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Greetings to you from the church of India
It was indeed joyous news to learn that you will be celebrating the centenary this year of your mission to Punjab. As part of this celebration an exchange visit is taking place between our two churches. A delegation led by our deputy Moderator, the Right Rev Purely Lyngdoh, with representatives from Jagadhri and Kharar will be with you, and we are anxiously looking forward to the return visit of your Moderator to the 13th Ordinary Sessions of the Synod of the Church of North India, scheduled to be held in Pathankot, Punjab.
The mission work in Punjab was begun in 1908 by medical missionary Dr W J Porteous, who opened a medical dispensary in a temporary building in Shahbad, which is a village about 60 km away from Jagadhri (today in Haryana, but at this time in Punjab). On the first day, there were 80 enquiries, the second day 180, and on the third day 240 people came to see Dr Porteous, signalling the beginning of a pioneering mission work in that area. In 1911 this medical centre was moved to Jagadhri.
Meanwhile, more missionaries, including the veteran Madras missionary
Alice Henderson, joined the centre. Their main concern was the medical mission. For some time they also took care of the leprosy work in Subathu (now in Himachal Pradesh).
But the Jagadhari district continued to be the main focus of New Zealand Presbyterian mission work. They were involved in evangelism, but their witness to the Christian Gospel was mainly through their medical and education work. Two schools were also established at Jagadhari and Buriya.
The methods used by the New Zealand mission for evangelistic and witness work were very novel for the time, including the handing out of religious tracts, sale of religious books, lantern lectures at night, village preaching and visiting that included annual campaigning. Organising an annual Christian fair (Mela) was a regular feature of their mission work at Jagadhari. Evangelism among women was another important part of their work. But their special thrust was education alongside the medical work. By 1920, their mission activities had covered about 1800 villages.
One missionary was Doug Riddle, who was born in 1922 in Jagadhri India, where he spent his early life. His father served there for 35 years. Doug returned in 1949 and worked as a missionary under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand for 20 years, before returning to New Zealand to work in three parishes.
In the 1950s, the New Zealand mission became part of the Ambala Church Council of the United Church of Northern India (UCNI), and on 29 November 1970 part of the Church of North India (CNI) with the rest of UCNI. A brief review of the work of New Zealand mission in the old Greater Punjab as given in this brief article is our token of appreciation and felicitation as the Church of New Zealand celebrates the centenary of mission work in Punjab.
We hope and pray that the present Church in Punjab, particularly Church of North India, will continue to build on the foundations that were laid by the endless efforts of the missionaries of the New Zealand Church.
All in the Church of North India joins me in sending our prayerful best wishes to you all on this joyous occasion.
Yours in his mission
Rev Dr Enos Das Pradhan
General Secretary