based on religious practice, employment, locale, and tribal affiliation, among other categories, and classifies society at large into four groups: the Brahmans or priests, the rulers and warriors, the farmers and merchants, and the peasants and labourers. The goals of Hinduism are release from repeated reincarnation through the practice of yoga, adherence to Vedic* scriptures, and devotion to a personal guru. Various deities are worshipped at shrines; the divine trinity are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer.
BUDDHISM -- It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha (Enlightened One), in southern Nepal in the fifth and sixth centuries B.C. Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment through meditation and gathered a community of monks to carry on his teachings. Buddhism teaches that meditation and the practice of good religious and moral behaviour can lead to Nirvana, the state of enlightenment, although before achieving Nirvana one is subject to repeated lifetimes that are good or bad depending on one's actions (karma).
ISLAM -- It was founded by the prophet Mohammed, who is said to have received the holy scriptures of Islam, the Koran, from Allah (God) around A.D. 610. Islam (Arabic for "submission to God") maintains that Mohammed is the last in a long line of holy prophets, preceded by Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. In addition to being devoted to the Koran, followers of Islam (Muslims) are devoted to the worship of Allah through the Five Pillars: the statement "There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is His prophet"; prayer, conducted five times a day while facing Mecca; the giving of alms; the keeping of the fast of Ramadan during the ninth month of the Muslim year; and the making of a pilgrimage at least once to Mecca, if possible. Consumption of pork and alcohol, as well as usury, slander and fraud, are prohibited. The two main divisions of Islam are the Sunni and the Shiite; the Wahabis are the most important Sunni sect, while the Shiite sects include the Assassins, the Druses, and the Fatimids, among countless others.
SIKHISM -- Is one of the religions of India. Its believers call themselves Sikhs, which means disciples. They follow the teachings of 10 gurus (teachers of religion). The Sikh holy book, called the Adi Granth, includes the teachings of these gurus. About 14 million Sikhs live in India. The first Sikh guru, Nanak, began to preach about 1500. He tried to unite Hinduism and Islam, two of India's major religions, by adopting beliefs from both faiths. For example, Sikhism includes the Islamic belief in one God and, like Islam, forbids the worship of religious images. Sikhism also adopted the Hindu belief in reincarnation. According to this belief, after the body dies, the soul is reborn in the body of an animal or of another human being. Sikhism also includes the Hindu doctrine of karma.
JAINISM -- Is a religion of India. It is based on the belief that every living thing consists of an eternal soul called the jiva and a temporary physical body. The eternal jiva is supposedly imprisoned in the body as a result of involvement in worldly activities. To free the jiva, one must avoid such activities as much as possible. Each jiva is reincarnated in many bodies before it is finally freed. After being freed, it exists eternally in a state of perfect knowledge and bliss. Jain monks and nuns represent the ideal of Jainism. These men and women try to separate themselves from the everyday world. They are not allowed to kill any living creature. They carry brooms to sweep all surfaces to avoid crushing insects accidentally. Monks may not own any property except a broom, simple robes, bowls for food, and walking sticks.]
2. But Christianity, as William Carey and those who followed him demonstrated, had everything to offer the people of South Central Asia. Even aside from the free gift of Salvation and Eternal Life, only Christianity offered the people a release from the binding chains of the age-old caste system and from the endless process of reincarnation* that enslaved them. Only Christianity reached out to the "untouchables"* and offered them hope for the here and now. (See "Caste System, page 15.) Only Christianity was willing to sacrifice its young men and women to the perils* of tropical South Central Asia in a selfless love to uplift its people.
[Box: CASTE SYSTEM
There are as many as 3,000 castes, or jatis, in India. Each caste has its own customs and rituals. To maintain ritual purity, members of each caste neither marry nor dine with members of other castes. Members of a particular caste typically engage only in certain kinds of occupations. Castes may have existed in India before the arrival of Aryans from central Asia about 1500 B.C. Eventually, Aryan religious leaders and scholars called Brahmans, developed a system for ranking the castes.
It consisted of four ranked categories called varnas (colours). The top varna was white and was occupied by Brahmans. The next varna was red and consisted of Kshatriyas--that is, rulers, nobles, and warriors. Then came the yellow varna. People in this category engaged in banking and other kinds of business and were known as Vaisyas. The black varna was next, and it included Sudras--artisans and labourers.
Besides the four varnas developed by the Brahmans, there was also a fifth category. People of the castes in this category were sometimes called panchamas (fifths) or outcastes. Today, panchamas are also known as untouchables. About a fifth of India's people belong to untouchable castes.
Through the centuries India's caste system has become increasingly rigid and elaborate. Many attempts have been made to eliminate the system, but all have failed. India's 1950 constitution outlaws untouchability and grants equal status to all peoples. But laws and modern urban life have weakened the system only somewhat. Caste prejudice remains an important factor interfering with India's social integration and economic progress.]
3. The sacrifices of William Carey, Adoniram Judson, and others who toiled in India and other parts of Central Asia were immeasurable. The cruelty of the climate was unrelenting* and tropical fevers exacted* a high toll. Carey and Judson each lost two wives as well as little children to fatal illnesses, but no price was too high for the privilege of bringing Christianity to this area of the World. Foreign missionary work was not for spiritual dwarfs, and the early pioneers never anticipated an ideal climate or a receptive population. But what they could not anticipate was the ultimate insult against them and their faith--the intense opposition of their own countrymen, the East India Company in particular (see page 9), who withstood every effort to propagate* the Gospel, though the company officials themselves claimed to be sheltered under the umbrella of Christianity.
[Box: EAST INDIA COMPANY was the name of several European companies that opened trade with India and the Far East during the 1600s. East India companies were private enterprises* given charters* by the governments of the countries of England, the Netherlands, Denmark, and France. The companies received special trading rights from their governments. The British East India Company had the longest life--nearly 260 years--and the greatest influence. It opened India and the Far East to English trade and eventually brought India into the British Empire. Before 1600, Portugal controlled most European trade with India and the Far East. The English company was formed in 1600, and soon began competing with the Portuguese. The Dutch company was formed in 1602, the Danish company in 1616, and the French company in 1664.
The European powers gained little in India as long as strong rulers held the Mogul Empire there together. But soon after Emperor Aurangzeb died in 1707, the Maratha tribespeople conquered central and western India. The army of Nadir Shah, a Persian ruler, successfully raided northern India. The Sikhs, a religious group, founded their own kingdom in that region. By the mid-1700s, there was no longer a strong central power in India. The East India Company took advantage of this situation and gained control over much of India. At first, the company's agents merely competed with other European traders. Later, they developed great political power by various means. For example, the agents obtained the right to collect taxes.]
[Box:
IMPORTANT DATES IN BRITISH HISTORY
1756-1763
Great Britain won colonial supremacy in North America over France in the Seven Years' War.
1775-1783
Britain lost its American Colonies in the Revolutionary War in America.
1793-1815
Britain defeated France in the Napoleonic Wars.
1801
Ireland and Great Britain joined, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
1812
War between Great Britain and the United States.
1832
The first Reform Bill gave most men of the middle class the right to vote.
GREAT BRITAIN: THE ERA OF REFORM
Social, economic, and political reform had been yearned for in Britain for many years. After the Napoleonic Wars, the people's demands for reform became so strong that Parliament had to act.
Britain's criminal laws badly needed reforming. People convicted of crimes were whipped or given other brutal public punishment. Dreadful conditions existed in prisons. About 200 offenses--even stealing a rabbit--were punishable by death. During the 1820s, many of these abuses were corrected.
In 1824, Parliament made it legal for workers to form trade unions to protect their rights. In 1833, it passed the Factory Act. This act provided that no child under 9 years of age could work in a factory, and no child under 18 could work more than 12 hours a day.
But the most burning issue was for Parliament to reform itself. Great landowners controlled most seats in Parliament, and few citizens had the right to vote. Some members of Parliament represented districts that had few or no voters. On the other hand, many districts with large populations had little or no representation.
GREAT BRITAIN AND THE NAPOLEONIC WARS. The French Revolution began in 1789. At first, many British approved of the revolution as a triumph for liberty for the French people. But they changed their mind after the revolution grew more violent. Then the new French government seized Belgium and threatened the Netherlands. Britain protested. In 1793, Britain and France went to war.
Britain feared a strong power in Europe. Its foreign policy was based on keeping the balance of power so that no European nation could control the others. To maintain this balance, Britain often aided weak countries and formed various alliances. By keeping the balance of power, Britain protected its own freedom, trade, and sea power. In addition, Britain's rulers--like those of other European countries--feared the democratic ideas of the French revolutionaries.
Beginning in 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte, a man of endless ambition, led the French. At the height of his glory in 1812, Napoleon controlled most of Europe. In 1803, he began a plan to invade Britain. Then, in 1805, Admiral Horatio Nelson of Great Britain won a great victory over the French and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar, off the southern coast of Spain. The Battle of Trafalgar crushed Napoleon's naval power and ended all his hopes of invading Britain. He next tried to defeat Great Britain by striking at its dependence on trade. He ordered all countries under his control to close their markets to Great Britain. Britain struck back with a naval blockade of France and its allies. But British interference with United States shipping brought on the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States. Napoleon was defeated by the British Duke of Wellington in 1815 in the Battle of Waterloo, Belgium.]
4. In spite of the tremendous barriers, Christianity was planted in India and elsewhere in South Central Asia, and through the influence of William Carey, who ushered in the "Great Century" of foreign missions, the evangelism of the World began to be viewed as a primary obligation of the Christian Church. South Central Asia, however, would never be an easy field for Christianity, where still today only a tiny minority (less than three percent) of the population profess the Christian faith.
5. Although Carey was the great pioneer missionary to India, he was not the first. Centuries before him in the 16th century came Francis Xavier (see box) and other Roman Catholic emissaries*. Ninety years before Carey came Bartholomew Ziegenbalg and Henry Plutschau, Lutheran missionaries supported by the Danish-Halle Mission. Ziegenbalg and Plutschau, who worked near the southern tip of India in Tranquebar, were hampered by the commercial opposition of the Danish East India Company, but they nevertheless made progress and witnessed many converts during their years of service. After six years, Plutschau returned home due to ill health, while Ziegenbalg remained to shepherd the church and translate all of the New Testament and a large portion of the Old Testament into one of India's many languages. He died in 1719 after fourteen years of service.
6. Ziegenbalg's translation was completed by another Danish-Halle missionary who in turn influenced Christian Frederic Schwartz to go to India. Schwartz arrived in 1750 and served faithfully for forty-eight years until he died in 1798, four years after Carey began his work more than a thousand miles to the north.
[Box: XAVIER, FRANCIS (1506-1552), was a Jesuit missionary. He is called "the Apostle of the Indies." Most of his work was done in Asia.
Saint Francis Xavier was born Francisco de Xavier near Sanguesa, Spain. His study in Paris brought him acquaintance with Ignatius of Loyola, with whom he helped to found the Society of Jesus. He accompanied Ignatius to Italy, doing hospital and missionary work, and was ordained a priest in 1537. He remained in Rome as secretary to the Jesuit society until 1540.
