The Evangelistic Band

THE EVANGELISTIC BAND

The object with which the Evangelistic Band was set on An appeal ]-,ggjj already indicated. fQQ^ j^g^g as compared with that, higher castes. the Gospel had not been put before the Brahmans and Sudras with sufficient The neglect had not been intentional. beliefs. beginning the missionaries preached to hear, but there was a large response from the Malas and all from the higher none at the Malas became more and more absorbing, and the demand on the missionaries' time and spondingly greater, till all to other classes. was desirable, and gave a cordial welcome to the scheme for an Evangelistic Band with a particular mission to the higher castes. therefore, the Band was formed. In 1903, the good fortune to have, in the Rev. S. Foskett, one ready to take the headship, who possessed special including a grasp of the speech of the people, and special enthusiasm for this work.

VIII

It had long been felt its presentation to the Malas, attention to their customs and At the all that would The work among castes. strength corre- it became difficult to attend at All felt that a supplementary agency It had gifts, It was fortunate, also, in its 150

THE EVANGELISTIC BAND

Indian agents, one of whom was a deacon with medical included qualifications. It catechist's and one of schoolmaster's rank, both skilled in the production of poetry. but the productions scholarly, lyrical, partly dramatic, were wonderfully popular with Other agents joined the Band from time the crowd. to time. With the object of making the Band acceptable to it was proposed the higher castes composed of Christians who had belonged to those castes. Owing, however, to the scarcity of such Christians this ideal could not be fuUy attained. other men were disqualified provided they had the necessary courteous manners. From the first it was intended healing should be a prominent The need of medical the Band. is everywhere very great, and order, more than anything else, the make the presentation of Christianity acceptable. Band, therefore, was well provided with medicines and The usual plan adopted by the surgical instruments. Band was to preach in the morning and to dispense medicines at the camp during some of the Another hotter hours day. of the The Band was the use music. of members who could play the viohn, and was provided with instruments. four three or of playing by the European, but the method

151 also two teachers, one of The former was the more the partly of latter, should be that it Nor was it found that from getting hearing, a of intellect and gifts Methods that the ministry of of the work of feature skill, even of a slight it was that, felt would such skiU, use of The evening, and attractive feature contained several The were violins Indian

MISSIONS IN THE TELUGU COUNTRY

132 members was different placed, and the bow being held The music played was entirely Indian, of at one end. as were lyrics sung to also the Later the history of in added by the was gift both sacred and secular, thrown on a portable attracted great crowds. was Special attention be with subjects to dealt The form of the addresses became carefully arranged. well known to those who heard them often, and stamped Some time after the Band had itself on the memory. ceased to tour, the writer, when arranging a preaching for members the Church tour of Society, found that with one accord they took up the subjects, and adopted as much as possible the the addresses which they had heard from the Band. It was intended that the Band should tour somewhat The rule was that it should visit each of the five widely. of the Mission once during the year districts should remain on tour an average of twenty days each month that should, it if ; in every village and hamlet in the district, and that while it should generally be joined by the agents in a district belonging to the part in which it was, so far as the mis- sionary could spare them. last regulation so swelled bands preaching three The records show that the different villages. covering the ground of the whole Mission in the year

from the chin being ours, in the middle instead accompaniment. this the Band another attraction of a magic-lantern. Pictures screen, The paid preaching. to every member by were Mens England of style, of ; that it possible, preach the Gospel As a matter of this fact, its numbers that sometimes went simultaneously out to rule of

EVANGELISING THE TELUGU COUNTRY

A MISSIONARY ON THE ROAD.

:

A MISSIONARY ENCAMPED

: KURNOOL DISTRICT.

Telugu Christians: showing modes of wearing hair

THE EVANGELISTIC BAND

was strictly adhered to during the whole time that the Band had a European head who was free from district If the ground was covered rather quickly, duties. must be remembered that missionary and agents were the every opening that seemed certain obvious respects monotonous and discouraging, of scene helped to preserve the freshness and spiritual vitality of its members. The extent of ground that cover in this way may be for a six weeks' tour in one ; Hearers addressed, 8295 50 Of the classes aimed at, the Brahmans, the Sudras, the Mohammedans and Invitations to preach and to discuss tinctly interested. Christianity came even from the Brahmans themselves. More important, however, from the missionary point of view, were the Sudras. seemed a probability that a strong body of them would come over to Christianity. village was bold enough to be the The villages that seemed specially hopeful great step. Mutyalapad were the in district that at the present time a body being definitely prepared for baptism. of the Mohammedans in some of the The attitude parts visited was remarkable. case in the native state of BanaganapaUe. medans were found to be more attentive listeners than

