NINETEEN hundred and seventy was the year when Seventh-day Adventist attention was riveted on Atlantic City and the General Conference. Many leading men in this division had to drop their work and for two or three months attend the world conference. However the great majority of men who made the glowing General Conference baptismal reports possible labored on. As a result there were ten men in our division who won more than 100 souls, one who won 248 souls, twenty-four who won 50, and thirty-six who won more than 25 in 1970. This brought the total baptisms to more than 7,000 and very near the previous year's record.
Pastor P. C. Mathew, president of the Kerala Section, shortly after his return from the General Conference conducted a campaign in Advent-puram, where 9.0 people were baptized in this oldest Adventist center in his field. His treasurer had been working in a new area for many months and by the year's end had baptized 106 persons.
Pastor M. A. James, secretary and Ministerial Association secretary of Kerala, was not far behind. Although he helped in many series of meetings he also baptized 58 in another new area of Kerala. With such leadership is it any wonder that a conference of some 8,000 members baptized 1,723 persons in 1970?
With the same spirit prevailing in neighboring Tamilnadu Section some 1,873 were baptized, making it the top section in baptisms for 1970.
The witness does not result in such large numbers everywhere as we have experienced recently in South India. But the witness is still powerful, and unusual victories are won. We have been thrilled with the work in Bombay where Pastor G. S. Wilson held meetings in the beautiful Seventh-day Adventist church located here for many years. Many miraculous victories have resulted of which the following are a few:
A. G. Ansari, a Moslem, first came in contact with the truth through the purchase of an old magazine. Then, hearing of the meetings, he began to attend. He left his job in the American Express Bakery because they wouldn't give him Sabbaths off and started canvassing on the home missionary cash basis. Today he is a top salesman in Bombay for Adventist literature.
Irene Fernandez and her father began to attend the meetings three years ago. Her mother had passed away some time previous. She accepted the truth against her father's advice and refused to take one of her M.A. examinations which fell on the Sabbath, thus delaying the exam for a whole year. However, her delight was complete in her recent baptism at Pastor Wilson's meetings, and her father now attends church with her.
T. J. Menzes is a railway official who attended the Bombay church meetings. When he asked for release from Sabbath work he was mocked by his friends and was refused any con cession by a number of the officers above him. However, he didn't be come discouraged, but pressed on to the top. There the head official heard his plea and responded favorably, much to the chagrin of all. How happy he was to be baptized!
Mrs. Vithal Rao's daughter heard the call and was baptized. Amazing! Because the Vithal Raos were staunch Hindus whose ancestors were persecuted during the inquisition in Goa a hundred years ago. Relatives did all they could when visiting her home to bring back the Hindu atmosphere but this was difficult now for all the idols had been removed. When Pastor Wilson asked for one as a memento, Mrs. Vithal Rao replied, after looking for it, "I can't give you any. They are all gone!" Mrs. Vithal Rao loves the writings of Ellen G. White and plans to be baptized shortly. Her husband is happy for this, and looks forward also to his baptism. These experiences are all the result of one church effort with an average of only 80 people in attendance. During the meetings some 30 Bibles were given as awards for faithful attendance. So the miracles of God to salvation abound on every side. Truly, these results represent a new day in evangelism for the great lands of Southern Asia.