The next year, Xavier was sent by John III of Portugal to spread Christianity in the Portuguese possessions in India. He landed in Goa, on the Malabar Coast, in 1542. His preaching in Travancore, in Melaka, and in Japan gained many converts to the Roman Catholic Church. In 1551, the Vatican named him provincial of the province of India. He planned a mission to China, but died on the island of Shangchuan while trying to gain admission to the mainland. His body lies in a shrine in Goa. He was declared a saint in 1622.
Many miracles were credited to Xavier. He was one of the greatest missionaries and explorers in the Far East, and his converts numbered hundreds of thousands. Wherever he worked, he left well-organised Christians. His feast day is December 3.]
Points to Ponder
By Maria
1. I believe these Discussion Questions to "Great Men and Women of God" are going to help not only you young people, but also our teachers, to look at things from a much more charitable viewpoint, less self-righteously, less black-and-white. Hopefully studying and discussing these Discussion Questions will encourage you to put yourselves in the other person's shoes and try to imagine what they were going through and try to see things from a larger viewpoint. Also I think this study will help you in judging situations rightly, to try to see that there are a lot of different aspects to each situation and there are a lot of different angles from which you can look at things. There's not just one side to a situation, but there are many sides. Maybe studying the lives and accomplishments of these other missionaries will be a real revelation to some of you and it may very well enlarge your vision and help you to start seeing that there is a lot more to judging a matter and making decisions than you're presently aware of.
2. I very much like the multiple choice questions that say "maybe it was this" and "maybe it was that" as they get people to see that we just can't make a quick, flat-out, judgmental decision without going slow and realising that there are many different things to consider when making a decision, and it's not easy. You can't just put people in a category, or label them, but you have to understand them first and you have to prayerfully consider what they're going through and what they feel and what it must be like for them.
3. These Discussion Questions will help to clear up points in "Great Men and Women of God" that may be confusing or may bring up questions in your minds, as they can help you to see that you just can't make a snap black-and-white decision on things and write people and situations off as quickly as some young people are very prone to do. And you can't put everyone in your own context and think everybody is just the same as you are, or should be the same as you are. But every situation is different and times change and situations change and methods change, and we just have to be led of the Lord in every situation and see what He wants and how He looks at things.
4. And most of all, we need to see how merciful and loving the Lord is, and that He doesn't judge nearly as harshly as we do. So it's much better when studying these great men and women to give them the benefit of the doubt and lean a little towards being compassionate and non-judgmental. PTL!
Discussion Questions
1) Why do you think some of the other religions looked down on Christians trying to evangelise them? Could it be because Jesus said, "If ye were of the World, the World would love his own: but because ye are not of the World, but I have chosen you out of the World, therefore the World hateth you"? (Jn.15:19). Has anyone ever looked down on you because they knew you were a Christian? If so, should that stop you from being sold out and on fire?
2) The East India Company was against Christian missionaries evangelising the Indians because it didn't want anything to hinder its money-making operations or disturb the peace. It felt the militant Hindus would be very upset if other Hindus became Christians, so the Company even forbade its own Indian troops from becoming Christians. (The East India Company had its own army; they were Indian troops called "sepoys".) Do you think that was right? What did the early disciples say when they were forbidden to preach the Name of Jesus? (See Acts 4:17-20.)
3) Many of the early missionaries began by learning the local language and translating parts of the Bible into it. Do you think it's sometimes necessary to lay the groundwork before you can do much witnessing? But should we get so caught up in learning the language that we don't do much witnessing? Should we trust the Lord to raise up bilingual speakers & nationals?
William Carey (1761-1834)
"Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God."--W. Carey
1. William Carey, an impoverished* English shoemaker, was an unlikely candidate* for greatness. Yet, he has been appropriately* designated as the "Father of Modern Missions". More than any other individual in modern history, he stirred the imagination of the Christian World and showed by his own humble example what could and should be done to bring a lost World to Jesus. Although he faced many oppressive* trials during his forty-year missionary career, he demonstrated a dogged* determination to succeed, and he never gave up. His secret? "I can plod*. I can persevere* in any definite pursuit*. To this I owe everything." Carey's life profoundly* illustrates the limitless potential of a very ordinary individual. He was a man who, apart from his unqualified commitment to God, no doubt would have lived a very mediocre* existence.
2. Carey was born in 1761 near Northampton, England. His father was a weaver who worked on a loom in the family living quarters. Though poverty was the norm* for families like Carey's, life was simple and uncomplicated. The Industrial Revolution had only begun to replace the cottage industries with grimy* sweat shops* and noisy textile mills*. (See Industrial Revolution, page 8.) Carey's childhood was routine, except for persistent problems with allergies that prevented him from pursuing his dream of becoming a gardener. Instead, he was apprenticed, at the age of sixteen, to a shoemaker and continued in that vocation until he was twenty-eight. He was converted as a teenager and shortly afterwards became actively associated with a group of Baptist dissenters* and devoted his leisure time to Bible study and lay ministries*.
[Box: THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION began in Britain in the 1700s. It made Britain the World's richest country. The revolution started in the cotton textile industry, and spread to mining, transportation, and other fields. Before the Industrial Revolution, people had worked at home, spinning cotton into yarn and weaving the yarn into cloth, but then machines gradually replaced hand labour, and the factory system developed. At first, water wheels and windmills powered the machines. By the late 1700s, steam engines provided the power. Steam engines needed coal, and coal mining expanded to meet the demand. Coal was also needed to smelt* iron ore. This demand for coal caused factory towns to spring up around the coal fields. In turn, better transportation was needed, and an era of road and canal building began. In the early 1800s, steam railways started operating.
The Industrial Revolution was one part of a general economic revolution that swept over Great Britain. Agriculture improved as small farms were combined into large estates and scientific farming methods were introduced. These included better fertiliser, hardier strains of grain, farm mechanisation as opposed to hand labour, and scientific breeding of livestock. The industrial and agricultural improvements, in turn, stimulated trade. The need for larger amounts of cash led to the growth of banks and joint stock companies.]
[Box: COTTAGE INDUSTRY was a home-based system of manufacturing widely used during the 1700s and 1800s. The term "cottage industry" also refers to any present-day industry in which goods or services are produced at home. Cottage industry basically involved rural families adding to their agricultural income by making products in the home. A merchant provided the raw materials, collected and marketed the finished item, and paid the family a percentage of the price he received. The most important products made by cottage industry were cloth and clothing. Other products included shoes, cigars, and hand-decorated items.]
[Box: APPRENTICE is a person who learns a trade by working under the guidance of a skilled master. Apprenticeship dates from ancient times, but it reached its most developed form between about A.D. 1000 and 1600, under European craft guilds*. Apprentices served in almost every occupation, including medicine, painting, and brewing*. Some girls were apprenticed to learn domestic skills, but most apprentices were boys. Ordinarily, a boy in his early teens went to live with a master, who taught him a craft and fed, housed, and clothed him. In return, the boy worked for the master about seven years. Once the training ended, the boy was a journeyman. He could sell his labour to any master.]
[Box: BAPTISTS' EARLY HISTORY. The earliest Baptist leader was John Smyth, a clergyman in the Church of England. About 1607, Smyth went to the Netherlands with those English exiles who later became the Pilgrims of New England. While in the Netherlands, Smyth and 36 of the exiles formed a Baptist church. Differences of opinion developed within the church, and 11 members of the new congregation broke away. These members returned to England to form a church there in 1611. However, major Baptist growth did not occur in England until the Puritan revolution.
Except for the issue of baptism and a strong defense of freedom of conscience, there was little to distinguish early Baptists from Congregationalists. All the Congregationalists feared the authority of bishops and synods (councils) and strongly declared the rights of lay people and local congregations to govern themselves. Most Baptists accepted as their doctrine a slightly modified Westminster Confession of Faith formulated by the Puritans in the 1640s.
William Carey, an English Baptist who went to India in 1793, was one of the first English-speaking Christian missionaries. American Baptists joined the foreign missionary movement in 1812 when Adoniram Judson went to Burma, and missionaries later went to Europe and Latin America. As a result of this activity and the movement of British Baptists into Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, most countries today have at least a small Baptist community.]
3. In 1781, before he had reached his twentieth birthday, Carey married his master's sister-in-law. Dorothy was more than five years older than he, and, like many eighteenth-century English women of her background, she was illiterate*. From the beginning it was a mismatched union, and as time passed and Carey's horizons broadened, the chasm* dividing them grew even wider. The earliest years of their marriage were filled with hardship and poverty. For a time, Carey not only had the responsibility of his own wife and fast-growing family, but also cared for his late* master's widowed wife and her four children.
4. Despite the economic hard times, Carey did not turn aside from his study and lay preaching; and in 1785 he accepted a call to become the pastor of a tiny Baptist church where he served until he was called to a larger church at Leicester, though even here he was forced to seek other employment to support his family. During these years in the pastorate*, his philosophy of missions began to take shape, sparked first by his reading about Captain Cook's voyages. (See Cook, James, page 9, and Insights, page 27.) Slowly he developed a Biblical perspective* on the subject, and he became convinced that foreign missions were the central responsibility of the Church. His ideas were revolutionary!
[Box: COOK, JAMES (1728-1779), known as "Captain Cook," was a British navigator and mapmaker and one of the World's greatest explorers. He commanded three voyages to the Pacific Ocean and sailed around the World twice. Captain Cook became the first European to visit Australia's east coast and Hawaii. His voyages led to the establishment of colonies throughout the Pacific region by several European nations.
Cook had great ambition and curiosity. He declared that his goal was "not only to go farther than anyone had gone before, but to go as far as possible for Man to go."]
5. Carey thought, "Surely God means what He says. Surely He means for us who know Him to carry the message of redemption* to all men everywhere!
6. "Without a doubt, God means what He says!
When He says, 'Go,' He means, 'Go!'
When He says, 'Go ye,' He means, 'Go ye!'
When He says, 'Into all the World,'
He means, 'Into all the World!'
When He says, 'Preach the Gospel,'
He means, 'Preach the Gospel!'
When He says, 'To every creature,'
He means, 'To every creature!'
Surely God means what He says!"
--W. Carey.
7. With love for Jesus burning in his soul, Carey kept reading and rereading Isaiah 54:5, "Thy Redeemer . . . shall be called the God of the whole Earth." He also read in the New Testament of Christ's compassion for the lost sheep of all nations and of His command to preach the Gospel to all the World. At a ministers' meeting he proposed that they consider "whether the command given to the Apostles to evangelise all nations is not binding on all succeeding ministers to the End of the World, seeing that the accompanying promise is of equal extent."
8. "The command is, 'Go and make disciples of all nations.' The promise is, 'Lo, I am with you.' Has anyone the right to play leap-frog with the command and then hug the promise?"
