YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 9002 09912 5149 TIDINGS from Bengal-Orissa 1836-1936 Cenfettarg anb $nttuaf (Remoti (Itumßer MARCH, 1936 No. 1 BENGAL-ORISSA FIELD DIRECTORY Bhimpore, Midnapore Dist., Balasore, Orissa, B.N. Ry. Bengal. Rev. H. I. Frost. Mrs. H. I. Prost. Rev. H. C. Long. Mrs. H. C. Long. Mr. Lloyd Eller. Mrs. Eller. Miss Naomi Knapp. Mr. J. G. Gilson. Mrs. J. G. Gilson. Midnapore, Bengal. Miss Lillian Brueckman. Rev. A. A. Berg. Miss Ethel Cronkite. Mrs. A. A. Berg. Miss Ruth Daniels. Bhadrak, Balasore Dist., Orissa. Khargpur, B.N. Ry. Vacant. Rev. E. C. Brush. Santipore, Hatigarh P.O., Mrs. E. C. Brush. Rev. C. C. Roadarmel. Orissa. Mrs. C. C. Roadarmel. Vacant. Jamshedpur, B.N. Ry. On Furlough. Rev. G. B. Harris. Rev. L- C. Kitchen. Mrs. G. B. Harris. Mrs. L. C. Kitchen. Miss Grace Hill. Rev. W . S. Dunn. Jhargram, Bengal. Mrs. W . S. Dunn. Vacant. Rev. W . C. Osgood. Mrs. W . C. Osgood. Salgodia, Hatigarh P.O. Rev. J. A. Howard. Mrs. J. A. Howard. Mr. George Ager. Miss A. Stearns. Mrs. George Ager. Miss S. B. Gowen. U.S. subscriptions to Tidings may be secured from— Dr. P. H. J. Lerrigo, 152, Madison Ave., N .Y. Single subscriptions $0.30 each. Four subscriptions $ 1.00. Local subscriptions from— Mrs. E. C. Brush, Khargpur, Bengal— 6 As. each. CONTENTS Page. CENTENARY CENTRAL CELEBRATION PROGRAM 4 GLEANINGS FROM THE CENTRAL CELEBRATION 6 ANNUAL REPORTS, 1935 Work in Bengal 1 . Rev. A. A. Berg and Mrs. Berg Santal District Evangelistic Work Brief Historical Notes on Santal Churches io Midnapore Evangelistic Work and the Church 15 2 . Miss Ada Stearns Midnapore Girls’ High School 18 3 . Rev. H. C. Long and Mrs. Long Bhimpore Boys’ High School 19 4 . Miss Naomi Knapp n -> Bhimpore Girls’ School 5 . Rev. J. A. Howard and Mrs. Howard K o ra WTork 25 6. Rev. E. C. Brush and Mrs. Brush Khargpur English Work 26 7 . Rev. C. C. Roadarmel and Mrs. Roadarmel Khargpur Indian Work 28 W ork in Bihar (one district) 8. Rev. G. B. Harris and Mrs. Harris J amshedpur 32 Work in Orissa. 9 . Rev. H. I. Frost and Mrs. Frost Balasore— Historical Note and Report 35 3 P age. Santipore—Historical Note and Report .. 38 Chandbali— ,, ,, „ .. .. ..40 B hadrak ,, ,, ,, .. ..41 Balasore Girls’ High School . .. 43 10. M r. J. G. Gilson and M rs. Gilson Balasore Technical School.. .. .. ..45 11 . M r . R. K . S a h u Balasore Christian Boys’ High School .. 48 1 2 . Mr. George Ager and Mrs. Ager Salgodia Church and School 50 AMERICAN BAPTIST BENGAL-ORISSA MISSION 1836 CENTENARY 1936 Program of Central Celebration, Balasore, Orissa. February I3th-i6th, 1936. Thursday, February 13t h , 1936. 8 : 0 0-10 :00 a.m. Chairman—Rev. Charles C. Roadarmel. W orship. Address of Welcome— Chairman. Greetings from Guests and Delegates. 1 : 3 0-3 :00 p.m. Chairman—Rev. G. Bartow Harris. Address : “ Missionary Pioneers ”— Rev. Edwin C. Brush. Recognition Service for Former and Retired Missionaries. 3 : 3 0 -5 :30 p.m . Sports. (Mr. R. K. Sahu, Director.) 7 : 0 0 - 8 :3 0 p.m. Chairman—Khan Bahadur M. Hamid, District Magistrate and Collector, Balasore. Local Greetings. Address— Dr. Oliver H. Sisson, Representative of American Baptist Foreign Mission Society. Friday, February 14th , 1936. 8 : 00-10 :0 0 a.m. Chairman—Rev. Amrita Lai Maity. Devotional Address—M iss Grace A. M aine, Burma. 4 Address : “ The Progress of the Century Evangelistic— Rev. Ganga Dhar Rath. Educational— Mr. Behari Lai Das. Women’s Work— Mrs. Rachel Bose. Devotional Address— Rev. Benjamin Pradhan, C uttack. 1:30-3 :00 p.m. Chairman—Mr. Rama Kanta Sahu. Address: “ Indian Christian Pioneers ”— Rev. Prabodh Ch. Nayak. Recognition Service for Indian Christian Workers. 3 :30-5 :30 p.m. Exhibition. (Mrs. H. I. Frost, D irector.) 7 : 0 0-8 : 30 p.m. Pageant: “ One Hundred Years in Bengal-Orissa Saturday, February 15th, 1936. 8 :0 0 -1 0 :0 0 a.m. Chairman—Rev. Horendra Kumar Mahapatra. W orship. Address : “ Some Outstanding Events in the History of the Bengal- Orissa Mission ”—Mr. J. C. Hudson. Address : “ Reminiscences from My Sixty Years of Service in Bengal Orissa ” — Dr. Mary W . Bacheler. 1 : 30-3 :00 p.m. Chairman—Rev. Chotarai Tudu. Address : “ The Future Outlook ” . In Evangelism— Rev. Natobar Singh. In Education— Rev. Herbert C. Long. 3 :30-5 :30 p.m. Procession. (Mr. Jacob Simons.) 7 :00-8 :30 p.m. Chairman—Rev. Harold I. Frost. Christian Endeavor Meeting— Mr. Harry S . Myers, Secretary of Visualization, Northern Baptist Convention. Lantern Lecture: “ A Century in Bengal-Orissa ” — Rev. August A. Berg. Sunday, February 16th, 1936. 8 :00-9 :00 a.m. Sunday School. 4 : 00 -5 : 00 p jn . Worship Service. Sermon by Rev. S. K. Mondol, Asansol. 