Western Jharkhand Section

Western Jharkhand Section is a part of Northern India Union Section in the Southern Asia Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Formerly part of Jharkhand-Bihar Section, Western Jharkhand Section was organized in 1920 and reorganized in 1938, 1952, 1970, 1984, and 2009.

Territory: The districts of Bokaro, Chatra, East Singhbhum, Garhwa, Gumia, Hazaribagh, Khunti, Kodarma, Latehar, Lohardaga, Palamu, Ramgarh, Ranchi, Saraikela Kharsawan, Simdega, and West Singhbhum were included in the Indian state of Jharkhand.

Statistics (June 30, 2022): Churches, 58; membership, 10,055; population, 24,337,273.

Address: Adventist Centre, Karam Toli Chowk, Morabadi Villa, Bariatu Road, Ranchi 834008, Jharkhand, India.

Early History

In 1919, Georgia Burgess visited Ranchi in connection with a search for a better location for the Bengali Boys School that had been established at Entally (Calcutta) in 1917. Her husband, Luther Burgess, was the superintendent of the Bengal Mission, and she was in charge of the Bengali Boys School. While in Ranchi, she found excellent facilities for holding the Biennial Session of the India Union. She called her husband to check out the site that was soon approved by the union officers. The biennial meetings had originally been planned for Hapur, but adequate facilities could not be arranged in time.¹

At that Biennial Session in Ranchi, the Southern Asia Division, the Northeast India Union (Mission), and the Bihar Mission were organized. In January 1920, L. J. Burgess was transferred as the first superintendent of the newly organized Bihar Mission, and his wife Georgia continued in charge of the Bengali Boys School, which moved from Calcutta to Ranchi.² They rented an estate in Morabadi with a six-room bungalow and ten bighas of land. The property had another six out-buildings and a good well. The owner of the place also donated 25,000 bricks to be used for additional buildings as necessary.³ The school boys took down the materials of the tabernacle used by the Biennial Session and carted them over to the school, building it into three dormitories, 13 x 42 feet each.⁴

The first Munda to be baptized was Prabhu Sahay Topno, a farmer from Bagri, a village about fifty miles away, accessed largely through jungle trails. Topno had an impressive dream sometime in 1921 about a new missionary who would come to his area with an important message of Christ and the soon-coming end of the world. Two years later, a Church of England pastor came from Ranchi to preach in a chapel nearby and mentioned that a new missionary had settled in Ranchi and was preaching about the soon coming of Jesus and the seventh-day Sabbath. Prabhu Sahay recalled his dream and proceeded to Ranchi, where he located the Burgesses. They studied together for about an hour, answering his questions. A few weeks later, he returned and spent a month studying the Bible with them. Finally, he was baptized on January 1, 1924. He then returned to his village and shared his newfound faith.⁵

The First “Organization”

In 1927, it was voted from the Chota Nagpur Mission (unorganized).⁶ After the Burgesses had moved away from Ranchi for health reasons to the hills of Almora, Pastor J. E. Saunders took Luther Burgess’s place as superintendent of the Bihar Mission, and the Bengali Boys School merged with the Northeast India Union Training School that was established at Brightlands, Ranchi. The training school served both Bengali- and Hindi-speaking students till later separate training schools were established.⁷ Pastor Saunders baptized eleven more members in Bagri and also had a group of interested people studying at Murhu on the way.⁸ The workers of the Chota Nagpur Mission included Prabhu Sahay Topno, Barnabas Tiru, and Hanuk Tiru under the leadership of Saunders. In 1929 Omah Ekka, Silvanus Ekka, and Peter Kaka were added to the workforce, and W. B. Votaw replaced Saunders.⁹ Due to the economic depression, the Northeast India Union Mission was downgraded to mission status in 1932, and the missions were reduced to mission station status. The Chota Nagpur Mission station dropped out from the yearbook, and the work came under the administration of the Ranchi Mission Station.