Discussion Questions
1) Carey later served as a missionary in India for 42 years. When asked his secret he said: "I can plod. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything."
a) Explain in your own words what this means. b) How has Grandpa taught us this same principle in the Letter "Shtick"? (Paragraph 1)
2) The text says: "Carey's life profoundly illustrates the limitless potential of a very ordinary individual." a) In this context, what does the author mean by the word, "ordinary"? b) How does reading about Carey's background encourage you? (Paragraphs 1 and 2)
3) What was the one main quality that Carey had that made the difference between him living a "very mediocre existence" and becoming the "Father of Modern Missions"? Do you feel you have made such a commitment to Jesus in your life? (Paragraph 1)
4) What effect did reading about Captain Cook's voyages have on Carey? (Paragraph 4)
5) Where did Carey get his driving passion about the need for the Church to preach the Gospel? (Paragraphs 5-8)
---
9. Many, if not most, eighteenth-century churchmen believed that the Great Commission was given only to the Apostles, and therefore converting the "heathen" was no concern of theirs, especially if it were not tied to colonialism*. When Carey presented his ideas to a group of ministers, J.C. Ryland was merely expressing the universal attitude of the Church when he impatiently interrupted Carey and exclaimed, "Sit down, young man, sit down and be still! When God wants to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine." Carey sat down, but a vision of far-away lands and of multitudes in darkness haunted his soul, and he could not be still. In season and out of season, in conversation and in sermon, he dealt with one all-absorbing theme, namely, the responsibility of the Church to launch out upon its long-neglected, worldwide mission.
10. For eight years he devoted his spare time to making maps of heathen lands, gathering data as to their location, size, population and religions, and to a studied presentation of the arguments supporting the view that the missionary enterprise* is the Church's highest and holiest endeavour*. The results of these years of research and thought he incorporated in an eighty-seven page book entitled The Enquiry that he published in 1792, which had far-reaching consequences* and has been ranked alongside Luther's Ninety-five Theses in its influence on Christian history.
11. In this book he very ably presented a case for foreign missions and sought to deflate* the arguments dramatising the impracticality of sending missionaries to faraway lands. After picturing the desperate condition of the World where Christ was not known and enthroned*, he put the trumpet of God to his lips and sounded the divine call to action. He closed with an appeal for persistent prayer, bold planning and sacrificial giving. Citing his three beloved heroes, he stated, "What a treasure, what a harvest must await such as Apostle Paul and Eliot and Brainerd, who have given themselves wholly to God's work! What a heaven to see the myriads* of the heathen who by their labours have been brought into the knowledge of God! Surely it is worthwhile to lay ourselves out with all our might in promoting Christ's Kingdom!"
[Box: ELIOT, JOHN (1604-1690), English missionary in colonial Massachusetts, called "the Apostle to the Indians." A Puritan*, he arrived in Boston in 1631, studied the area's Indian language, began preaching, and established villages for his native converts. His translation of the Bible into an Algonquian Indian language (1661-1663) and his Indian Primer (1669) are prime sources of our knowledge of the peoples of the area.]
[Box: BRAINERD, DAVID (1718-1747), was born at Haddam, Connecticut. Brainerd was a saintly Presbyterian missionary to the Senaca and Delaware Indians from 1744 to 1747. He gained posthumous fame through the publication of his diary by Jonathan Edwards, the Massachusetts religious philosopher. Although Brainerd's successful mission in New Jersey, which began in 1745, was cut short by tuberculosis, he aroused colonial interest in the Indian missionary effort before his death.]
12. The next episode in Carey's missionary crusade was his inspired sermon at Nottingham, May 31, 1792. The occasion was the annual meeting of the Baptist churches of that district. Carey was to preach the opening sermon. As he rose to speak that historic morning, the woe and misery of an anguished* World were surging through the channels of a single heart. He turned the searchlight upon two mighty truths of Scripture, particularly as enunciated* in Isaiah 54. First, the Redeemer's saving concern is as wide as humanity: "Thy Redeemer . . . shall be called the God of the whole Earth." Second, the Redeemer's concern and the Church's responsibility should be the same. When God says, "Thy Redeemer," He is speaking to the Church and, therefore, to every individual Christian. Spending most of his time on this second point, the cobbler-preacher rang out the challenge of God found in verses 2 and 3 of Isaiah 54: "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations . . . lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes . . . thy seed shall inherit the nations and make the desolate places to be inhabited." Carey was convinced that God was saying to the Church: "Rouse yourselves from your complacency*! Find larger canvas, stouter and taller tent poles, stronger tent pegs! Catch wider visions! Dare bolder programmes! Rise up and go forth to conquer for Christ even the uttermost parts and isles of the sea!"
13. Carey's soul was captivated by a tremendous discovery. In consequence he was dreaming of continents and empires to be brought under the sway of Christ. He was thinking, not just of England or of Europe, but of the World. How the familiar scriptural expression burned in his soul!
14. "God so loved the World! Go ye into all the World! Christ, the Saviour of the World! God in Christ reconciling the World! A propitiation for the sins of the World! Thy Redeemer . . . the God of the whole World!"
15. All the passion of the inspired preacher's heart was poured out into his now-famous quote as he challenged his audience:
"Expect great things from God!
Attempt great things for God!"
16. Concerning the message, Dr. Ryland said, "If all the people had lifted up their voices and wept, as the Children of Israel did at Bochim, I should not have wondered at the effect; it would only have seemed proportionate to the cause, so clearly did Mr. Carey prove the criminality* of our idleness in the cause of God!" But alas! the people did not weep! They did not even pause to pray! To them it was just another sermon, nice to listen to, but not to be taken too seriously. When Carey saw the people rising to leave as usual, he seized Andrew Fuller's hand and exclaimed in an agony* of distress*, "Are we not going to do anything? Oh, Fuller, call them back and let's do something in answer to God's call!"
17. That was a momentous moment in the history of missions. Fuller, too, heard "God's sigh in the heart of the World" and joined with Carey in demanding action. Before the meetings closed, a motion was passed to this effect: "Resolved*, that a plan be prepared by the next Ministers' Meeting at Kettering, for forming a Baptist Society for propagating* the Gospel among the heathen." The following day the ministers decided to organise a new mission board, which became known as the Baptist Missionary Society. The decision was not made lightly. Most of the Association ministers were, like Carey, living on very meager* incomes, and involvement in foreign missions meant tremendous financial sacrifices from both them and their congregations.
18. Expecting great things from God, William Carey inspired others to join him in attempting great things for God.
19. This marked the birth of the modern missionary movement, which, during the succeeding century and a half, has sent many tens of thousands of foreign missionaries into all the World with a message of Salvation through Jesus.
Discussion Questions
6) What did most 18th Century churchmen believe regarding the Great Commission Jesus gave to His disciples in Mark 16:15, or what kind of attitude prevailed amongst the established church system toward evangelism? (Paragraph 9)
7) What was Carey's reaction to the comment of J.C. Ryland in paragraph 9? Did he let the opposition of others stop him?--Or what did he do to continue to push toward his goals? (Paragraphs 9-18)
8) What now-famous quote from Carey influenced a group of Baptist ministers to organise a new mission board called the Baptist Missionary Society? Explain in your own words what that quote means. (Paragraph 15)
9) a) Why was it a sacrifice and a big step of faith for the ministers who helped to form the Baptist Missionary Society? b) Can you think of any verses about how the Lord blesses those who sacrifice and give to the Lord's Work to support missionaries? (Paragraph 17)
10) Why do you think church people are so numb to God's voice when He says, "Go into all the World and preach the Gospel to every creature," or when He tells them to at least pray for and support missionaries in needy fields?
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20. In the light of developing events, Carey kept asking the question, "What is now my part in this expanding enterprise?" With a wife and three children to support, shouldn't he continue to shepherd the church now thriving at Leicester and to stir up missionary concern throughout England? Or did God desire him to become the leader of the overseas mission which he had so urged upon his brethren? Turning again to Isaiah 54:6, he discovered six startling words. These six words which stood out in letters of fire were these: "For the Lord hath called thee." The Holy Spirit confirmed in his soul that these words did constitute* the divine call to him to cross the seas as a witness of the Redeemer's concern for a lost World. He was now highly resolved to sail the seas and to discover and claim for his Lord a vast new world of infinitely precious souls.
21. Andrew Fuller, the most prominent* minister in support of Carey, became the first home secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society, of which Carey, Judson, and David Livingstone were also members. The first missionary appointee was John Thomas, a Baptist layman* who had gone to India as a doctor for the Royal Navy and stayed on after his term of service to minister as a freelance* missionary doctor and evangelist. When Andrew Fuller read the account given by Mr. Thomas of conditions and Gospel opportunities in India, he remarked that there was a gold mine in India, but it seemed almost as deep as the centre of the Earth. "Who will venture to explore it?" he asked. Carey was quick to reply, "I will venture to go down, but remember that you--you who remain at home--must hold the ropes." And by "holding the ropes" he was referring to support of prayer and heart--concern, even more than of money. His offer was gladly and enthusiastically accepted by the Society. He and Thomas were appointed.
22. Although Carey had long been avidly* interested in missions, the decision to offer himself for foreign service seemed to many to be nothing less than rash*. The fact that his church was distressed at losing its pastor and that his father judged him "mad" could be easily overlooked, but his wife's response should have at least slowed him down. With three little ones and another on the way, Dorothy adamantly* opposed leaving her homeland to embark* on a hazardous* five-month voyage (complicated by France's very recent declaration of war against England) to spend the rest of her life in the deadly tropical climate of India. Other women had willingly made such sacrifices and thousands more would in the future, but Dorothy was different. If there is a "Mother of Modern Missions", it is certainly not she. She defiantly* refused to go.
23. If Dorothy thought her refusal to accompany her husband would change his mind, she was wrong. Carey, though distressed by her decision, was determined to go, even if it meant going without her. Carey was very devoted to his family, but his supreme devotion was to Him Who said, "If any man love father or mother or wife or children more than Me, he is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:37). He made suitable arrangements for the support of his family, preached to his sorrowing congregation a farewell message on the Great Commission, and he and Thomas set out to raise funds and secure passage to India. He went ahead with his plans, which included booking a passage for Felix, his eight-year-old son.
24. In March of 1793, after months of deputation*, Carey and Thomas were commissioned by the Society, and the following month they, along with Felix and Thomas' wife and daughter, boarded a ship on the Thames River that was to take them to India. But the trip to India ended abruptly at Portsmouth, England. Money problems (centering around Thomas and his disgruntled* creditors*) and failure to have a license prevented them from going further.
25. The delay was a disappointment for the missionaries, but it led to a dramatic change in plans. Meanwhile, Mrs. Carey gave birth to her fifth child. One child having died, she now had four children under nine years of age. She grudgingly agreed to join the mission party with her little ones, providing Kitty, her younger sister, could accompany her. Obtaining funds for the additional passengers was a difficult hurdle*, but on June 13, 1793, they boarded a Danish vessel and set sail for India. The long and dangerous voyage around the Cape of Good Hope (tip of Africa) was not without its terrifying moments, but on November 19, five months later, they arrived safely in India.
26. The time of their arrival was not favourable for establishing mission work. The East India Company (see page 9) was in virtual control of the country, and its hostility to mission work was soon made plain. The company feared anything that could possibly interfere with its profitable commercial ventures, and Carey quickly realised he was very unwelcome. Fearing deportation*, he moved with his family to the interior. Here, surrounded by malarial* swamps, the Careys' lived in dire* circumstances. Dorothy and the two oldest boys became deathly ill, and family cares required Carey's constant attention. His idealistic dreams of missionary work were rapidly fading.