5 7 : 00-8 :30 p.m. Consecration Service. Address : M rs. Howard Wayne Smith, President, Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Mission Society. Candle-lighting Service. Note :—On Wednesday, Feb. 12th, at 7 p.m. there will be a preparatory prayer service led by Rev. Kritibas Behera. GLEANINGS FROM THE CENTRAL CELEBRATION From the U.S.A. we welcomed as guests Mrs. Howard Wayne Smith, the president of the Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Mission Society and Miss Grace Maine representing the same Society ; Mrs. Grace DeWitt, the Rev. O. H. Sisson, Secretary of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Myers representing Free Baptists of America whose organization began the work on our field ioo years ago. Others present included delegates and visitors from the American Baptist Missions of Burma, South India, Assam, the Canadian Baptist Mission, the Baptist Mission Society (English) and affiliated organizations, the Evan­ gelical Missionary Society of Mayurbhunj State, the Methodist Mission (American), English Wesleyan Mission and the Bihar and Orissa Christian Council. An interesting feature of the celebration was the mingling of the different languages and accents spoken by all who participated in the programme. At the welcome service for our visitors, English was used and the variety of accents audible in the replies was tantalizing to the ears of the listeners. Usually, the longer talks were translated from English into Oriya or Bengali, and when these languages were not understood by the persons present, impromptu translations were made quietly by missionaries sitting near them. The language complication added much variety to the occasion. Dr. Mary Bacheler’s leaving for U.S.A. this year completes practically a century of service on the part of her and her father who came first to our field in 1840. Her presence on the occasion of the Centenary brought a benediction to all. 6 To the Rev. C. C. Roadarmel of Khargpur, Chairman of the Committee on arrangements and to Mr. R. K. Sahu, local chairman at Balasore belongs much of the credit for the successful planning and completion of the program m e. Special features were much enjoyed by those present. Sports were participated in by school boys and visitors one afternoon. The Drama, written by two of the Balasore Christian men, in which local boys and missionaries had a part vividly depicted the work and difficulties of the early missionaries. The procession on Saturday afternoon attracted much attention throughout the town and district along its six miles’ march. One band of musicians from Khargpur and two from Balasore took part. Banners flying aloft announced the meaning of the parade. The Exhibit, held in the Girls’ High School building, included hand and industrial work carried on in the diiferent stations, some century-old copies of the “ Morning Star ” , a religious publication of the Free Baptists, a table once owned by Amos Sutton, and several photographs of our pioneers. The magazines, very little damaged by time and the climate, had been the property of Jeremiah Phillips and one copy contains the letter written by Amos Sutton to the Free Baptist of America, urging them to send missionaries to assist the General Baptists of England in their Mission in Orissa. About seventy of the missionary parents and children and all the visitors were entertained at tea in the Ellers’ compound on Friday afternoon, a Valentine tea arranged by Mrs. Eller in honor of the birthday anniversaries of several present. The occasion was a very pleasant one. The lantern lecture arranged by Rev. A. A. Berg giving us the faces and forms of the pioneers who have gone before revealed again the human factor in Kingdom progress. Most impressive was the closing session of the Celebration featuring an address by Mrs. H. W. Smith and the candle-lighting service at the end of which each person left the church building carrying a lighted candle symbolizing the spreading of the Light of the Gospel which we hope will penetrate still farther into the unlighted spots in Bengal and Orissa in the century to come. 7 SANTAL DISTRICT EVANGELISTIC WORK As the last year of the first century of mission work in these regions is drawing to a close we are deeply conscious of God’s grace towards us ; for sending out such a noble band of pioneers, who have prepared the way and sown the seed ; for giving us the privilege of having a share in the harvest. We have had no mass movement; those who have been won for Christ have been few and far between. Nevertheless it is apparent that doors are now opening everywhere. To abandon now would be a tragedy. So we are boldly looking ahead, consecrating ourselves anew to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, asking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the work as we step across the threshold into the second century.