153 ' it at each point the district take up at hand to promising. again, in If, the Band was work the of change the frequent it was found possible to illustrated by some figures Villages district visited, : Patients treated, 1327. ; were various places in dis- At more than one place there As the event no proved, take to this first district, and that in is it of Sudras is This was especially the The Moham-

MISSIONS IN THE TELUGU COUNTRY

154 the Hindus, and more keen on obtaining literature. Mohammedans in the remoter parts their own reUgion and of other very ignorant, both of It was a disappointment that at the one village things. where a community of the Mohammedans seemed at one time really in earnest about becoming Christians, they all, have drawn back. should, after The medical work of the Band produced the most The following, taken from visible effects. Foskett's reports, will give some idea of its range an average, the past year, from during patients a day have been treated, number has run almost to a hundred, most belonged to the Sudra caste, The commonest ailments rheumatism, scorpion stings, ears and nose, abscesses, diseases, asthma, and occasionally snake-bites.' of the work, the results relief in a village cases of and sometimes of patients, twenty thirty or miles, them any good.' He quotes the case of a man whose leg had been torn by a cart wheel and needed daily attention, and who was carried on a bed after the camp for a considerable dis- Before being dismissed, he specially asked that tance. he and his bearers might attend the Church service on Sunday, on the ground that it might do him some good. On another occasion, while the Band was preaching to a crowd of nearly two hundred people, there was brought

The of South India are one of Mr. ' On : forty to fifty but occasionally the of whom were Mohammedans. or are neuralgia, fever, spleen, bodies foreign in eyes, a long of skin fractures, list As to ' A few he says successful : at once bring a huge crowd us these follow for will medicine given the does if

THE EVANGELISTIC BAND

on a bed, as if in answer to their challenge, a man suffering excruciating pain from an acute attack of rheumatism. The Band treated him with the appropriate remedies which gave almost immediate happily coming once more for treatment, he sent a thank-offering with the message that a religion which gave men such relief must be a very good religion. was rapidly reheved produced the most marked effects. Mr. Foskett particularly mentions scorpion pain of which often lasts for twenty-four hours but can be removed in five minutes by an injection of cocaine. The treatment of such village towards the Band. of a attitude tells us that even the Brahman, in his time of need, will lay aside his strict rules of ceremonial purity. rehef from his present pain he comes and takes medicine at the out-castes' dispensary and in the dark at other times he waits, as if he were ; only a spectator, until Panchamas have gone away he wiU brave even public opinion, and beg with tears in his eyes to be given anything and everything which will He is then in his most receptive mood so relieve him. far as Christianity is concerned. pride is broken down or pierced he is as sensible of the beauty and power of the Gospel as any other man if he happens to listen with any show is speedily followed by members of the other example castes. Almost everywhere the Band found an open door. There was opposition, of course, but it did not break out

153 After reUef. Cases in which pain the stings, cases sometimes changed the Mr. Foskett To get ; sometimes he comes alone and the other people caste ; but if he is really in agony When the Brahman's- ; and, of interest, his

MISSIONS IN THE TELUGU COUNTRY

156 There were difficulties of the usual kind into violence. incidental to travel, such as those arising out of heat and flood, and in one place the camp was robbed of most of what was valuable in it. these were intermingled with the disappointments apper- But on the whole it was apparent, taining to the work. over a wide field, that the time was ripe for the effort. of the Evangehstic Band The operations came to an end in 1907. one of the districts was vacant, and Mr. Foskett had to occupy it. No one was found to take his place with the Some of the members of the Band were, however, Band. kept together and continued to work in more than one district, in a somewhat similar way, under the direction district missionary. of the be a makeshift, and since at had appeared quaUfied to lead the Band, the members were finally drafted off to other work. of the work of the Band The fruits in two mainly directions. It was the one great opportunity the Mission Sudras. has had of coming directly into touch with them. was a proclamation to them that the Gospel, the Malas they had witnessed, was of which on the It gave them the opportunity to hear what them also. that Gospel was, and what this work was carrying forward of the Christian to intended, A second own teachers. Band were the Christians themselves. challenge to them to exert themselves

Hardships and trials such as virtually At the beginning of that year This, however, could only 1908 no one the end of are to be seen the in relation to First, It effects for The for them. it could do as had been left, congregations under their largely affected by the class Its work was a for the conver-

NONTIL FHI ISEINd INIANLIS IS¥Id! IVAANVN 40 JTHL OIISITHONVAE THI 0 SITOd OMI TANVA ret dah.

Communicants of a village congregation on the occasion of a Celebration

THE EVANGELISTIC BAND

above sion those of socially for their living, but before whom they had depended themselves gone into the Kingdom. Band, helped to fact, iii congregations the evangelistic its work has endured.

157 on whom they them, The Evangelistic teachers and to impart to respect In this spirit.