27. Likewise, it grieved him that his wife and Kitty were "continually exclaiming against" him and were resentful of the Thomas family, who were living in affluence* in Calcutta. After some months their plight* was alleviated by the kindness and generosity of Mr. Short, an East India Company official who, though an unbeliever, took pity on them and welcomed them into his home for as long as they desired to stay. Soon, however, the Careys moved on to Malda, nearly three hundred miles north, where Carey was able to obtain a position as a foreman* in an indigo factory. (See Indigo, page 14.)
[Box: INDIGO, pronounced "IHN duh goh," is a deep blue dye used to colour cotton and wool. It is also called indigotin. In past times, this dye was taken from the indigo plant, a member of the pea family that grows chiefly in India. The name indigo is a Spanish form of the English word India.]
[Box: CALCUTTA HISTORY. The East India Company, an English trading firm, founded Calcutta in 1690. The settlement grew rapidly in size and importance, and many neighbouring villages became part of it.
Calcutta became the capital of India in 1773. By 1900, Calcutta ranked second only to London as the largest city in the British Empire. In 1912, India's capital was moved to Delhi, which had a more central location.]
28. The years in Malda were difficult ones. Although Carey was happy in his new position and found the indigo factory to be a choice language school and field for evangelism, family troubles persisted. Kitty, who stayed back to marry Mr. Short, was no longer with them, and Dorothy's health and mental stability steadily declined. Then, the tragic death of the little bright-eyed five-year-old Peter in 1794 pushed her over the brink*. She never did fully regain her mental faculties*. It was a pitiful situation, and she was later described by co-workers as being "wholly deranged*."
29. Despite his traumatic family situation and his continued factory work, Carey did not forget his purpose for being in India. He spent hours every day in Bible translation work, and he preached and set up schools as well. By the end of 1795 a Baptist church had been established in Malda. It was a start, even though its entire membership equalled only four, and they were Englishmen. The services, however, drew large crowds of Bengali* people, and Carey could confidently assert that "the name of Jesus Christ is no longer strange in this neighbourhood." But there were no converts.
30. Carey's expectations of success in the mission were at first very sanguine*. He felt assured that just as soon as he could converse freely in the vernacular*, he would be able to lead large numbers "out of darkness into His marvellous light." But months lengthened into years without a single convert. After nearly seven years of toil in Bengal, Carey could not claim even one Indian convert. This failure led frequently to tears and bitter self-reproach. Carey did not attempt to satisfy his qualms* of conscience* by imagining that his physical presence in a foreign land made him a missionary. He had come to India to win lost, wretched* souls to Christ and nothing could compensate for failure in this endeavour. At times his faith became faint, but it always rallied through the recurrence of "the blessed hour of prayer."
31. Several times his eager hopes were crushed by the dismal failure and lapse into idolatry on the part of some for whose conversion he had long laboured. In the hour of midnight discouragement, he turned to his treasured Isaiah 54. As he read, "Thou shalt not be ashamed . . . Thy Redeemer shall be called the God of the whole Earth," he discovered the note of certitude*, and, leaning heavily on divine faithfulness, he kept on "expecting great things."
32. In spite of his lack of outward success, Carey was satisfied with his missionary work in Malda and was keenly* disappointed to leave in 1800. New missionaries had arrived from England, and in order to avoid continual harassment* from the East India Company, they settled near Calcutta in the Danish territory of Serampore. Carey's help was urgently needed in setting up the new mission station to accommodate* them, so he reluctantly departed with his family from Malda.
Discussion Questions
10) Discuss what you feel motivated Carey to make such a radical decision to go to India as a missionary even though his congregation, his father and his wife disapproved of his plans? (Paragraphs 20-23)
11) In 1793 it was very unconventional for a Christian to volunteer for missionary service as Carey did. His conviction to heed the call of the Lord in his life was so strong that when his wife didn't want to go with him to the mission field, he took a stand, left her and most of his children behind and began his journey to go to the mission field with just one son. a) Do you think this was a difficult decision for him to make? b) What do you think Jesus thought of this decision? c) Can you think of any Bible verses that support what Carey did? (Paragraphs 22 and 23)
12) By the time Carey arrived in India, the East India Company was in virtual control of the country. The text says that this company's "hostility to mission work was soon made plain." What do you think are some possible reasons why that powerful trading company did not welcome the establishment of missionary works? (Paragraph 26)
a) By this time, the East India Company had gained great political power, and they were taking advantage of this power in such ways as collecting taxes from the people. They didn't want anything to disrupt this arrangement.
b) Maybe they knew that what they were doing wasn't right, so they were afraid they'd be exposed.
c) They had taken advantage of a lack of unity and strong central power in the country to gain their power. Maybe they didn't want any new religions to come in and unify and strengthen the people.
d) Maybe they found it easier to rule the Indian people when they were illiterate and uneducated. So therefore, they didn't want foreign missionaries coming in and educating or enlightening them.
e) They were simply jealous of other Europeans who won support from the people.
f) Possibly all of the above.
13) a) How did the Lord use Mr. Short to help Carey? b) If you were in a similar situation to Mr. Carey's, would you accept this type of assistance from an unsaved person? (Paragraph 28)
14) Can you think of any reasons why Carey may have decided to leave Mr. Short's home even though he had an invitation to stay as long as he wanted? (Paragraph 28)
a) Mr. Short was an East India Company official. Maybe Carey felt he was compromising his convictions to partake of Mr. Short's hospitality when the actions of the East India Company were making it hard for his missionary work to progress.
b) The text says Mr. Short was an unbeliever. Maybe it was spiritually draining for Carey to live in that atmosphere.
c) Maybe Carey wanted to feel closer to the common Indian people, so he wanted to get a job amongst them to learn more about them.
d) Maybe Mr. Short was getting a lot of criticism and even persecution himself because of his hospitality to Carey.
e) Maybe he received a direct revelation from the Lord that he should begin his work in the city of Malda.
f) Possibly all of the above.
15) What are some of the spiritual problems that Carey's wife had that could have been the cause of her mental instability? (Paragraphs 25-27)
a) She wasn't completely yielded to Jesus. In fact, it seemed she never really wanted to be a missionary in the first place. She lacked personal commitment and only grudgingly followed her husband to the mission field.
b) She complained and murmured against her husband.
c) She was resentful and bitter because she felt the Thomas family was living more affluently than they were.
d) She couldn't accept the death of her child and probably grew bitter against God.
e) All of the above.
16) After seven years in Malda, Carey had no Indian converts. a) Do you think those years were a waste of time? b) What do you think Carey learned and what was accomplished during the seven years he was in Malda? c) What gave him the strength to keep going? (Paragraphs 28-30)
17) When it was the Lord's time for Carey to move to Serampore, which was to become the location of his most famous and fruitful missionary work, he balked and had trials about leaving. a) Why do you think it was difficult for him to leave Malda? b) Is it difficult for you when you've been involved in a ministry and then have to move on to a new Home or a new ministry? c) What has been the biggest change for you in your life?--Please discuss. (Paragraph 32)
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33. Serampore soon became the centre of Baptist missionary activity in India, and it was there that Carey would spend the remaining thirty-four years of his life. Carey and his co-workers, Joshua Marshman and William Ward, known as the Serampore Trio, would become one of the most famous missionary teams in history. The mission compound*, which housed ten missionaries and their nine children, enjoyed a family atmosphere. The missionaries lived together and kept all things in common, even as the Early Church had done in the Book of Acts. On Saturday nights they met to pray and to air their grievances*, always "pledging themselves to love one another." Responsibilities were divided according to abilities, and the work progressed smoothly.
34. The great success of the Serampore Mission during the early years can be credited to a large extent to Carey and his saintly disposition*. His own willingness to sacrifice material wealth and to go beyond the call of duty was a continual example to the rest. Moreover, he had an uncanny* ability to overlook the faults of others. Even in regard to Thomas, who mismanaged the mission funds and was an embarrassment because of careless indebtedness*, Carey could say, "I love him, and we live in the greatest harmony." Describing his co-workers, Carey wrote: "Brother Ward is the very man we wanted. . . . He enters into the work with his whole soul. I have much pleasure in him. . . . Brother Marshman is a prodigy* of diligence and prudence*, as is also his wife. . . ."
35. Serampore was a harmonious example of missionary cooperation, and there were results to show for it. Schools were organised, a large printing establishment was set up, and, above all, translation work was continually being done. During his years at Serampore, Carey made three translations of the whole Bible (Bengali, Sanskrit*, and Marathi), helped in other whole Bible translations, and translated the New Testament and portions of Scripture into many more languages and dialects*. Unfortunately, his quality did not always match his quantity. The Home Secretary Andrew Fuller scolded him for inconsistent* spelling and other problems in the copy he sent back to England for printing: "I never knew a person of so much knowledge as you profess of other languages, to write English so badly. . . . You huddle half a dozen periods into one. . . . If your Bengal New Testament should be thus printed I should tremble for its fate. . . ." Fuller's fears were well-founded, and Carey, to his bitter disappointment, found that some of his work was incomprehensible*. But the indefatigable* translator did not give up. He went back to the drawing board and completely reworked his translation until he was satisfied it could be understood.
36. Evangelism was also an important part of the work at Serampore, and within a year after the mission was established, the missionaries were rejoicing over their first convert. How great was their joy when, after long years of travail of soul, Carey and Thomas found a convert ready to endure afflictions and to be publicly baptised. (Carey's denomination believes in converts being fully immersed in water publicly before that person is believed to be saved.) This was Krishna Pal, whose devotion to Christ found expression in these tender lines, which later became part of a frequently used hymn:
O thou, my soul, forget no more,
The Friend Who all thy sorrows bore.
Let every idol be forgot.
But, O my soul, forget Him not.
37. Carey's cup of joy filled up and overflowed that blessed Sunday, Dec. 28, 1800, when he was privileged to baptise his own son, Felix, and then Krishna Pal! Thomas was overwhelmed with joy that historic morning--"Sing, soul, sing!" he exclaimed. "Sing aloud! Unutterable is my gladness!"
38. "After all, Krishna Pal was only one.
Why so great exultation?
Krishna Pal was only one,
But was not one lost sheep esteemed*
Of great value by the shepherd?
Krishna Pal was only one,
But how diligently the shepherd sought the one lost sheep
And how joyously he brought it home!
Krishna Pal was only one,
But the Angels in Heaven took note,
And rejoiced together around the throne!
Krishna Pal was only one,
But a continent was coming after him!"
--William Carey
39. The following year there were more converts, but on the whole evangelism progressed slowly. However, by 1818, after twenty-five years of Baptist missions to India, there were some six hundred baptised converts and a few thousand more who attended classes and services.
40. Despite his busy schedule of translation and evangelistic work, Carey always found time to do more. One of his greatest achievements was the founding of Serampore College in 1819 for the training of indigenous* church planters and evangelists. The school opened with thirty-seven Indian students, more than half of whom were Christians.