The first church was in Bagri on property donated by Prabhu Sahay as baksheesh (donation). Pastor Saunders selected a place on a hillock so that it could be seen from afar.¹⁰ The members had been constructing the church for more than a year but finally had it completed and ready for dedication at the local meetings in February 1928. The Saunders family, Pastor and Mrs. Votaw, Pastor G. G. Lowry, and P. D. Kujur were present.¹¹ The church was a nice pukka (solid) building. Brother and Sister Saunders hoped to settle permanently in this territory when they returned from furlough.¹²

The Khunti Station

In 1929, seven and a half acres of land were purchased at Khunti, about halfway between Ranchi and Bagri, and Pastor Saunders completed the construction of a bungalow in 1930.¹³ The Khunti school was established by C. J. Jenson at personal expense.¹⁴

The first Munda Annual Meeting. The meetings were conducted in 1934 at Pelaul, about three miles from the Khunti Mission station. The presenters were J. E. Saunders, W. B. Votaw, and G. E. Lundquist, and the devotional meetings were taken by P. Samuel Topno, Dharmadas Tiru, and Anand Masih. Fifteen people were baptized on the last Sabbath, including four from the Ronhe community. It was noted that there were companies of about ten members each at Raniya and Phudi.¹⁵

The first Oraon church. Despite the closure of the Chota Nagpur Mission in 1932, work continued. Pastor W. B. Votaw, who had replaced Saunders in 1929, refers to the “Oraon Mission Station.”¹⁶ On December 22, 1934, twelve persons were baptized in Tilsiri, the first Oraon company that was established by Prabhu Das Kujur and Mansidh Tirkey during their vacation. The church here was dedicated in 1939 by C. A. Larson and P. D. Kujur.¹⁷

Maternity Home. Lusie Scholz, who had worked in various cities in North India and Bengal from 1909-1915 and was expected to return to India in 1927, was assigned to medical work in Ranchi.¹⁸ She opened a maternity home at the edge of town and provided some good contacts to open evangelistic work. However, this facility appears to have closed by 1930.¹⁹

Organizational History

Bihar Mission (1920-1932; 1938-1952). When the Southern Asia Division was organized in 1919 and 1920, the Northeast India Union included the Bihar Mission with headquarters in Ranchi. In 1932, as a result of the economic depression, the Northeast India Union was downgraded to a mission and administered from Lucknow. The Bihar Mission was dismantled, and the stations of Kuru (Oraon), Khunti, Ranchi Station, etc., were administered from Lucknow. The Northeast India Union reverted to union status in 1938, and the Bihar Mission was reorganized.²⁰

East India Mission/Section (1952-1996). In 1952, the territories of Orissa, West Bengal, and the Goalpara district of Assam were added, and the Bihar Mission was renamed the East India Mission.²¹ In 1954, the Division Committee took an action to discontinue the term “mission,” and the East India Mission was renamed East India Section. In 1970 the Northeast India Section absorbed the Goalpara district of Assam, and the state of Orrisa was transferred to the newly organized Central India Union, leaving the East India Section with just the states of Bihar and Bengal.

Bihar Section (1996-2001). In 1996, the East India Section was renamed the Bihar Section. All of Bengal from the East India Section was joined with the North Frontier Region (North Bengal) and renamed the West Bengal Section. Since only Bihar remained of the erstwhile East India Section, it was renamed Bihar Section.²²

Jharkhand-Bihar Section (2001-2009). On November 15, 2000, the government of India created a new state of Jharkhand from the territory that had previously been in Bihar. The following year the Bihar Section was renamed as the Jharkhand-Bihar Section.²³

Western Jharkhand Section (2009-Present). In 2009, the East India Section was divided into the Eastern Jharkhand Section with headquarters in Dumka, the Bihar Region with headquarters in Patna, and the territory that remained to be administered from Ranchi was renamed the Western Jharkhand Section.

Executive Officers

Presidents

Bihar Mission: F. H. Loasby (1938-1940); R. J. Borrowdale (1941-1947); P. D. Kujur (Acting, 1947); W. B. Votaw (1948-1950); R. J. Borrowdale (1950-1952).

East India Mission/Section: Presidents: R. J. Borrowdale (1952-1954); H. T. Burr (1954 to 1955); D. S. Laursen (1955 to 1956); W. H. Storz (1956-1958); H. T. Burr (1958-1962); W. G. Lowry (1963-1973); P. D. Kujur, Jr. (1973-1978); P. H. Lall (1978-1980); D. S. Poddar (1980 to 1981); J. I. Konghat (1981 to 1982); P. D. Kujur (1982-1986); K. S. Kongari (1986-1991); Peter Mundu (1991-1996).

