History of Christianity in India:

Topic: Independent movement: Pioneer Subba Rao, Subamma, Bakt Singh.

Submitted to Sir. Sunil Thomas

1. Introduction:
In this assignment we are going to see about the independents movement. What mean by
independent movement its background the causes of the movement and the different leaders who
have led this independent movement and specially the focusing on the leaders like pioneer Subba
Rao, Subamma, Bakt Singh, etc.who had contributed towards the independent movement in
India during the foreign missionary mission and church administration in India and its impact to
the church different denominations in India.

2. What is independent movement?

Independent movement is a wide spectrum of organization and the movement which had the
common aim of ending up the other ruling power over and organizing their own system of
exercising like ruling, teaching, and administration mission, development within the church or
outside of the church. Own leader, own money, own governing body etc.

3. The background of the independent movement in India:

The earlier history of Christianity in India that according to traditions Thomas the Apostle
brought the Christianity to India in the first century A.D. The ancient church whose members are
found in the south India was for the many centuries inked with Syrian church of the east .they are
called themselves as a St. Thomas Christian and Syrian Christian but the Portuguese came to
India in the sixteenth century and those churches were converted into obedience to Rome . But in
seventieth century many of the St. Thomas Christian broke away from the Rome again because
they dislike being subjected to the Portuguese and the Jesuits. In the early 19th century Anglican
missionaries came to south India and this led to yet have again formed link with the church of the
east and have broken away from the group linked with the patriarch of Antioch. The whole group
of churches is now vigorous and growing and many reforms have been carried out but it is
deeply divided into many denominations under the pioneer missionary leadership in India.1

4. The origin and development of independent movement in the church:

During the Portuguese period the progress of Christianity in India was closely connected with
Portuguese rule. For centuries majority of the people who followed the Hindu religion had been
rude by Muslims mogul rulers. As a result they were defensive about their religion and culture
.The mogul empire finally collapsed in the middle of the 19th century. By this time both the
British and the French, as well as the Portuguese had acquired possession in India. But the
British defeated the French and Portuguese have same small possessions including Goa. First the
British east India Company dominate the India but in the 1857 company rule ended and directly
British rule began. During this period the first British Missionaries came to India such as the
pioneers Baptist Missionaries William Carey and early missionaries of the church missionary’s
society and the London missionary society.2

1
Ipe kochupallikunnel. Pentecostal churches in Kerala and indigenous leadership. (Delhi: ISPCK, 2011), 57.
5. The Bakt Singh:
The Bakt Singh who become a Christian in Canada in the early 1930s, and who later become a
famous evangelist in India and abroad he is a well known person during those periods .In 1041
has first meeting in Gujarat was held at Mohamedabad , and he soon become a frequent visitors
to the area in centers like Ahmadabad and surat there arose considerable groups of Christian
closely associated with his ministry and following a type of Christian life similar to that of the
Plymouth Brethren of Britain . his earlier days Brother Bakt Singh was highly critical of the
organized church and of foreign missionaries, and many main line church Christian left their
churches in order to receive baptism at his hands and to join his group. By 1970 there was a
steadily and permanent membership of the group for example those meeting at Beersheba in
Ahmadabad in addition many Christians of other churches regularly attended his meeting when
he visited their city through remaining as members of their own churches in which some of them
gave outstanding service . some of those most closely associated with Brother Bakt Singh’s
movement later become deeply involved with the work of the evangelical fellowship of India the
union evangelical students in India , and operation mobilization , the gospel literature service
Bombay was the publishing house with which they maintained close link and whose publication
they distributed widely .one mighty have expected that a group under leadership of this kind
would be less westernized and more Indian in its atmosphere yet on the whole is nit so and in
fact the western cultural elements in the group is at least prominent as in the main line churches .
The Bakt Singh tradition dose however represent a very live genuine and out ward. Looking
element in the Christian people of Gujarat.3

The great fishers of men:

Bagkht Singh was a man of prayer who prayed ceaselessly. He had a passion for the soul and left
no stone unturned in seeking them out be they on the hills or plains or in the house or in the
street and brought them to master. He found the will of God one day when he was preaching in
the rain souls were born again. After that he tended them and led them to the green pastures. he
was a good shepherd he was ready to give his life for the people to whom he was working .He
encourage the people his life was full of light and power his personal life was lived in
simplicity. His death is a great loose to Christendom in general and to Christian in India
particularly where he plants the churches on caste or community or regional basis which tend to
act as impenetrable among the Christians. He was a man of unifying force of the Christian.
People deeply mourned for his death who got much benefit through his ministry and his
teaching.