41. Another area of educational achievement involved his secular* teaching. Soon after he arrived at Serampore he was invited to become the Professor of Oriental Languages at Fort William College in Calcutta. It was a great honour for Carey, an uneducated cobbler, to be asked to fill such an esteemed position, and with the enthusiastic support of his colleagues* he accepted. The position not only brought in much needed income to the missionaries, but also placed them in better standing with the East India Company and gave Carey an opportunity to improve his language skills while being challenged by his students.
42. As busy as he was, Carey was unable to give his children the fathering they so desperately needed. Even when he was with them his easy-going nature stood in the way of firm discipline, a lack that was plainly exhibited in the boys' behaviour. In speaking of this situation, Hannah Marshman wrote, "The good man saw and lamented* the evil but was too mild to apply an effectual* remedy." Fortunately, Mrs. Marshman stepped in. Had it not been for that dear woman's stern reprimands and William Ward's fatherly concern, the Carey boys would have gone entirely their own way.
Discussion Questions
18) In the early days of their mission work, the Serampore missionaries tried to follow the principles of Acts 2:44,45. What great advantages does living cooperatively and sharing all things give? List all the advantages you can think of. (Paragraphs 33-35a)
19) a) When translating the Bible, what lessons did Carey learn about the importance of little things and diligence, like using the correct spelling? b) When he found out that his translations were unusable, because they had so many mistakes in them, how did Carey respond and what did he do about it? c) How do you respond when you are corrected for something that you have not done your best at? d) It can be very discouraging or disheartening to find out that something you have worked very hard at didn't come out quite right. What can we learn from Carey's response to this situation? (Paragraph 35)
20) a) What was Carey's purpose in establishing the Serampore College? b) Why is it important to train the nationals of a country to continue your missionary work? (Paragraph 40)
21) List three advantages that resulted from Carey teaching secular (non-religious) subjects at Fort William College in Calcutta. (Paragraph 41)
22) List the possible advantages for a missionary taking a secular job, such as teaching. Here are some examples:
a) It can be a source of long-term visas which can enable missionary families to stay in foreign countries.
b) Supply of needed income.
c) You can possibly reach people that wouldn't be reached otherwise--especially if you work with top people.
d) It can supply a "cover" in otherwise closed countries.
e) All of the above.
23) List the possible disadvantages for missionaries today to take secular jobs.
a) It takes valuable time and energy away from your missionary work.
b) It takes you away from the fellowship of your co-workers for long periods of time.
c) There can be the temptation to compromise your message in order to keep your job.
d) All of the above.
24) Carey is described as a loving and easy-going man. In fact, it seems there were times when he was too easy-going as far as his relationship with his wife and children was concerned. a) Is there a needed balance between being a "nice guy" to everyone, and correcting others when needed? Please discuss. b) How did the fact that Carey and his co-workers lived cooperatively help "fill in the gap" when he needed help with his children? (Paragraph 42)
43. In 1807, at the age of fifty-one, Dorothy Carey died. It was no doubt a relief to William Carey. She had long since ceased to be a useful member of the mission family. In fact, she was a hindrance to the Work. John Marshman wrote how Carey often worked on his translations "while an insane wife, frequently wrought* up to a state of most distressing excitement, was in the next room."
44. During his years at Serampore, Carey had developed a friendship with Lady Charlotte Rumohr, born into Danish royalty and living at Serampore in hopes that the climate would improve her poor health. Though she came to Serampore as a sceptic*, she attended services at the mission, was converted, and was baptised by Carey in 1803. After that she began devoting her time and money to the work of the mission. In 1808, only a few months after the death of Dorothy, Carey announced his engagement to Lady Charlotte, and in so doing caused an upheaval* in the usually tranquil mission family. So great was the opposition that a petition* was circulated in an effort to prevent the marriage, but when his colleagues realised his mind was made up, they backed down and accepted the inevitable*. The marriage, conducted by Marshman, took place in May, just six months after Dorothy had been laid to rest.
45. Carey's thirteen-year marriage to Charlotte was a happy one. During that time he was truly in love, perhaps for the first time in his life. Charlotte had a brilliant mind and a gift for linguistics*, and she was a valuable assistant to Carey in his translation work. She also maintained close relationships with the boys and became the mother they had never had. When she died in 1821, Carey wrote, "We had as great a share of conjugal* happiness as ever was enjoyed by mortals*." Two years later, Carey, at the age of sixty-two, married again, this time to Grace Hughes, a widow seventeen years younger than he. Though Grace was not as well-endowed* intellectually as Charlotte had been, Carey praised her for her "constant and unremitting* care and excellent nursing" during his frequent illnesses.
46. One of the most devastating setbacks that Carey faced during his forty uninterrupted years in India was the loss of his priceless manuscripts in a warehouse fire in 1812. Carey was away at the time, but the ominous* news that his massive* polyglot* dictionary, two grammar books, and whole versions of the Bible had been destroyed could not be concealed. Had his temperament been different, he may have never recovered; but as it was, Carey accepted the tragedy as a Romans 8:28 from the Lord and began all over again with even greater zeal*.
47. Carey's first fifteen years at Serampore were years of cooperation and teamwork. The little Baptist community in India lived in harmony. Perhaps the situation had been too good to be true, but at any rate the peace did not last, and the fifteen years that followed were filled with turmoil. The spirit of unity was broken when new missionaries arrived who were unwilling to live in the communal fashion of the Serampore missionaries. One missionary demanded "a separate house, stable and servants." There were other differences, too. The new missionaries found their seniors, particularly Joshua Marshman, dictatorial, assigning them duties and locations not to their liking. The new missionaries may have been justified in feeling slighted* in that the senior workers were settled into their system, and they were not open to change. But had the junior missionaries manifested the love and long-suffering that had been so characteristic of the Serampore team, the differences could have been worked out. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Bitter accusations were made against the senior missionaries, and the result was a split between the two groups.
Discussion Questions
25) The Lord allowed Carey to be married to Dorothy for 26 years. From what we can tell from the story here, she had a lot of serious spiritual problems and wasn't very dedicated to the Lord right from the start. When Carey first decided to go to India, she defiantly refused to go with him. Then when she finally decided to join him in his missionary work, she murmured, complained and "exclaimed against him", which means that she criticised and talked badly about him. As the years passed, her mental and physical health continued to decline, and by the time they had been married 13 years, she was described as being "wholly deranged", which means she was insane or crazy. She died 13 years later. That means that Carey had to put up with a "crazy" wife for at least 13 years! This text points out that he even had to work on his translations in the same house where she was angrily ranting and raving in the next room! The text makes it clear she was a hindrance to his work. (Paragraphs 22, 25, 28, 43)
You might be wondering, "That woman was obviously not of the Lord! Why didn't Carey just live separately from her or leave her somewhere so he could go on with his work for the Lord unhindered?" That's a good question. To answer it, try to put yourself in Carey's shoes.
a) Perhaps Carey had a deep love for her and believed he was supposed to stay with her.
b) Divorce was not accepted in those days, especially not for Christians.
c) There was no place else for her to live. There were few or no mental institutions or government facilities available to care for people like that in those days, especially not in such a primitive country as India.
d) She was the mother of Carey's four children, so he may have felt obligated to take care of her.
e) Possibly he didn't want to leave his work in India to travel on a long, dangerous, five-month boat trip to take his wife back to England, and she was unfit to make such a trip alone.
f) Possibly all of the above.
26) Even though it seems like life with his wife must have been a pretty horrible relationship and living situation for Carey, what good things do you think could have possibly come from this experience for Carey?
a) He learned greater dependence on the Lord; it probably kept him desperate with the Lord.
b) It must have been a constant source of humbling for him.
c) It showed him what qualities are most valuable when a Christian man chooses a mate, and as a result he made much better choices the next two times he got married.
d) It probably helped him appreciate the blessings of his next two marriages, which were much happier.
e) Having to go on in spite of all the obstacles made him a better and stronger fighter.
f) All of the above.
27) How do you think the Lord felt about Carey when He saw that he was determined to keep on serving the Lord even under such difficult conditions?
28) Why do you think there was such opposition to Carey marrying Charlotte? (Paragraph 44)
29) Why do you think Carey could make the decision to marry Charlotte only a few months after Dorothy died?
a) He already knew Charlotte. She had been converted and baptised by Carey five years earlier.
b) After being married to Dorothy for so long, he was in need of a close loving relationship with someone he loved, who could be a helpmeet to him in his personal life, as well as his work.
c) She had already been giving her time and money to the missionary work, so he knew she was dedicated and loved the Lord.
d) Now that he was much older and wiser, he probably had a pretty good idea of what he wanted and needed in a wife.
e) All of the above.
30) Do you think Carey made the right decision when he married Charlotte? How can you tell?--In what ways did that marriage bear good fruit? (Mat.7:20) (Paragraph 45)
a) She was a valuable assistant to Carey and his translation work.
b) She was a mother to his boys.
c) They shared great personal happiness in their marriage.
d) All of the above.
31) In Carey's 40 years of service, one of the biggest setbacks was the fire that destroyed his dictionary, grammar books and two whole translated Bibles. What are some possible reasons why you think the Lord would allow such a seemingly devastating setback to Carey's work? (Paragraph 46)
a) To show his faith, determination and fighting spirit.
b) To draw him closer to the Lord through a breaking.
c) To be a testimony to others when they saw he was willing to go on in spite of this disaster.
d) Possibly so Carey would start all over again and do an even better job on his translations the second time around.
e) Possibly all of the above.
32) a) How did Carey's attitude help see him through this test? b) Have you ever experienced a big setback in your work for the Lord? c) If so, how did you overcome it? Please discuss. (Paragraph 46)
33) When the new missionaries arrived at the Serampore mission, the spirit of unity was broken. Do you think the lack of unity was the fault of the newcomers or the elders or both? (Paragraph 47)
34) Discuss the situation of the junior and senior missionaries at Serampore. a) Talk about what the junior missionaries could have done to improve harmony and unity with the senior missionaries. b) Talk about what the senior missionaries could have done to improve harmony and unity with the newcomers. (Paragraph 47)
48. The junior missionaries formed the Calcutta Missionary Union and began working only miles away from their Baptist brethren. "Indelicate*" was the word William Ward used to describe the situation.
49. The ordeal became even more critical when the Home Committee received the news and became involved. The original committee headed by Andrew Fuller no longer existed. That little committee of three had increased its size several times, and most of the members knew Carey only through his letters. Fuller and one of the other original members had died, leaving the Home Committee clearly stacked in favour of the junior members whom it had personally commissioned as missionaries. While Fuller had been at the helm*, he had insisted for two reasons that Serampore be self-governing: "One is, we think them better able to govern themselves than we are to govern them. Another is, they are at too great a distance to wait for our direction." But the reconstructed* Home Committee strongly disagreed. The members believed that all the important affairs of the Serampore Mission should be under their direct control. Finally in 1826, after years of wearying conflict, the Serampore Mission severed* its relationship with the Baptist Missionary Society.
