BRUCE V. COVENTRY, joined the church at Hawthorn, S.A., where as a young man he engaged actively in church work. He entered the Federal College of the Bible, Glen Iris, Vic. in 1938 and graduated in 1941. He ministered to the Ascot Vale church, Vic. before answering the call to India. Mr. Coventry and his wife, formerly Miss Patricia Western, also of Hawthorn, S.A., left for India in 1943, and after a period of language studies at Baramati they were stationed at Shrigonda. Mr. Coventry's work has been among the village Christians, and more recently in the field of production and distribution of Indian Christian literature also. He has an active interest in the many Indian Christians who have moved to Bombay, Poona, and other centres of employment, and the attempts to establish church buildings for these isolated members. He is the nephew of Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Coventry, pioneer missionaries in India, now retired at Chadstone, Victoria.

      At the turn of the century our Australian Brotherhood determined to commence their own overseas mission field. Prior to this, one missionary had come to India representing the Brotherhood, but worked under the American Disciples of Christ Mission in Central India. Some 15 years ago it was a privilege to walk with Bro. Anderson through the mission compound and school, where our Sister Mary Thompson served Christ in India for nearly 40 years. Some other members of our Australian Brotherhood had come to India to work with the Poona and India Village Mission. Among these were Bro. and Sister Strutton and Bro. and Sister Watson. It was Bro. and Sister Strutton who were to be the first to leave the P.I.V.M. and be our first missionaries. They opened the work at Baramati, our first mission station. During the next 15-20 years our other main mission stations were to be opened.

      At the time of opening these mission stations most older missions either had their greatest number of personnel on the field or were fast approaching such a day. They could not adequately cover the areas allocated to them under Comity of Missions. Indigenous evangelistic personnel were far too few, methods of travel far too slow, and means of communication far too limited; to say nothing of the strain on health as plague and cholera had still not been conquered. Superstition, bigotry and caste prejudice limited the sphere of their effective operations. Around this time a number of new missions entered the field. One of these was ours which took over part of the area loosely termed Church of Scotland and America Marathi Mission area. (The Indapur properties have all been handed over to us from the Church of Scotland.) Despite loose affiliations, Baramati was an almost unworked area when Bro. and Sister Strutton began work there under our Board.

      It is one thing to move into an area to commence work but quite another to have a set up in which one can work. We owned no property, had no Christians, no workers, no houses--in fact at the beginning nothing but a missionary couple with limited finance. Their first home was a tent, and for short periods of a few days a time accommodation in the Govt. Travellers' Bungalow. After securing a piece of land they were able to build a bungalow. This bungalow, though built almost 50 years ago in mud brick, still stands. Other houses were built to accommodate the first Indian personnel to be engaged. Unfortunately during the early years many of the employees came from the class of people more concerned with getting a "job" than serving with a burning desire to make Christ known to men.

      The early years of our work could be set down as years of becoming acceptable within the community. They were years when staff was constantly changing. Loyalties were not strong. Various uplift programmes were commenced but lacked the feeling of permanency. Opportunism was written over the records of many who came and went in those early years. But despite all this, a foundation was being laid upon which progress was soon to be made. The first 10 years saw many changes, the First World War began, and the beginnings of a real movement for Independence for India got under way.

      At this time the work at Shrigonda began. Bro. and Sister Watson came from the P.I.V.M. to open this field. For many reasons, these two places--Baramati and Shrigonda--though separated by only 45 miles or so, were run as

      In the middle of the second decade a group of missionaries arrived who were (1) to bring about a unification of these two fields; (2) to lay the foundations of a vigorous institutional programme; (3) to institute an era of expansion regarding the property, building programme, and breadth of work to be done; and (4) prepare a Constitution and lay down a policy by which to work. The planning at this stage set the pattern for almost the full range of our missionary programme. Four of those who were to play so large a part in the development and consolidation of the work were Misses F. Cameron and E. Caldicott and Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Coventry. The work of these four was to extend over the next three decades, with Miss Cameron giving a total of 39 years of service to this land. Mr. H. R. Coventry was to labour in the administration and development side for almost 30 years.