Pioneer missionary-Subba Rao- (1912-9181):

Subba Rao is from the Andhra Pradesh. A discussion about his theology is found under ‘church
and the kingdom of God’. He had contributed to indigenize Christianity. He was more fascinated
to the Kingdom of God and a Hindu Christian movement .He was not happy with the
institutional church. Subba Rao is an unbapprised Hindu believer of Christ. He has been gifted

2
Ibid., 57.

3
Robin Boyd. Church History of Gujarat. (Madras: At the Diocesan press, 1981), 141-142.
by the Holy Spirit with the power of healing in the name of Jesus. He has been dealing with
hindered and thousands troubled with diverse disease and sickness through faith and prayer in
Andhra Pradesh . further division. Some of the Thomas Christian becomes Anglican and
others.K . Subba Rao is an interesting contemporary leader of a Hindu –christian movement . He
has become well- known for his devotional meeting and his work as a divine healer , no less then
for his critical views on the instituatinal church. Subba Rao’s devotion to Christ goes back to a
vision of Christ which he had in 1942 at a tome when he was virtually an atheist and completely
scctical about all religiouses as indeed he still is today . Along with the vision came the gift of
healing. Which he has exercise with great effectiveness ever since. Subba Rao had previousely
had little if any contact with Christian , and he has never felt any need for baptism or for the
fellowship of the visible church and in fact is implacacblly hostile to both of them, regarding
them as impediments which prevent many people form coming to know Christ and surrender
themselves to him. Subba Rao has not written any comprehensive work but some of the tulugu
lyrics which he sings to the accompaniment of the tambura at his devotional meeting have been
translated and published as well as some of his while a biogarpyh by C.D airan and a brief study
by kaj baago have a made his work known to the public . subba rao feel that those who have
been baptized by the sipirit , water baptism is a meaningless and even harmful ceremonial. Ha
has no wish whatever to be asoociated with the visible organization of the church feeling thay it
is enough to be one with Christ and to live out that unity in service others.

Christo-centric mysticism:

The out standing featrueres ofSubba Rao’s faith is his comlete dedication to Christ a variety of
avataras and to allow considerable variation in the object of his bhakthi Since his vision in 1942
christ has been that the center of Subba Rao life abd it is name alone that the work of

Independent church called mars Thomas which sought to test all teaching and worship by the
Bible. Since then some of the Thomas Christian

6. Kali CharanBanerjee:
In 1887 a group of Indian Christian led by Kali Charan Banerjee, who left the foreign mission
churches and founded the Calcutta Christo-samaj. There was to spread the Christian faith and to
encourage unity among the churches. They hoped that all Indian Christians would join the
Christian samaj and so become free from the foreign missionary division and paternalism.
Banerjee said that the Indian church should be one, not divided, native, not foreign; They
essentials of the faith were contained in the apostles creed and could never change but matters
like church organization were non essentials and could and should be changed this was the
independent movement by him.4

7. Brethren Movement:
Brethren churches established in Kerala at the eve of the 20th century become a forerunner to the
Pentecostal movement in Kerala. Mr. Gregson the first missionary of the Brethren movement

4
Louise pirouet. Christianity world wide.(London: SPCK, 1989),71.
came to Kerala in 1896 and obtained permission from the metropolitan to work among the
marthoites in Kerala. Even though Mar- Thoma church lost all her properties by the court
judgment in 1889, it sustained by repeated revival and they encourage evangelistic preaching so
they did not find it difficult to invite Mr. Greg son to preach in maraman convention of 1897.
Mr. Gergson who taught the epistles to the Colossians and Romans in one month course on the
Bible. In September 1889, emphasized on the believer’s baptism and due to this reason his entry
was restriction in the marthoma churches. Therefore he began to work independently. A small
group attracted by his teachings joined with him and the first Brethren church was formed at
kumbanad in 1898. Along with him many of the others also joined with Brethren Movement.5

Lal Behari Day: He started a Movement against the exclusive missionary control of the church
in 1850s advocated that Indian ordained minister should be put on equal with the missionaries
and have the right of membership in the council.6

K.M. Banerjee: K.M banerjee as a president of the Bengal Christian association organized in
the seventies of the 19th century to develop autonomy of the church from western mission. He
expressed his vision of an Indian church at the third Decennial missionary conference held at
Bombay in 1892-1893 The native church should be one not divided native not foreign.7

Henry Venn and Rufus Anderson: Missionaries like Henry Venn and Rufus Anderson
advocated the need for the development of indigenous leadership in the Anglican Church. As the
chief secretary of the church missionary society from 1841-1872. Henry Venn desired to the
formation of self-governing independent national churches in every country.8

T.V Philip: According to T.V. Philip, consciousness of an Indian church began to take root
among the Indian Christian only after the growth of the national movement. At the beginning of
the 20th century Indians are attempted to evangelize in India without the help of the foreign
missionaries. On 25th December 1905 national missionary society of India was formed to
evangelize in India with Indian men. Indian money. And the Indian management.9

K.K Kuruvilla: According to K.K.Kuruvilla church under foreign missionary leadership and its
development on foreign money is an obstacle to its progress, this thus the reformed party without
joining the foreign missionary’s progress under the native leadership. From the middle 19 th
century a large group desired to free the church from the foreign missionary’s control.10

5
Ipe Kochupallikunnel. Pentecostal churches in Kerala and indigenous leadership. (Delhi: ISPCK, 2011), 14.

6
Ibid., 17.

7
Ibid.,17

8
Ibid., 18.

9
Ibid.,18

10
Ibid., 20.
Thus among the protestant churches in India there were considerable progress in 20 th century
towards a self supporting , self- governing and self –propagating church . Particularly since the
First World War. Among the protestant churches this was a period of transition from missionary
leadership to native leadership. Struggle in the main line churches during the formation of the
Pentecostal churches influenced greatly to work for the native leadership.11

11
Ibid.,19