Covenanter Witness Vol. 53 - Rparchives.org

Missionary NumberLESSON HELPS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 24, 1954THE FIELD tS THE WORLD,THC SD IS THE WORD OP GODVOLUME LIII WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1954 NUMBER 14The Challenge of New Fields in IndiaNew fields in India? How can that be? Isn't Indiaone of our oldest fields ? Hasn't the government complained that there are already too many missionaries ? What are these new fields ? Here is what onemissionary has to say about it.Before 1947 there were 562 native states inIndia. Interspersed like a patchwork among theBritish-controlled areas, these states were ruled ineverything except foreign affairs maharajahsor nawabs. Some were large, so large they hadby Indiantheir own railways and coinage. Others were smaller,right down to one that was less than two milessquare actuallyTwo-fifths of India belonged to these nativestates. One-fifth of all the people lived there. Buteven though the maps didn't show them any differan"estate."ent from the rest of India, conditions in the stateswere often very different. Some were progressive,like Mysore; others were just the opposite. Governments were autocratic, and some of the rulers hadlittle concern for the welfare of their subjects. Forvarious reasons manyrulers refused to permit Christian missions in their states.So here were vast areas totally untouched bygospel witness of any kind. For nearly a hundredyears missionaries from British India could not enterscores of these states. They were literally "closedlands."Then in 1947 came independence. Britain hadmaintained the sovereigntyof the native states.But to the new Indian government they were ananachronism. They stood in the way of unifying thecountry. The states would have to go. And in a remarkably short time they were absorbed into theUnion of India. Under the central government atNew Delhi they were grouped to form new provinces,all under the new Indian constitution.What does this mean for missions? Just this:India has written into its constitution a promise offreedom of religion. That means freedom in (the former native states as well as elsewhere. For the firsttime in history, many of these "closed lands" havebecome open to the gospel witness.In 1949 a mission survey called attention tothese territories. It notes that even where there wasa Christian group at all, it was just one to each million of the non-Christian population. Yet in the pastfive years the missions have been slow to respondto this great challenge. Perhaps they haven't hadthe resources to meet it. Perhaps they have seen thecoming opposition to all evangelistic work in India.But the challenge is still there. One medicalevangelisticteam entered such state for the firsttime. Its dispensary won the confidence of the people,and the village elders urged the team to come backagain. One headman said, "I bring you the request of300 men that you stay and open a hospital here." Heknew full well that if it were done, the gospel wouldbe preached, too.What a thrill the missionary feels to name theall-powerful Name in areas hitherto unreached ! Howthrilling to hear people say, "There goes Jesus ChristChrist,"there is much indifference, but when heis passing through a bazaar! He very literally becomes Christ's ambassador and the embodiment ofHis love.But the foreign missionary may not be the oneto answer this challenge. Sometimes God gives visions we can't carry out personally that we may burythem in the hearts of young disciples who will enterthe fray. Maybe it is for the missionary to challengethe Indian Church to arise and enter the open doors.We don't presume to choose the workers who willenter into this eleventh-hour harvest. The LordHimself must send them. But may our vision engageus as never before in victorious prayer that He mayfind suitable laborers to enter these unreaped harvestfields of India !Courtesy of Moody Monthly