Bihar Section: Peter Mundu (1996-1998); M. G. Kisku (1998 to 1999); Ezras Lakra (1999-2001).

Jharkhand-Bihar Section: J. Manohar Kujur (2001-2009).

Western Jharkhand Section: J. Manohar Kujur (2009-2011); Moses Lugun (2011-2016); Alex Dang (2016-2021); Sujjal Kisku (2021-Present).

Secretaries:

Bihar Mission: R. S. Fernanado (1938-1941); R. J. Borrowdale (1941-1945); R. K. Pandit (1945 to 1946); S. N. Dass (1946 to 1947); R. K. Pandit (1947-1950); Bejoy Nowrangi (1950 to 1951); N. K. Baroi (1951 to 1952).

East India Mission/Section: R. K. Pandit (1952-1955); K. Gopala Rao (1955-1960); R. K. Pandit (1960-1962); Emmanuel Lakra (1962-1967); P. D. Kujur, Jr. (1967-1971); Bejoy Nowrangi (1971-1977); D. K. Baroya (1977 to 1978); J. N. Topno (1978-1981); Michael Kisku (1981-1983); S. S. Bhengra (1983-1987); Deep B. Thapa (1988-1991); Sukhendu Bairagee (1991-1996).

Bihar Section: Sukhendu Bairagee (1996 to 1997); Joseph Tudu (1997-1999); Robert Marjee (1999-2001).

Jharkhand Bihar Section: Peter Surin (2001-2004); J. Manohar Kujur (2004 to 2005); Shishpal Singh (2005-2009).

Western Jharkhand Section: Moses Lugun (2009-2011); Frederick Lakra (2011-2014); Watson Tirkey (2015 to 2016); Shekhar Chand (2016-2018); Watson Tirkey (2018-2021); Suleman Topno (2021-Present).

Treasurers:

Bihar Mission: R. S. Fernanado (1938-1941); R. J. Borrowdale (1941-1945); R. K. Pandit (1945 to 1946); S. N. Dass (1946 to 1947); R. K. Pandit (1947-1950); Manual Amirtham (1950 to 1951); R. J. Borrowdale (1951 to 1952).

East India Mission/Section: R. K. Pandit (1952-1955); K. Gopala Rao (1955-1960); R. K. Pandit (1960-1962); Emmanuel Lakra (1962-1967); P. D. Kujur, Jr. (1967-1971); D. Henry (1971-1974); Karnal S. D. Charles (1974 to 1975); J. D. Moses (1975-1977); D. K. Baroya (1977- 1982); Khittish C. Dass (1982-1985); Nirmal Nowrangi (1985-1991); E. P. Kujur (1991-1995).

Bihar Section: C. Kisku (1996-2001).

Jharkhand Bihar Section: C. Kisku (2001-2003); Shishpal Singh (2004-2009).

Western Jharkhand Section: Shishpal Singh (2009-2015); Shekhar Chand (2016-2022); Rajan Kerkhetta (2022-Present).

Sources

“Our Church in the Wildwood.” Eastern Tidings, September 15, 1926.

Burgess, L. J. “How Prabhu Sahai Found the Message.” ARH, May 29, 1924.

Burgess, L. J. “Ranchi.” Eastern Tidings, August 15, 1923.

Burgess, L. J. “Ranchi.” India Union Tidings.  December 15, 1919.

Burgess, L. J. “The work at Ranchi,” Eastern Tidings, May 1, 1920.

Christo, Gordon E. “Southern Asia Division.” Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists, January 29, 2020. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6AMO&highlight=Southern|Asia|Division.

Fletcher, W. W. “Where Will the Conference Be Held.” India Union Tidings, December 1, 1919.

Loasby, F. H. “Another Village Church Dedicated.” ARH, July 27, 1939.

Lowry, G. G. “Northeast India Union Report.” Eastern Tidings, Dec 1930-Jan 31. Biennial Special.

Lowry, G. G. “Ranchi Maternity Home.” Eastern Tidings, January 1, 1928.

Lowry, G. G. “Ranchi School. Eastern Tidings, January 1, 1928.

