236 – Aug. 24 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

Bengal Bay

 

“God Giveth The Increase”

 

1835 – Samuel S. Day was ordained to the Gospel ministry, he and his wife having been appointed to the field of the Teloogoos in India on August 3rd. There were approximately 18 million of these people inhabiting the western coast on the Bay of Bengal. Their religion was Brahmanism with its suffocating caste system. They sailed for the field on Sept. 20. After four years, with little success, the Day’s saw their first Teloogoo convert baptized in the Pennar River on Sept. 27, 1840, with several thousand watching the event. With broken health, Rev. Day was forced to resign the work in 1853. Returning to America he became an agent of the Missionary Union in Canada. No doubt through his influence several Baptist pastors met on Oct. 18, 1866 to form the Baptist Foreign Missionary Society of Ontario and Quebec. Several outstanding missionaries continued the work that the Day’s began. “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one:…God giveth the increase.” [David Downie, The Lone Star-The History of the Telugu Mission (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1883), p. 214. This Day in Baptist History II: Cummins and Thompson, BJU Press: Greenville, S.C. 2000 A.D. pp. 462-464.] Prepared by Dr. Greg J. Dixon

 

125 – May-05 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

Sunday Evening Services

 

In the Baptist petition to the House of Burgesses of Virginia, on May 5, 1774, the Baptists wanted the privilege of having evening meetings. The record reads, “A petition of sundry persons of the community of Christians called Baptists . . . was presented to the House and read, setting forth that the toleration proposed by the bill ordered at the last session of the General Assembly to be printed and published not admitting public worship, except in the daytime, is inconsistent with the laws of England, as well as the practice and usage of the primitive churches, and even of the English church itself; that the night season may sometimes be better spared by the petitioners from the necessary duties of their callings; and that they wish for no indulgences which may disturb the peace of government; and therefore praying the House to take their case into consideration, and to grant them suitable redress.”  Many Baptist pastors are afraid to invite guest preachers today, because the saints of God have adopted the habit of being only Sunday morning believers and or attendees.  The Sunday night attendance is only a sparse crowd compared to Sunday morning, and God help if you have only part of them on Wednesday night.  Shouldn’t Sunday and Wednesday night be as important as Sunday morning!!  Let me challenge you to shock your pastor and determine that you are going to become faithful to every service, day or night.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart adapted from:  This Day in Baptist History III (David L. Cummins) pp. 260 – 262

 

43 – Feb. 12 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

“Be faithful unto death!”  
 
On this day, and just six days short or her twenty-fourth birthday, Luba Skvortsova was arrested when the Russian police raided the home where the celebration was taking place.  When the day of her trial finally came about she could see her parents and a multitude of her friends at the court building.  However the vehicle that was carrying her took her back to the jail where she was held and brought her back the next day when no one was there but Russian police.  Her  parents were allowed to come inside for the two day trial which was a farce, and other believers were given the opportunity to hear the sentencing, where she was given a three year prison term.  They began throwing flowers to her and shouted, “take courage”.  She was taken to the prison camp in Voroshilovgrad in Southeastern Ukraine and given a bunk on the top floor with six other women where she collapsed, not having slept in twenty-four hours.  She discovered that she was in the same prison that housed a number of Independent Baptist pastors; Pavel Rytikov, Stepan Germaniuk, Pavel Sazhnev, Ivan Tyagun and Anatoly Balatsky.  When they learned that she was  there, she found a note in the exercise yard, “Be faithful unto death!”  Those were the same words that her friends had shouted to her in the court room at her sentencing.  It was her blessing to meet a Christian friend there, Maria by name who became like a mother to her.  The guards confiscated there short gospel portion and poem book on one occasion and their punishment was denying extra money to spend in the camp store.  After Maria’s release, a pastor’s wife, Ulyana Germaniuk came and Luba was able to minister to her.  Luba was truly faithful for the three years that she has to stay in that terrible place.