50. The final split between Serampore and the Baptist Missionary Society was a financial blow to the Serampore missionaries. Although the Serampore team had been financially self-sufficient during most of its history, receiving only a small percentage of its funds from England, times were changing. There were missionaries at more than a dozen outstations who needed support, and medical care was needed for others. No longer could the Serampore team support them all. Carey and Marshman (Ward having since died) had no choice but to later swallow their pride and submit themselves and the mission to the authority of the Society. Soon after that, a substantial sum of money and kind letters arrived from the Home Committee. The healing process had begun.
* * *
51. For 41 years Carey was the recognised leader of the growing Indian mission. He was the pioneer in revolutionising India's agriculture and horticulture, and in the promotion of vernacular* education. He was the moving spirit of the Serampore Trio who set up and operated the first steam engine in India, introduced the large-scale manufacture of paper, inaugurated the printing industry by the establishment of the great Mission Press, and built a college which still stands to train Christian leaders to engage in the conquest of India for Christ. It was Carey who founded the Christian Church in India, and, incredible as it seems, it was this same erstwhile* cobbler who, with the help of associates, translated and printed the Word of God, either the whole or the most precious parts thereof, into 34 different tongues.
52. Carey died in 1834, but not before leaving his mark on India and on missions for all time. His influence in India went beyond his massive linguistic accomplishments, his educational institutions, and the Christian following he shepherded. He also made a notable impact* on harmful Indian practices through his long struggle against widow burning and infanticide*. But otherwise, he sought to leave the culture intact*.
53. Carey was ahead of his time in missionary methodology*. He had an awesome respect for the Indian culture, and he never tried to import Western substitutes as so many missionaries who came after him would seek to do. His goal was to build an indigenous church "by means of native preachers" and by providing the Scriptures in the native tongue, and it was to that end that he dedicated his life.
54. But it was not just in India where Carey's influence was felt. His work was being closely followed not only in England, but also on the continent of Europe and in America where the inspiration derived from his daring example outweighed in importance all his accomplishments in India.
Discussion Questions
35) We know that the Devil always tries to "divide and conquer". How does that apply to this situation? (Paragraphs 47, 48)
36) In our Work for the Lord we have learned that for a team or group of people to live together communally in real harmony, there usually has to be a leadership team who acts as the authority and the others need to have faith and trust in that authority and be willing to yield, or things just won't work. Discuss the leadership structure that the Lord has established in our Family. Why do you think our leadership structure has been so successful?
37) Why did the original founder of the Baptist Missionary Society not want to have direct control of the Serampore Mission? (See Paragraph 49.) How does this parallel the way our Family operates?
38) Do you think Carey did the right thing in finally submitting himself to the Baptist Missionary Society so that they could once again receive substantial support from the society, and the healing of their disunity and conflicts could begin? (Paragraph 50)
39) Do you think it was good for Carey not to try to change the Indian people's culture as many missionaries after him did? (Paragraphs 52,53)
40) What were Carey's main accomplishments for the Lord? (Paragraphs 51-53)
THE SECRET OF WILLIAM CAREY'S SUCCESS
55. Where shall we turn to find the secret of a life so remarkable? What are the causes adequate* to explain such stupendous achievements? His so-called achievements were but the outer manifestations of the fragrance and power of the indwelling Redeemer. His virtues and qualities of greatness were but the fruit of "constantly abiding" in the Vine. Just as the branch might say of the cluster of grapes that hangs thereon, "It is not of me!" so the Christian says of success, "It is not of me! It is the vintage* of abiding in my abounding Lord."
56. Much of Carey's career finds its explanation in his unconquerable persistence. His sister, Mary, said: "Whatever he begins he finishes." Carey himself said that whatever success attended his efforts in India was due to the fact that he was a plodder. Having begun a great work for God, having put his hand to the plough, nothing could cause him to let go or look back.
57. Carey was a man of amazing faith. He did not expect personal financial support beyond passage money to India. Whatever came either from the homeland or from his stipend* as professor, was turned in to the general funds of the Mission. He believed implicitly* that the Lord Who sent him would supply his needs. By faith he set out for "a place which he was to receive as an inheritance," being responsible for the support of his wife and six children. By faith he turned his face away from the homeland, never to return, and "sojourned in a strange land" for 40 years. By faith he overcame a multitude of adversaries and presented unto God "a more excellent sacrifice" whereby "he being dead yet speaketh." By faith he foresaw the day when the Gospel of Christ would relegate* the Indian gods Krishna, Kali and Shiva to the oblivion* into which it had swept the Egyptian, Greek and Roman gods Isis, Venus and Jupiter, etc., long ago.
58. Nothing was more characteristic of Carey than his consuming concern for souls. This zeal constantly manifested itself while he was still in England. When a neighbour remonstrated* with him for spending so much time preaching, to the neglect of his shoe business, he replied, "My real business is to preach the Gospel and win lost souls. I cobble shoes to pay expenses." More than once the pupils in his school saw their teacher burst into tears, as during a geography lesson he pointed to a map of the World, or to a globe he had made with odd pieces of leather, and exclaimed, "The people living in these areas are pagans! They are lost, hundreds of millions of them, not knowing the blessed Saviour!" Whether in England or India, Carey had a hot heart for souls. His heart was hot with gladness over the converted and hot with compassion over those not yet reached.
59. His humility and the sweetness of his devotion to Christ stand out in Carey's life from the time of his conversion until his coronation*. In a letter to Dr. Ryland, January 30, 1823, he writes, "I have long made the language of Psalm 51 my own--'Have mercy upon me, O God . . . according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.' Should you outlive me, and have any influence to prevent it, I earnestly request that no epithets* of praise may ever accompany my name. All such expressions would convey a falsehood. To me belong shame and confusion of face. I can only say, 'Hangs my helpless soul on Thee."'
60. During his last illness, Carey said to Alexander Duff, "Mr. Duff, you have been saying much about Dr. Carey and his work. After I am gone, please speak not of Dr. Carey, but rather of my wonderful Saviour."
61. By Carey's explicit instruction his grave marker was to contain nothing more than his name, the date of his birth, and death, and two lines from Isaac Watts, his favourite hymn writer:
"A wretched, poor and helpless worm,
On Thy kind arms I fall."
62. His soul was set for its final voyage and its last great discovery. At sunrise June 9, 1834, William Carey discovered the unimagined and inexpressible glories which the Redeemer has in store for His Own. He entered into "the heritage of the servants of the Lord" and into the fulfilment of the promise of Isaiah 54:8, "With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer."
63. While honouring the memory of the dedicated cobbler who was so mightily used of God, let it be remembered that Christ is still in urgent need of witnesses of His sacrifice and Salvation, and that it is the incomparable* privilege of every saved and surrendered soul to be a discoverer of new worlds to be won in the Redeemer's name.
Discussion Questions
41) a) What characteristics best describe William Carey's character and attitudes? b) What was his "secret to success"? c) Do you think that same character, attitude and qualities are needed to be a successful missionary today? (Paragraphs 1, 55-61)
42) What most impresses you about Carey's attitude at his death? (Paragraphs 60, 61)
43) Paragraph 63 reminds us that there is still a tremendous need for missionaries and soul-winners today. Please consider the challenging statistics on pages 23,24.
India Today
Area: 3,204,000 sq.km. in 22 states and 9 territories. Geographically India dominates both South Asia and the India Ocean.
Population: 850,067,000. Annual growth 2.2%. 17 million increase every year. People per sq. km.: 233. Nearly 16% of the World's population is Indian, living on 2.4% of the World's land surface.
Peoples: The great racial, ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity makes a simple subdivision of the population difficult.
Ethnic/Linguistic groups: Indo-Aryan 72% in Northern and Central India. Dravidian 25% in South India. Sino-Tibetan 3% on the Northern border and NE India.
Caste: A system that influences every religion in India, to a lesser or greater extent, but which is fundamental to Hinduism. Caste discrimination is forbidden by the Constitution, but it is socially important to over 80% of the population.
Caste Hindus 64% (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya, Sudra)
Harijan 14% (Outcastes, untouchables)
Tribal peoples 7%, Muslims 12%, Christians 3%, etc., are considered outside the caste structure.
Literacy: 36%. Official languages: 14, with Hindi being the major one, with 31% of the population. Both Hindi and English are nationally used languages, English being important in education. All languages: 1,658.
Capital: Delhi 6,600,000. Other major cities: Calcutta 10,200,000, Bombay 10,000,000, Madras 6,900,000, Bangalore 4,000,000, Hyderabad 3,000,000, Ahmedabad 3,000,000, Pune 2,000,000, Kanpur 2,000,000. Urbanisation 23%.
Economy: Agriculture and industry are both important. 74% of the labour force is agricultural, but rapid industrialisation is taking place. Income/person $260 (2% of USA). Yet 300 million people probably live below the bread line*.
Politics: Independent from Britain in 1947. The World's largest functioning democracy. Troubled relations with surrounding nations; two wars with Pakistan and one with China. Internal tensions have arisen because of regional, caste and religious loyalties that have sometimes broken out into violence and rioting.
Religion: India is a secular state that supposedly grants freedom to all religions to practise and propagate their faith. In practice there has been strong pressure from Hindu militants to prevent proselytisation at a state and central level. Several states have discriminatory legislation against religious minorities.
Hindu: 82%. Figure somewhat raised by the automatic inclusion of many of the tribal animists. Hinduism is a social system and philosophy, and absorbs elements of any religion with which it comes into contact. Popular Hinduism is idolatrous. Intellectual Hinduism is philosophical and mystical and has a growing appeal to Western countries. India suffers under its fatalism, castes, 200 million holy cows, 33 million gods, etc., to its economic and spiritual detriment.
Muslims: 11.8%. A widespread minority, but a majority in Kashmir and Lakshadweep.
Sikhs: 1.92%. Majority in Punjab. Many in armed forces.
Tribal religions: approx. 1.5%
Buddhist: .7%. A small minority in the land of its origin. Majority among Tibetans.
Other religions: .9%
Christians: 2.61% officially, with a great variation in the different states. Roman Catholics (11,700,000) make up 1.55% of this, and are strongest in the south and in Goa. Syrian Orthodox (1,840,000) make up .24% of this, predominantly in Kerala, Southwest India; descended from churches planted by the Apostle Thomas in the first century. Protestants (13,400,000) make up the balance, 1.79%, and are more numerous in the South and Northeast.
THE COOL SEASON lasts from October through February. The weather then becomes mild, except in the northern mountains. Snow usually falls in mountainous areas during this season, and the northern plains may get some frost. Southern India lacks a true cool season, but the weather from October through February is not quite as hot as during the rest of the year.
THE HOT SEASON lasts from March to the end of June. The northern plains get the greatest heat. Temperatures often rise to 120 degrees F. (49 degrees C.) Temperatures on the coastal plains stay around 85 degrees F. or 90 degrees F. (29 degrees C or 32 degrees C.) Cyclones (small hurricanes) often strike the coastal plains at this time of year. Parts of the southern plateau remain cool during the hot season. The northern mountains are cool or cold, depending on the altitude.
THE RAINY SEASON lasts from the middle of June through September. During this period, monsoons* blow across the Indian Ocean, picking up moisture. They reach India from the southeast and southwest, bringing almost all the rain that falls on India.