      Early in the work an interest had been taken in the Takari Bhamptas--a class of people who were professional thieves. The Govt. was keen to institute reforms for these and other backward groups, and for this purpose had established supervised settlements. Such a settlement was undertaken by our Mission, and in 1924 it received official status by an Act of Parliament in Bombay. This settlement continued to be a place of reform for these people until approx. 1940 when it was officially closed. However, during the time that it was operating instruction in various trades had been given with the result that some were able to go out from there, men qualified to earn their living by honest means. From among this group has come a number of the members of the Baramati Church, some of whom have held office within the Church, It was necessary to provide a programme for the children that would give them a new outlook on life and thus save them from the ancestral ways of earning a living. To provide for this a primary school was commenced. Basic education by way of carpentry, weaving, and blacksmithing were introduced into the school.

      In 1919 the influenza epidemic raged through India leaving a trail of misery. At this sage our mission commenced Orphan Homes for boys and girls. The Boys' Home was located in Shrigonda and the Girls' Home in Baramati. This was changed in 1922, the boys going to Baramati and the girls coming to Shrigonda. The homes became a refuge for many of the homeless, with the Girls' Home running a babies' Home section. Untold sacrifices were made to save the lives of some of the malnutritioned babies sent for refuge. About 20 years later the practice of taking in babies was discontinued as it was no longer possible to secure adequate staff to care for these little ones. Today the youngest children that enter our homes are 5 to 6 years of age. It is from the children of these homes that we have drawn so heavily for the leadership within our Conference today. Young people from our homes can be found today spread far and wide over Maharashtra, serving Govt. employ as teachers, in business, and factories, etc. Some have given a very fine lead in Christian affairs.

      At about the same time as the Children's Homes were commenced a really intensive programme of education was also undertaken. At one time our mission was running over a dozen schools in different villages. In the early days it was not a case of providing a good school for our Christian children,

as we had so few, but rather of making a contribution toward the general uplift of the villager. Village schools were few and far between and the standard of some schools was not very high. Most of our schools have either been closed or handed over to the Govt. till today we have just three left at Baramati, Shrigonda and Dhorja. These schools have developed into efficient schools serving a wide community in proportion to the size of the place. The Shrigonda school is primarily a school for the girls of the Girls' Home, whereas at Baramati and Dhorja the total community is served. In the past, education was considered the province of boys, but today more and more girls are attending school. The future of our primary schools today is not at all certain. Under the Government third five-year plan, primary education is to be taken over by the State. However, whether this will be enforced and if it is, whether it will apply to schools attached to a children's home, is still not clear.

      Our first medical work was undertaken by Bro. Watson in the Shrigonda district.

      Although not a trained medical man he soon became known far and wide as Dr. Watson. He had some remarkable results which in turn led to a breaking down of the prejudice against Christians. For some years others who followed him took an active part there in the medical programme. In Baramati, Miss Caldicott ran a dispensary for many years, meeting the needs especially of the women and children. The Dhond medical work began under Dr. Oldfield in the mid 20's. Under his leadership and guidance was built up a well laid out and efficient hospital. As hospitals in India go, it is not large but from its inception has played a key role in the relief of suffering for the whole mission area. Despite the erection of quite large Govt. hospitals for the railways, and townspeople, many still prefer to have the services of the mission hospital. Dhond is a large railway junction which makes it a key town within a radius of up to 45 miles. Our hospital continues to have a vital part to play among the people of this area.

      These have been the four main types of institutions carried on since the work became effectively organised. The two main additions to this work, commenced since the end of the Second World War have been (1) the opening of several reading-room-library combinations and (2) the High School at Baramati. The former grew out of a real concern to provide good reading material for its members, provide a centre of evangelism in the heart of the town, and be a friendship centre helping to break down prejudices and barriers.

      Besides these institutions we have had other types of work through which every endeavour has been made to witness to Christ. There has been the direct evangelistic work. Every mission station has had some kind of evangelistic programme, some of which have been most intensive. They have included preaching in the weekly markets in various centres, visiting villages for preaching, running children's classes before school commences in several villages (often where there are no Christians living), holding night programmes, showing pictures, selling Gospel portions, and distributing tracts, etc.

      Another aspect of the work, particularly over recent years, has been the holding of youth camps for boys and girls. These have proved particularly profitable occasions for imparting concentrated Christian instruction. They also have been educational in that they have been held at places which have enabled these children to see something of their own land which otherwise they may never have had the opportunity to visit. The programme for providing higher education for

our promising young people has also expended considerable over recent years. An increasing number have been helped to gain an introduction to a trade, become teachers, secure a university education or have some other training. In the realm of agriculture, we have seen considerable progress being made. This has been passed on to the village farmers to enable them to improve their own holdings.

