V.S. Azariah and the Spirit of Nationalism

Why did V. S. Azariah speak what he did at Edinburgh 1910? Every one is a product of his social location/s. About this time,the spirit of nationalism found its expression among Indian-Christian leaders. Boyd contends, ” Meanwhile a strong feeling had arisen among Indian Christians that work of evangelism should not be left to only foreign organizations, with the result that in 1903 the Indian Missionary Society (IMS) of Tinnelveli was founded under the leadership of V.S. Azariah and A.J. Appasamy while in 1905 came the foundation of the National Missionary Society (NMS) of India, both of them staffed and supported entirely from within India. (Robin Boyd, Indian Christian Theology, p. 87 -88). It is no surprise that V.S. Azariah spoke of indigenous efforts at the International Arena.

The global south at Edinburgh 1910

There were very few members of younger churches (Global South) at Edinburgh. Among the 1200 participants there were only 17 from the “Global South”. About fourteen of these were appointed by missionary societies themselves and the other three were particularly chosen by the Executive committee (in America and Britain). The appointments were made amidst opposition and concern from certain quarters.

That apart, the Asian representatives made significant contributions and challenged several of the assumptions and styles of functioning of Missionaries. They sounded their concern for co-operation and partnership between the missionaries and the “ younger” churches.

• V.Z Azariah (India) spoke about the problem of co-operation between foreign and native workers.
• Rev. Cheng Ching-Yi (China) spoke for a united Church without denominational distinctions.
• K. Ibuka (Japan) criticized the unimaginative missionary transplantation of Western Creeds.
• C.H.Yun (Korea) said that missionaries should consult the local Christians over the distribution of money
• C.C. Wan (China) sharply criticized the dependence of missionaries on colonial governments.

The courage to speak your mind

“ I do not plead for returning calls, handshakes, chairs, dinners and teas as such. I do on the other hand plead for all of them and more if they can be expressions of a friendly feeling, if these or anything else can be the outward proofs of a real willingness on the part of the foreign missionary to show that he is in the midst of the people to be to them not a lord and master but a brother and a friend.”

“ Through all the ages to come the Indian Church will rise up in gratitude to attest the heroism and self denying labors of the missionary body. You have given your goods to feed the poor. You have given your bodies to be burned. We ask for love. Give us friends.”

V.S. Azariah is best known for his lines, ” we need friends” at the World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh. His passionate plea for friendship on equal terms and the sharing of responsibility with complete equality created quite a stir. However, he had the courage to speak his mind. In fact, V. S Azariah had initially refused to accept Mott’s invitation to speak on the topic: Co-operation between foreign and native workers in younger churches.

V.S Azariah did not want to neither suppress the truth (thus be an hypocrite) nor wanted to hurt the feelings of the gathering (run the risk of being misunderstood). However, he did speak his mind, on the insistence of John Mott.

In a world of political correctness it is easy to play to the galleries. But, that would not help us move forward. V.S Azariah and John Mott show us the way forward (particularly at Edinburgh 2010). We need to have the courage like V.S Azariah to speak our heart and mind.

We need to encourage (like John Mott) and help differing perspectives be heard and resolved. For long, We have heard only ourselves and it would be enriching to listen to the views from the other side. To this end we must commit ourselves. We need friends – to hear and be heard, to feel and be felt, to hold hands in partnership as we seek to engage the the gospel with the contemporary world.