INDIA: THE COMING OF THE EUROPEANS
The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reached Calicut (also called Kozhikode) in 1498. During the early 1500s, Portuguese traders seized ports on the western coast of India. The Portuguese hoped to control the sea routes of the rich East Indies trade with Europe. Dutch, English, and French traders fought the Portuguese, and then fought each other, for control of the Asian trade.
The East India Company was formed in England in 1600 with a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I. During the 1600s, the company established important trading posts and forts at Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras. The Portuguese lost many of their Indian trading posts, partly because of poor management. A French trading company established a base at Pondichery (now Pondicherry). A Dutch firm built up control of trade in Java and the Spice Islands (Indonesia).
Current figures
Languages
Hindi
28%
Telugu
8%
Bengali
8%
Marathi
8%
Tamil
7%
Urdu
5%
Gujarati
5%
Kannada
4%
Malayalam
4%
Oriya
4%
Punjabi
3%
Assamese
2%
Santali
1%
Kashmiri, Sindhi
1%
Sanskrit
less than 1%
English
less than 1%
Other
12%
Ethnic Groups
Indo-Aryan
72%
Dravidian
25%
Mongoloid and Other
3%
Religions
Hindu
83%
Muslim
11%
Christian
2%
Sikh
2%
Buddhist and Other
2%
CLIMATE & RAINFALL (Fahrenheit)
Month
Rain (inches)
Temperatures Low
High
NEW DELHI
January
0.9
44
70
February
0.7
49
75
March
0.5
58
87
April
0.3
68
97
May
0.5
79
105
June
2.9
83
102
July
7.1
81
96
August
6.8
79
93
September
4.6
75
93
October
0.4
65
93
November
0.1
52
84
December
0.4
46
73
MADRAS
January
1.4
67
85
February
0.4
68
88
March
0.3
72
91
April
0.6
78
95
May
1.0
82
101
June
1.9
81
100
July
3.6
79
96
August
4.6
78
95
September
4.7
77
94
October
12.0
75
90
November
14.0
72
85
December
5.5
69
84
Background of the Church in India:
Although a minority, Christians are numerous and the Church is growing. These advances are being contested by the Enemy in several ways:
--Militancy among Hindus is on the increase. Millions of despised Harijans (untouchables) have turned to Buddhism, Christianity and increasingly to Islam to escape the oppressive caste system. This has sparked violence against religious minorities, persecution of Christians, and the forcible conversion of tribal people to Hinduism in some cases.
--Apathy in the churches. The quality of life of many Christians deters non-Christians from putting their trust in Jesus. Christians have often become but another caste in a Hindu world. Many churches suffer from introspection, social climbing, petty squabbles and sin, and need more of a burden to evangelise.
--Severe restriction on the issuing of missionary visas.
--There is a rapid decline in the number of missionaries, and most now remaining have given years of service in India.
--Caste is one of the biggest issues facing the Church. Most Christians are of Harijan or tribal origin, and are not yet liberated from what is little more than a legitimised racism. The ambivalent* attitude of Christians is a problem to higher caste Hindus who are attracted by the Gospel but repelled by the low social origin of most believers, and a stumbling block to Harijans who are put off by castism among Christians.
The training of Christian leaders in India is of prime importance. The lack of dedicated Christians prepared to leave all for the sake of Christ is the biggest factor limiting the growth of the Church. There is an average of one pastor for 8 churches and 400 villages across the country. Some pastors must care for 200 congregations.
No area of the World has such a diversity and concentration of unreached peoples. Some of the broader categories:
--The North Indian plains with their teeming millions have very few churches and believers.
--The rural population. 75% of Indians live in the 600,000 village communities. In North India there is an average of one church for every 2,000 villages.
--The great cities with their exploding populations. Many live in abject poverty here and have no homes. One million live on Calcutta's streets alone.
--There are reckoned to be 3,000 major ethnic groups (castes and tribes). In only 22 are Christians a significant minority.
--The higher castes have shown little open response to the Message of Christ.
--The Muslim minority of 88 million is one of the most accessible for Christian witness in the World. Muslims ruled much of India for 600 years.
--Young people are neglected in the churches through lack of manpower, training and interest. How much more needy are those who are unchurched!
--Students number 5 million in 120 universities and 4,500 colleges. Calcutta University has 120,000 students!
--Tibetan refugees (100,000) are scattered throughout India in special areas and camps. There are 12 churches and 17 pastors among them, but the majority remain bound in their superstitions and Buddhism.
Christian radio has won a huge audience among Christians and non-Christians. Although there is no Christian broadcasting in India, more than 20 studios turn out programmes for FEBC Manila, FEBA Seychelles and TWR Sri Lanka. "Back to the Bible" programmes from the latter have been very effective. 1,100 hours of broadcasting in 22 languages is beamed into the land from these stations alone.
BANGLADESH
Area: 144,000 sq. km. Occupying the delta & flood plains of the Ganges & Brahmaputra Rivers, with high rainfall & frequent flooding.
Population: 117,976,000. Annual growth 2.8%. People per sq. km. 704.
Peoples: Bengali 98%. Bihari 1%, mostly in refugee camps. Tribal peoples .7%.
Capital: Dhaka 4,017,000. Other major city: Chittagong 1,700,000. Urbanization 13.5%.
Literacy: 25%. Official languages: Bengali; English used widely. All languages: 33. Bible translations: 13 Bible, 3 New Testament, 8 portions.
Economy: One of the World's poorest nations, suffering from overpopulation & periodic natural disasters such as devastating floods & cyclones. Income/person $130 (1% of USA). Inflation 12%.
Politics: Formerly East Pakistan, gained independence in 1971 after bitter civil war & defeat of Pakistan by Indian & Bangladeshi forces. Corruption, instability, assassinations & 18 coups have marred the years since then. The military took over the government in 1982 but were unable to cope with the serious problems the country faces.
Religion: A secular state since 1971 despite the large Muslim majority.
Muslim 87%. Almost all are Sunni, a few Shi'a.
Hindu 11.7%. Decreasing through emigration & lower fertility.
Buddhist .6%.
Tribal religions .1%.
Christian .38%. This number is almost equally divided between Roman Catholics (188,000) & Protestants (190,000).
Background of the Church in Bangladesh:
Bangladesh has been a hard field for the Gospel. Revulsion at the cruelty of Pakistan's repression in the name of Islam in the 1971 civil war temporarily weakened Bangladeshi loyalty to Islam. These influences are now lessening, & many obstacles are being raised to hinder the entry & activities of missionaries. Yet the vast majority of the population has never once heard the Gospel.
There are many aid programs through Christian relief organisations, although some of these are under attack from enemies of the Gospel. The openness of Muslims in some areas to innovative methods of evangelism is encouraging. The Muslim majority has hardly been touched by the Gospel, though, since most evangelism is being directed to the religious minorities. Only 25 full-time Christian workers are giving the major part of their time to evangelise these 82 million people.
The Church in Bangladesh has been plagued by apathy, spiritual shallowness, introspective inferiority (almost all converts are from low caste Hinduism or minority tribal peoples), & fighting between different denominations. The training of leadership for the churches is also very inadequate, yet it was here in this land that the modern missionary movement began nearly 200 years ago!
Missions have been welcomed for their social programs, hence the emphasis on institutions & aid programmes. Since 1980, increased limitations have been placed on missionaries, with all projects, plans & finances needing government approval, & strict quota ceilings for the number of missionaries allowed. Bibles are in short supply due to import restrictions.
Media outreach: Radio programmes from FEBC Manila are broadcast twice daily in Bengali. A cassette ministry for both the Scriptures & other messages could be expanded with great effect in this predominantly illiterate population.
The Family's Stats on the Subcontinent (As of October, 1991)
Our first missionaries travelled to India in 1973. In the 18 years since, our little group has sent well over 2,500 missionaries to India! And rather than having the majority of our time consumed in ministering to a few scattered converts, or teaching locals academics, etc., we have had phenomenal witnessing results! Praise the Lord! Following are statistics gathered from 1977 through Oct., 1991.
Total Missionaries Sent --
2,500-3,000
Fulltime National Missionaries Won --
250
Fulltime Foreign Missionaries Won in India --
150
Gospel Audio Tapes Distributed --
350,000
Gospel Video Tapes Distributed --
15,000
Gospel Posters Distributed --
2,500,000
Total Pieces of Gospel Lit Distributed --
300,000,000
Total Pages of Gospel Lit Distributed --
1,200,000,000
Total Souls Won --
1,500,000 (or 83,000 Souls a year or 225 a day for 18 years!)
Holy Spirit Baptisms --
750,000 (or 43,000 a year or 112 a day for 18 years!)
Based on the above statistics, and when combined with the outreach of our English and Hindi-language MWM Shows that beamed throughout the Subcontinent for eight years, and at one time had a membership in India of 5,500, it has been estimated that we have had a total witness to well over 4,500,000,000 people on the Indian Subcontinent! Praise the Lord!
Radio Sri Lanka beamed English MWM Show for five years, India Radio (Bombay) beamed for one year, and Radio Ceylon beamed Hindi MWM Shows for two years. Also, 573 missionaries joined fulltime as a result of the MWM Shows worldwide, though these weren't all in India.
Insights!
William Carey
F. Dealville Walker wrote of Carey: "He, with a few contemporaries*, was almost single-handed in conquering the prevailing indifference and hostility to missionary effort; Carey developed a plan for missions, and printed his amazing Enquiry; he influenced timid and hesitating men to take steps to the evangelising of the World." Another wrote of him, "Taking his life as a whole, it is not too much to say that he was the greatest and most versatile Christian missionary sent out in modern times."
It was in Moulton that Carey heard the missionary call. In his own words he cried, "My attention to missions was first awakened after I was at Moulton, by reading the 'Last Voyage of Captain Cook.'" To many, Cook's journal was a thrilling story of adventure, but to Carey it was a revelation of human need! He then began to read every book that had any bearing on the subject. (At twenty-one years of age Carey had mastered Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Italian, and was turning to Dutch and French. One well called his shoemaker's cottage "Carey's College", for as he cobbled shoes along with his preaching, he never sat at his bench without some kind of a book before him.)
One day, in the quietness of his cobbler's shop--not in some enthusiastic missionary conference--Carey heard the call: "If it be the duty of all men to believe the Gospel . . . then it be the duty of those who are entrusted with the Gospel to endeavour to make it known among all nations." And Carey sobbed out, "Here am I; send me!" (Isa.6:8).
And he prayed. And he pled. And he plodded. And he persisted. And he preached.
When he died at 73 (1834), he had seen the Scriptures translated and printed into forty languages, he had been a college professor, and had founded a college at Serampore.
On his deathbed Carey called out to a missionary friend, "Mr. Duff, you have been saying much about Dr. Carey and his work. After I am gone, please speak not of Dr. Carey, but rather of my wonderful Saviour."