      In the field of literature our contribution has not been a great one, but we have been able, over recent years, to produce quite a number of tracts of which over 1 million copies have been published. On the distribution side we have taken the lead over the last few years in conducting tours, during which several hundreds of pounds of literature have been sold all over Maharashtra.

      The following is a bird's eye view of the work being carried on on the different stations--

Baramati:

Primary School, enrolment approx. 1,500.

High School, enrolment approx. 150.

Boys' Home, inmates approx. 170. Library-Friendship Centre.

Evangelistic work with Bible Women and Preachers.

Farm Project.

Indapur:

Friendship-Centre-Library.

Bhigwan:

Evangelistic work with dry farming.

Dhond:

Medical Work--Hospital and Dispensary, 20 beds.

Library and Reading Room.

Evangelistic Work.

Shrigonda:

Primary School, enrolment approx. 125.

Girls' Home, inmates approx. 115.

Library and Reading Room.

Evangelistic work with Bible Women and Preachers.

Farm Project.

Dhorja:

Primary School, enrolment approx 120.

Boys' Home, inmates approx. 25.

Evangelistic work--worked in co-operation with Shrigonda.

      At each of these places there is an established Church affiliated to the Conference. Then at Bombay and Walchandnagar there are two other affiliated Churches. Besides the affiliated Churches we have several villages where regular services are held and where a number of Christians live. Our total membership is in the vicinity of 1,000.

      The policy has been to operate those institutions which would most effectively enable us to witness for Christ and bring men and women face to face with the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord. Every branch of the work, be it educational, medical, etc., has had this one objective. Through the years various restrictions have had to be faced. On the educational side there have been increasing restrictions on the giving of religious instruction in the schools. Today it is permitted to be taught out of school hours, but no compulsion must be used to have children attend. A further difficulty is likely to come in the way of a clear cut Christian message, namely that schools should give instruction in all religions, and prayers should be general to fit in with all religions. Despite these restrictions our schools continue to be able to give their clear witness through religious instruction periods outside school hours. Our schools receive a Grant-in-Aid from the Government which covers a little

less than 50% of the running costs. It has always been the policy of the mission to accept these grants for our educational work. Most of our staff are Christian teachers.

      In the medical field we have always refused to accept a Govt. grant as this, from the very earliest, would have placed a considerable restriction on our work, one of the most notable being that no Christian activity could be carried on within the hospital premises. This would have excluded regular weekly open air picture programmes, and daily ministering in the wards by cur evangelistic staff. We have maintained that regardless of the nature of the institution it is a part of the overall programme of evangelism of the Church.

      Our children's homes have all along been the most productive source of building a strong Christian Church. Here we have had the opportunity of running special religious instruction classes and really giving concentrated Bible study. The result is seen in that many of the present day workers are young people from our children's homes.

      However, recently passed Acts of Parliament have been designed to place restrictions on children's and widows' homes. The picture is not at all clear yet as to how these Acts may affect us.

      Besides taking advantage of every opportunity to make Christ known to men, it has been the policy of the mission to build a strong indigenous Church, which could not only support its own pastorate, but also take an active part in carrying forward the evangelistic programme. Tithing was diligently taught for years as one means of attaining self support. Unfortunately there is still much to be desired with regard to giving in the local Churches. Efforts have also been made to secure the necessary qualified leadership for the Church. When we look back over the past 40 years we can but thank God for what has been accomplished, even though it may not be all that was hoped for.

      One of the first things we heard on arrival in India in 1943 was that our task was to work and plan for the day when we will no longer be essential to the work. It is incumbent upon us to train Indian personnel to shoulder responsibility, take over some of the work and be ready to assume full responsibility should the day come for overseas personnel to be withdrawn for any reason. With this in view the work has gradually been unified. First there was the unification of the field during the First World War, then, later, the organisation of the Churches into the Conference of Churches of Christ in Western India during the 1920's, and in the 1940's the registration of this body under the Societies Act making it an officially recognised body for transacting business, holding property, etc.