Minutes of the Northern India Union Committee. March 12, 2001.

Minutes of the Northern Union Committee. July 30-31, 1996.

Narlapati, Subhakar Prasad. “METAS Adventist Hospital.” Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists, October 31, 2020. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=9AMS&highlight=METAS|Adventist|Hospital.

Report of Committee on Nominations and Distribution of Labour.” Eastern Tidings, April 5, 1927.

Saunders, J. E. “Itinerating, and Local Meeting at Bagri.” Eastern Tidings, April 15, 1928.

Saunders, J. E. “Munda Annual Meetings.” Eastern Tidings, April 15, 1934.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbooks, 1920, 1921, 1930, 1952-2021. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

Votaw, W. B. “Oraon Mission Station.” Eastern Tidings, February 15, 1935.

Wellman, S. A. “In the Northeast Union.” Eastern Tidings, August 15, 1923.

Wellman, S. A. “Karmatar and Chota Nagpur.” Eastern Tidings, September 24, 1924.

Notes

1. W. W. Fletcher, “Where Will the Conference Be Held,” India Union Tidings, December 1, 1919, 1.↩

2. “Bihar Mission, Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1920), 274; and “Bengali Boys School,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1921), 150.↩

3. “Ranchi,” India Union Tidings, L J Burgess, December 15, 1919, 2. ↩

4. L. J. Burgess, “The work at Ranchi,” Eastern Tidings, May 1, 1920, 3-4. ↩

5. L. J. Burgess, “How Prabhu Sahai Found the Message,” ARH, May 29, 1924, 10.↩

6. Report of Committee on Nominations and Distribution of Labour,” Eastern Tidings, April 5, 1927, 5.↩

7. S. A. Wellman, “In the Northeast Union,” Eastern Tidings, Aug 15, 1923, 6-7; L. J. Burgess, “Ranchi,” Eastern Tidings, August 15, 1923, 7.↩

8. S. A. Wellman. “Karmatar, and Chota Nagpur,” Eastern Tidings, September 15, 1924, 7.↩

9. “Chota Nagpur Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 1930.↩

10. “Our Church in the Wildwood,” Eastern Tidings, September 15, 1926, 5.↩

11. J. E. Saunders, “Itinerating, and Local Meeting at Bagri,” Eastern Tidings, April 15, 1928, 5-6.↩

12. G. G. Lowry, Ranchi School, Eastern Tidings, January 1, 1928, 4.↩

13. G. G. Lowry, Northeast India Union Report, Eastern Tidings, Dec 1930- Jan 31 Biannual Special, 14.↩

14. For the history of the school, see Patras Murmu, “Khunti SDA Senior Secondary Boarding School,” Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists, October 30, 2020, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=9AM5&highlight=Khunti|SDA|Senior|Secondary|Boarding|School.↩

15. J. E. Saunders, “Munda Annual Meetings, Eastern Tidings, Apr 15, 1934, 4-5.↩

16. W. B. Votaw, “”Oraon Mission Station,” Eastern Tidings, Feb 15, 1935, 6.↩

17. F. H. Loasby, “Another Village Church Dedicated,” ARH, July 27, 1939, 22-23.↩

18. Report of Committee on Nominations and Distribution of Labour,” Eastern Tidings, April 5, 1927, 5. For the history of the Ranchi hospital that Dr. Shearer established, see, for example, Narlapati S. Prasad, “METAS Adventist Hospital, Ranchi,” Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists, May 25, 2021, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=1G8L&highlight=Ranchi.↩

19. G. G. Lowry, Ranchi Maternity Home, Eastern Tidings, January 1, 1928, 6; “METAS Adventist Hospital, Ranchi,” https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=1G8L&highlight=Ranchi.↩

20. See “The Depression” in Gordon E. Christo, “Southern Asia Division,” Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists, January 29, 2020, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6AMO&highlight=Southern|Asia|Division.↩

21. (See “East India Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1953), 194.↩

22. “Formation of Sections,” minutes of the Northern Union Committee, July 30-31, 1996, #96-105, 31↩

23. “Bihar Section changed to Jharkhand Bihar Section,” minutes of the Northern India Union Committee, #2001-033, March 12, 2001.↩