Division News
SUD News, September 2010
Communication Department, Southern Asia Division
T P Kurian
Welcome Program for the Newly Elected Officers
The SUD Staff social committee had a felicitation program on August 8, 2010 at 7:00 pm to welcome the newly elected division officers.
Pastor Rathinaraj John, President
Dr. Gordon E Christo, Secretary
Pastor G S Robert Clive, Treasurer
Dr. L F Lyngdoh gave a timely message for the leaders. They were welcomed in the Indian traditional way with garlands and Dr. G Nageshwara Rao introduced them to the community. A special dedicatory prayer was offered by the ordained pastors. The newly elected officers responded to the community with short speeches. May the Lord bless the ministry of these officers to fulfill the purpose of their call to His work in Southern Asia Division.
Independence Day Program
The workers of Southern Asia Division headquarters along with their spouses and children gathered in front of the office to celebrate the 64rth Independence Day program on August 15, 2010. Dr. M Wilson welcomed the audience and the guests, followed by Scripture reading and a prayer. The color party of the pathfinders of Jeevan Jyothi Campus formed guard of honour and the chief guest Mr. Selvin Moorthy, SUD under treasurer, hoisted the national flag after which he gave a speech on democratic India and the struggle of our former national leaders to make India free from the British. The program was organized by the staff social committee team under Dr. Nageshwara Rao. It ended up with closing prayer. A cultural presentation by the campus kids followed that was organized by Mr. Daniel Baranabas.
Farewell for Pastor William George who is retiring from the active service
On August 18th Wednesday Social committee bid farewell to Pastor William George, Director, Special Ministry, who has put in 42 years of service to the organization. Mr. Selvin Moorthy narrated his own experience about Pastor William George and Pastor Clive awarded him certificate and Medallion from the ministerial department. Finally Pastor William Gerorge thanked everybody for organizing such a program. A Synopsis of His service is given below:
After completion of junior studies at Spicer Memorial College Pr. William George started his career in the year 1968 as a pastor of three churches in Sankarankoil area, after that he was moved to karaikal, and then at the Trichy headquarter church. After that he was transferred to Chengalpattu church where he started the school. He is the founder of the school. Then he went back to SMC for higher studies, and then served as a pastor/evangelist in the South Tamil section. Then he was appointed as a principal/pastor of Koilpatti school where he bought 5 acres of land. Then he moved to Vellore English/Tamil church pastor.
In 1980 he was transferred to Pondicherry main church for three years and he served as a circle leader. In 1984, he was promoted as a department director, then health temperance and stewardship director and served I year in the Lowry church in Karnataka. Later he served as an executive secretary in the North Tamil Section. Then he was called to South India union as a communication department director. After that he was promoted as president of North Tamil Section. During his period the section became Conference of SIU, the first conference of SIU. He conducted evangelistic crusades. He served in Maharashtra too. In 1998 he was appointed as a Global Mission director of SUD. He served in various departments like Special ministries , Gospel outreach , Quiet Hour , independent ministry and deaf ministry. He is retiring as special ministry Director. God bless him in his retired life
Spicer College Celebrated Founders’ Day
August 28, 1942 was the day when classes were conducted for the first time on the present campus after Spicer College relocated to Pune from Bangalore.
This year the day was celebrated well, but comparatively on a low key academically, since August 28 fell on a Saturday and was sandwiched between two half working days. Celebrations started as early as a week before the Day with a selection of football matches organized among boys as well as girls with the finals slotted for Sunday, the 29th, when an exhibition match between the college faculty and the school faculty was played as a bonus, with the college winning against the school scoring 2-0. All the religious programs on the Sabbath were geared to the theme of the Founders’ Day. A special Talent Night was organized on Saturday night and a special quiz based on the history of the college was held during the chapel period on Tuesday, August 31 for the students belonging to different programs in the college: Spicer Autonomous, Andrews University, Griggs University and Pune University programs.
A special vespers service was taken by “The Chariots” the prestigious singing group of the college and enthralled the church with their songs, skit and message. Sabbath program was special too on the Founders Day. The sermon entitled “Incredible Dream - Impossible Dream” delivered by Dr Mohanraj Israel, Director of the EG White Centre of this college, who started his sermon with the “Story of the Daffodil Principle” and led the congregation through the annals of human history beginning with our forefathers who started this great journey of faith and whose names were immortalized in the book of Hebrews: “Abel . . . Enoch . . . Noah . . . Abraham . . . Sarah . . . Jacob . . . Joseph . . . Moses . . . Joshua . . . David. Different people, different stories, widely separated in time and space. Stories that span thousands of years.
But the climax of the service was the ardent and meaningful prayer of consecration and commitment offered in great solemnity by Dr Devadas after he invited all the administrators to join him on the stage and reverently led the congregation in the reading of the Litany of Praise and Commitment included below, followed by the singing of the great hymn with a great theme: “TO God Be the Glory, Great Things He Hath Done” : Dr Mohanraj then closed the service with his solo “To Dream the Impossible Dream”.
Spicer will remain ever grateful to all the missionaries and visionaries - former presidents and professors who left the portals of their complacent homes and the pacific shores of their distant homelands, with their dedicated spouses (and many with young children), to embark on this unknown trail, purely in faith and love and helped in building this great institution, brick by brick : G G Lowry, I F Blue, E M Meleen, O A Skau, L B Losey, E W Pohlmann, M O Manley, C A Schutt, I D Higgins, R E Rice, N O Matthews, W G Jenson, O O Mattison, O W Lang, R S Lowry, W F Zill, J W Ashlock, J D Braillesford, M D Campbell, F J Crump, H L Hooper, G R Jenson, W G Johnsson, P L Parker, C H Tidwell (Sr), L A Willis, Dan Jackson, R L Rowe, C E Roe, E L Nielson, R H Jones, H D Erickson, Gordon Buhler, Fred Nash, Charles Shultz, Robert Patton, Martin Kobialka, Horst Rolly, Marcus Kappel, Bert Trussel, Bud Lowry, D R Bankhead and many many more whose names are just beyond the memory, not forgetting those from the nearer lands and from the recent past: E G Fernando, Brian de Alwis, Chidozie Ibeneme, Patrick Manu, Michael Isiwele, etc. And Spicer certainly can never forget the hundreds of indigenous administrators, faculty and staff who formed the scaffold and served faithfully this great institution these past ninety-five years, not forgetting the thousands of students who left the portals of their alma mater after enriching it further with their presence, participation, and presents. Won’t it be a great sight to see them, at least the children and grandchildren of the older lot, five years hence when the college celebrates its centenary anniversary, hopefully as a university? Amen!