      For many years we have been able to draw upon our own young people to carry on the teaching side of our educational work. Many of those engaged in our evangelistic programme have either grown up through our homes or have been converts within the Conference. As the older ones from outside who have been with us for many years drop out, their places are taken by younger people whom we have trained. We are fortunate also to have men like Hariba Waghmode, who have come right up through our boys' home. There area number of young men about whom more will be heard in the near future. Young men with degrees and a strong sense of loyalty to their Lord and Saviour, and a keen desire to serve faithfully in our own work. One of these, a B.Sc., is right now studying for his B.D. Within the next 10 years we should have several very highly qualified young men who have grown right up through our own institutions. However, the road is not an easy one--these young men have grown up among those whom they are to serve. They will have gone far beyond those who have been their teachers, and to become accepted leaders in such a situation will require much patience and tact.

      All over India during the last decade efforts have been set afoot to give more and more responsibility to Indian leaders. This has been a Government directive to foreign firms, and though not quite the same to Mission Boards the Government mind to them also has been made known. Back in 1952, missions were told plainly that they must make every effort to replace overseas personnel with Indian leaders. Such a programme cannot be undertaken without preparation otherwise chaos will result. Most missions have undertaken a phased Indianisation programme. Ours began back in 1953 for a 10 year period. This does not mean, as has been assumed, that by 1963 the stage will be set whereby all Australian personnel can withdraw. It simply means that by 1963 the Conference, having assumed full responsibility for all the work, will also elect all members to the Committee of Management (C.O.M. as it is called) of the Conference. Until the commencement of this Indianisation programme the work was under a C.O.M. elected by the missionaries, and made up of missionaries who had full responsibility for the work. Missionaries today form just approx. one quarter of the delegates to the annual meetings, and have one vote the same as any Indian delegate. However, until 1963 the missionary personnel will continue to elect one of their number to the C.O.M.

      In this new democratic set up we have at times had to witness painfully a kind of mass psychology as some decisions have been taken through inexperience against sounder advice. These are natural developments and to the leaders fall the responsibility of guiding even in these situations. The attitude of our Conference to Australian personnel can be seen in the decision taken at the annual meetings, 1961. After a year or two of real uncertainty regarding new missionaries to the field, the decision was taken to invite several over the next year or two. It will take time for them to learn the language, the ways and customs of the people, and fed! that they are part of the on-going Church in India. Many feel that the mission field will continue to need these personnel for a number of years yet.

      Some of the issues facing the work in the future can be outlined briefly:

      1. The place of the missionary from overseas in the changing Indian situation.

      2. Conditions of service and place of these new Indian leaders who will join the service over the next few years.

      3. Handing over Church properties, and cemeteries to the Conference and making satisfactory arrangements for all other properties so that they are safe-guarded for the Conference in the future. (At present almost all of our properties are held in the name of the Board in Australia.)

      4. Facing up to the issue of the United Church of North India. There has been a loose amalgamation known as the United Church of North India in existence for some time. The new plan envisages a complete amalgamation of all missions, Churches and Conferences which will join it. Our area will be surrounded by this big alignment when it comes into being. Many of our Christians are

related by marriage or birth to those in other missions which will be joining this scheme. Will our Conference remain out of it by conviction, join it by conviction, or join it because of family ties?

      5. Plan a character building programme for the under-nourished and under-privileged village Christians. Their poverty requires something to be done, but handouts only impoverish further.

      6. Plan realistic yet imaginative expansion, in the development of the Bombay work, and possibly entry into a new suburb in Poona.

      7. Plan to meet every restriction in any branch of the work so that the effectiveness of the Gospel is not hindered.

      8. Prepare to stand firm against opposition which is on the increase in various places. It is coming because of (a) resurgence of some of the older religions (b) resentment towards Christians for saying that Jesus is the ONLY Saviour and (c) a resentment towards Christians for what they have had and have. (Missions in their hey-day, for a very small sum, were able to buy up large areas of land with their foreign capital. Many of these pieces of land are in strategic places today and looked upon with considerable envy by non-Christians.)

      Mahatma Gandhi's grandson said, "The missionaries taught us to read, but the Communists gave us the books to read" Will we face a similar indictment along other lines because of our failure to meet today's opportunities?

      (No mention has been made of many of those who in the "in between" years have played a significant part in the work. This is not a history but only a very short essay setting out how and why we developed our work along certain lines, and some of the issues before us in the future.)