full and patient persuasion that truly converted men, thoroughly trained, with the Bible in their hands and the unction of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, can cope with any resistance, and that such an agency is yet to lay low in the dust the proud and hostile heathenism of India. For such a result they cherish this evangelistic training center at Bareilly.
From the Report for 1894 we cull a few extracts to show the history and value of this institution to our work:
“The need of trained helpers was felt from the opening of the Mission. Rev. D. W. Thomas, one of the missionaries, in 1871 offered to donate from his private means $20,000 for the foundation of a Theological Seminary for India if the Mission Board would furnish $10,000 for some buildings. The proposition was accepted. Of this donation the editor of The Christian Advocate wrote at the time: ‘We regard it as one of the most important benefactions, all things considered, that the Church has ever received.’ E. Remington, Esq., of Ilion, N. Y., donated $5,000 of the money required from the Board for buildings. To these gifts a layman of Baltimore added $17,000 more. The seminary was opened in April, 1872, with a class of sixteen students. In 1876 Remington Hall, seen in the center of the picture, was finished, and dedicated by Bishop Andrews.
“Since opening the seminary over two hundred native missionaries have passed through the regular course of three years, and sixty have taken a partial course.”
As the year 1888 opened upon our Mission with a wondrous visitation of grace, that has since added over fifty thousand souls to membership, it became more than ever apparent that our seminary must without delay have enlargement, both in buildings and resources, and this was accompanied with a divine call to an increasing host of young men on whose hearts God had laid “a burden for souls.” Where to accommodate them and where to teach them if they could be accepted now became an anxious question. Two wings, one on either side of Remington Hall, became at once imperative, and were providentially
