THE INDIA CENTENNIAL, 1911-2011
This Pentecost Sunday, June 12, 2011, IPHC Ministries India gratefully mark the Centennial of the 'India Convention of the Pentecostal Holiness Church' organized at Darjeeling, India on June 12, 1911 by Bishop J. H. King. Robert Massey, Mollie E. Massey, D. S. A Mahaffey, Della Gaines, and James Harvey are the names constituting the Original Convention."
Though "this firstborn child in the foreign field" was orphaned during the first decade, for reasons beyond control, but God in His providence had rekindled the quenching flames with the arrival of Rev. & Mrs. J. M. Turner, the first pioneer missionaries, in 1921, who faithfully labored on the soil of India.
The Gospel seed thus planted was consistently watered by the trail of succeeding missionaries such as Robertsons, Parrishes, Byuses, Laws, Donalds and Howards, and the single missionaries such as Ida Reid, Martha Cowan, Effie Barker, Nellie Fowler, Emma Yeatts, Frances Carter, and Louise Smith.
With due recognition to all their labors of love, we put on record the missionaries who laid their lives and were buried among us – Ida Reid in Madhupur and Kenneth Donald in Madras; and also the missionaries who had served for the longest period - Effie Barker from among Singles serving 44 years, and Rev. & Mrs. Hobert H. Howard serving 60 years.
We further put on record all the National Leaders, who had labored alongside the missionaries through these 100 years. We gratefully acknowledge the increase the Lord had given - 4 Conferences to date with National Leadership (North India Conference, South India Conference, Central India Conference, and Eastern India Conference).
On this solemn occasion, representing the leadership in place and all the membership, I hereby declare that it is the collective responsibility of Today's Church to do our part in fulfilling the Great Commission, to plant churches in all the States and Union Territories of India, and thus to extend the blessings of the Gospel to all the nation by 2020, if the Lord tarries.
Signed this 12th day of June 2011 at Hyderabad, India.
Field Superintendent for India
