his Old Man? For How Long?
These were the words of the Missionary Bishop Leslie Newbigin and you will soon learn when they were spoken and why.
Back in1950, Missionary Bishop Newbigin was in charge of the large Madurai - Ramnad Diocese in the newly formed Church of South India. He was struggling to bring peace between two warring groups within the congregation of CSI Christ Church in Madurai. After much prayer, the Bishop chose Mr. P. S. Arthur, a soft-spoken former School Headmaster to shepherd this factious flock.
Earlier, responding to the Lord’s call, Mr. Arthur had resigned from the position of Headmaster and completed his Theological studies before serving in several pastorates in the diocese. The Bishop had great regard for the young Rev. Arthur’s God-given wisdom and dedicated ministry.
The Bishop said, “Arthur, I know your abilities and commitment. God is moving you to a difficult Church, which needs peace at the earliest. He will be with you. Do your best. I will support you in all your peace initiatives”.
Rev. Arthur spoke to his wife about the challenges ahead. He suggested that he would initiate dialogue with one group while his wife could speak to the opposing group. When they had understood and discussed the issues to be resolved, they would pray together to find an amicable solution. God blessed their efforts and peace was restored in that Church.
The Bishop was delighted with the outcome. He was also close to this humble Pastor’s family and would spend a day with them every year. Sitting on the floor with the six children, he would enjoy the simple Indian food prepared affectionately for him.
Calamity struck this family in November1954. The Pastor’s wife was ill for a week and passed away on a Saturday morning. The devoted Pastor decided to conduct the funeral that evening itself, so that the Sunday Morning Worship could go on unaffected. Telegrams were the only means of urgent communication then. The Pastor’s father in law, a retired Teacher, was at Tuticorin. He got the news by lunch time and after a seven-hour journey, reached Madurai at night. By then Rev. Arthur had completed his wife’s funeral service and was with her mortal remains beside the newly dug grave. The old man saw his daughter’s face for the last time in the cemetery under hurricane lights.
The Pastor conducted the Sunday Morning Service and also delivered God’s Word the very next day. The congregation was moved by his dedication. After just two years, tragedy struck again. The Pastor fell ill, and in November 1956, he also went to be with the Lord. Bishop Leslie Newbigin conducted the funeral of his beloved co-worker.
The Bishop now faced the challenge of organizing support for the six orphaned children.
The very next day, he invited the relatives of the Pastor and the Church leaders to his office. Placing the six children before them, he asked if any of them were willing to take care of the children. In those days, every family had four to six children. Naturally all the close relatives found it beyond their means to add six more to their families.
There was silence even after the Bishop repeated his appeal. Then the children’s grandfather, the retired teacher, stood up and said, “Bishop, I will take care of them.” That’s when the Bishop exclaimed in disappointment and anguish, “This old man? For how long? Sit down.”
The old man sat down.
The Bishop continued the auction-like appeal. But, sadly there were no takers! The old man stood up again and said, “Bishop, I already told you. Give those children to me. As long as God gives me life on earth, I will take care of them.” The Bishop had no other option. The grandfather took custody of the children. A special appeal from the Bishop and the efforts of church leaders helped to mobilize Rs10,000/-, which was then a big sum indeed! This was deposited in the Bank as a special fund, to be used for the marriage expenses of the four daughters and higher education for the sons.
The grandfather looked at the children and said, “Look! No one in the family is willing to care for you. I don’t know how long I will live. I will place you in boarding schools in different towns. I will provide what is essential and leave the rest to God. He will take care of you”.
The Bishop was right. The grandfather did not live long enough to see the children grow to adulthood.
The children did well. How? The Lord who has promised to care for widows and orphans, was faithful to His promise in His Word. All the children were well-educated, and some completed Ph. D.s and degrees in engineering. They were all well placed, married and well settled.
Most important, they continue to serve the Lord joyfully and faithfully in their lives. The Lord has blessed them with long life too.
Later, the same relatives who had hesitated to take responsibility for the children testified, “The Lord has indeed blessed each one of you. We could not have done as much for you. Why, even if your parents had been alive, you would not have been so blessed.” Yes, all the children survived, living up to their seventies and eighties and still continue to move on in life, as living testimonies to God’s faithfulness.
Note: The writer of this testimony, Mr. A. S. Chellappa, is the fifth child of this Pastor’s family. (seated at the feet of his father in the family photo, taken just before the death of the Pastor’s wife in November, 1954.). He was in the sixth standard at school when he was orphaned. God blessed his studies and he went on to complete his Engineering Degree and a postgraduate degree in Management. He joined Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, a premier Public Sector Company in India, and rose up to become its Senior Deputy General Manager.
When God called him to serve Him full time, he opted for voluntary retirement and, for more than two decades, works through Missionary Upholders Trust in caring for bereaved Missionary families. In addition, during the past 16 years he has also served as the Trustee/ Advisor in Christian Comforting Ministries which he founded. ‘Quiet Time Melodies’ is his family’s music ministry for the Christian Community at large, focusing on comforting those in distress. He is also involved in Children’s ministry and church revival.