Glossary
Listed below are the meanings of specific words used throughout the previous pages. The meaning you will find is the one in which it was used in the text, even though this might not be the most common meaning. We've tried to make the following definitions as clear as possible, but be sure to consult a dictionary if necessary. The word "figurative" in the definition means that the word being defined may have a different physical meaning--but is used in the text as defined in the definition. For example, "chasm" in the physical means: a deep opening or crack in the ground, but in the text it is used as defined below.
accommodate -- to have room for; hold comfortably; to make fit; make suitable
adamantly (adamant) -- not giving in readily; firm and unyielding; immovable
adequate -- sufficient, satisfactory
affluence -- wealth; riches; (figurative) an abundant supply; great abundance
agony -- extreme mental or physical suffering
ambivalent -- conflicting feelings or thoughts
anguished -- (figurative) full of grief; tormented
appropriately (appropriate) -- suitable, proper
attribute -- a quality that is characteristic of a person or thing
avidly (avid) -- extremely eager
Bengali -- pertaining to Bengal, its people, or their language
brink (over the brink) -- (figurative) -- reaching an emotional breaking point
bread line -- living in poverty; malnourished
brewing -- the occupation of making liquors such as beer and ale
candidate -- a person who seeks, or is proposed for, some office or position
certitude -- a feeling of certainty
chasm -- (figurative) a wide difference of feelings or interests between two persons or two groups; gap, gulf
charters -- a written grant by a government to a colony or business bestowing the right of organisation
colleague -- an associate; fellow worker or fellow member of a profession or organisation
colonialism -- the policy of a nation that rules or seeks to rule weaker or dependent nations, often with or for economic exploitation
complacency -- self-satisfaction; satisfied with the status quo
compound -- an enclosed space with a building or group of buildings within it
conjugal -- of or having to do with marriage; of husband and wife
conscience -- the sense of right and wrong; ideas and feelings within a person that tell him when he is doing right and warn him of what is wrong
consequences -- results produced by some action or condition
constitute -- to make up; to form
contemporaries -- those belonging to the same period of time
coronation -- the ceremony of crowning a king, queen, emperor, or saint
creditors -- people to whom money or goods are due; those to whom a debt is owed
criminality -- the fact or quality of being criminal, guilt
defiantly (defiant) -- showing defiance; openly resisting; disobedient; challenging
deflate -- (figurative) to reduce the amount, size, or importance of; reduce
deportation -- the removal from a country by banishment or expulsion
deputation -- in missionary work, the act of raising funds and enlisting supporters
deranged -- insane; mentally disturbed
dialect -- a form of speech spoken in a certain district or by a certain group of people; a distinct form or variety of a language
dire -- causing great fear or suffering; dreadful
disgruntled -- in a bad humour; discontented; disgusted; displeased
disposition -- one's natural way of acting toward others or of thinking about things; nature
dissenters -- people who disagree; those who reject the doctrines and practices of an established church
distress -- great pain or sorrow
dogged -- not giving up; stubborn; obstinate; persistent
dogmatic -- (figurative) positive and emphatic in asserting opinions and beliefs
effectual -- producing the desired effect
embark -- to set out; start; begin an enterprise
emissaries -- persons sent on missions
endeavour -- an earnest attempt; hard try; effort
enterprise -- an important, difficult, or dangerous plan to be tried; great or bold undertaking
enthroned -- to place highest of all; exalt
enunciated -- definitely stated
epithets -- a descriptive expression; a word or phrase expressing some quality or attribute
erstwhile -- in time past; formerly
esteemed -- highly thought of or regarded
exacted -- to demand and get; to call for; need; require
exclusive -- shutting out all or most others. Barring persons thought of as outside the group
facet -- (figurative) any one of several sides or views; a distinct part; phase; aspect
faculties -- a power of the mind or body
foreman -- a man in charge of a group of workers; man in charge of the work in some part of a factory; overseer
freelance -- a writer, artist, or other independent craftsman, who is not connected to any formal organisation, but rather works for whomever he chooses
grievances -- a real or imagined wrong; reason for being annoyed or angry; cause for complaint
grimy -- very dirty; black
guilds -- a union of men in one trade or craft
harassment (harass) -- to disturb; worry; bother; torment; distress with annoying labour, care, or misfortune
hazardous -- dangerous; risky; perilous
helm -- (figurative) a position of control, command or guidance
hurdle -- (figurative) an obstacle or difficulty
illiterate -- not knowing how to read and write
impact -- (figurative) a forceful or dramatic effect
implicitly -- having no doubts or reservations; unquestioning
impoverished -- very poor
incomparable -- not able to be compared; matchless; without equal
incomprehensible -- impossible to understand
inconsistent -- not consistent; not in agreement; lacking in agreement with itself or something else; at variance
indebtedness -- the condition of being in debt, owing money to others
indefatigable -- never getting tired or giving up; tireless
indelicate -- not delicate; improper
indigenous -- originating in the region or country where found; native
indispensable -- absolutely necessary
inevitable -- not to be avoided; sure to happen; certain to come
infanticide -- the killing of babies
intact -- with no part missing; as if untouched; uninjured; whole
ironic -- directly opposite to what is or might be expected
Jainism -- religious system of the Jains, stressing transmigration of the soul (passing of the soul to another body at death), nonviolence and asceticism
karma -- all the words, acts, and thoughts of one life, supposed to determine a persons fate in his next stage of existence
keenly -- intensely, strongly
lamented -- regretted; deplored
late -- recently dead
lay ministries -- those who preach but do not officially belong to the clergy
layman -- one who is not a member of the clergy, nor has special advanced training or skill
linguistics -- the science of language; comparative study of languages, including the study of speech sounds, language structures, and the history and historical relationship of languages
malarial -- likely to cause, or associated with, malaria, a disease carried by mosquitoes
massive -- (figurative) imposing; impressive; much larger or more than usual
meager (or meagre) -- poor or scanty; deficient in quality or quantity
mediocre -- of average quality: neither bad nor good; ordinary
methodology -- the system of methods or procedures used in any field
mills -- buildings where manufacturing is done
missions -- a group of persons sent by a religious organisation into other parts of the World to spread its beliefs
monsoon -- a wind system that produces dry and wet seasons in India & southern Asia
mortals -- a being that is sure to die sometime. All living creatures are mortals.
myriads -- a very great number
norm -- a standard for a certain group
oblivion -- the condition of being entirely forgotten
ominous -- unfavourable; threatening
opposition -- resistance; state of being opposed to; contrast
oppressive -- hard to bear; burdensome
pastorate -- office, state, jurisdiction or tenure of office
perils -- chance of harm, loss, or destruction; danger
persevere -- the act or fact of sticking to a purpose or an aim; never giving up what one has to do
perspective -- (figurative) a mental view, outlook, or prospect
pervaded -- to be present or spread throughout
petition -- a document containing a formal request to someone, and usually with the signatures of the persons making it
plight -- a condition or situation, now usually bad
plod -- work patiently with effort
polyglot -- written in several languages
private enterprises -- businesses not under government control
prodigy -- 1.) a marvel; wonder; surprise. 2.) a marvellous example
profoundly -- deeply; very greatly
prominent -- well-known or important; distinguished
propagate -- to pass on; send further
propagating -- to increase in number or intensity
prudence -- 1.) wise thought before acting; good judgment. 2.) good management; economy
Puritan -- a member of an English group of Protestants who in the 16th & 17th centuries advocated simplification of the ceremonies & creeds of the Church of England & strict religious discipline
pursuit -- an occupation; that which one engages in as a profession, business, or recreation
qualms -- disturbing feeling in the mind
rash -- too hasty and careless; reckless, overly bold; taking too much risk; characterised by undue haste
reconstructed -- made again; recreated
redemption -- deliverance from sin; salvation
reincarnation -- the rebirth of the soul in a new body (in Oriental religions, the new body could be that of an animal or insect)
relegate -- to put away; banish
remonstrated -- object; speak, reason or plead in complaint or protest
resolved -- determined; firm; resolute
sanguine -- naturally cheerful and hopeful
Sanskrit -- the ancient sacred and literary language of India
sceptic (or skeptic) -- a person who doubts the truth
secular -- connected with the World and its affairs; of things not religious or sacred; worldly
severed -- to cut apart; cut off; to break off
Sikhism -- religious system of the Sikhs, a monotheistic religion incorporating elements of Hinduism, Islam and other religions of the Bible or religious beliefs
slighted -- considered important; small; not given enough attention
smelt -- to obtain metal from ore by melting
stipend -- fixed or regular pay or allowance
subcontinent -- large section of a continent having a certain geographical or political independence
sweat shops -- a place where workers are employed for long hours under bad conditions of work and at very low wages
teeming -- full (of); alive (with)
uncanny -- beyond what is normal or expected, as if having some special power
unrelenting -- merciless; cruel; not slackening or relaxing in severity, harshness, or determination
unremitting -- never stopping; not slackening or relaxing; maintained steadily
upheaval -- (figurative) a sudden or violent agitation; great turmoil
vedic -- the oldest most sacred scriptures of Hinduism
vernacular -- the native language
vintage -- of outstanding quality
well-endowed -- (figurative) given from birth; to provide with some ability, quality or talent
wretched -- very unfortunate or unhappy
wrought -- to be wrought up is to be excited, agitated in a nervous, angry or unpleasant manner
zeal -- eager desire or effort; enthusiasm
(Definitions taken from The World Book or American Heritage Dictionaries)
For additional information on India, please check the following pubs:
INDIA (Family Pubs references)
HH 3
Pg. 4
7 Courses on India
Vol.2
Pg. 1426
Call of India! (#177)
Vol.2
Pg. 1628
Maharishi of Hyderabad! (#202)
Vol.9
Pg. 8708
The Song of India!(#1096)
Vol.9
Pg. 8713
Dream of India! (#1097)
Vol.15
Pg. 32
India's New Restrictions! (#1801)
Vol.16
Pg. 258
World Currents!--No.21 (#2053:31)
Vol.16
Pg. 312
World Currents!--No.22 (#2057:11-14)
Vol.17
Pg. 732
Prayer for Gandhi!(#2350)
FS 12
Pg. 227
Miracles of Provision in India!
FS 12
Pg. 408
A Family Medical Advisory for India
FS 12
Pg. 428
Personal Hygiene and Cleanliness (in India, Tropix)
FS 20
Pg. 26
Testimonies from India
FS 24
Pg. 1
Our Heavenly Himalayan Home!
FS 27
Pg. 2
Tapenessing to the Top (In India)
FS 28
Pg. 1
The Potential of North India!
BOTM2
Pg. 331
Testimonies from India
FSM 85
Pg. 1
How the Lord Helped Us to Follow Him--To India!
FSM 85
Pg. 6
Reaching the Chinese in India
WND263
Pg. 6
India badly beaten in race with China
WND265
Pg. 3
India restoring its forests
WND289
Pg. 6
To Attract Tourists, India Eases Policies
WND 294
Pg. 2
India has nervous neighbours
WND312
Pg. 3
Kashmir unrest
WND321
Pg. 6
Bible series to follow Hindu epic
WND346
Pg. 7
Grisly corpse removal (India to stock Ganges with crocodiles)
WND350
Pg. 4
India patrols Hyderabad after 52 die
WND352
Pg. 2
A puzzle for India: Huge food surplus
WND353
Pg. 2
AIDS in India (called a ticking time bomb)
WND358
Pg. 5
Third World casts allies as bully boys (in Gulf)
WND365
Pg. 7
For Public Display Only
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