National Missionary Society of India was founded in the year 1905 in Serampore in West Bengal on the Christmas Day, 25 December. A bird’s eye view of the profiles of the founders of NMS reveals the wide spectrum of men with diverse backgrounds. They were from various parts of India and the neighbouring countries. They were men of reputation and calibre. A brief outline of the life of nine of the seventeen founders are here.
V S Azariah
V S Azariah was the second child of Rev Thomas Vedanayagam. He grew up in a village called Velalanvillai where once when he was a small boy, he offered his golden bangles as a contribution for missions in Africa. He served for nearly twenty years near Tiruchendur as a pastor. Rev Azariah was associated with young men in YMCA. Sherwood Eddy of YMCA and K T Paul were his friends. They later founded National Missionary Society of India in 1905 with some more friends in Serampore, Calcutta. The founders decided to work with Indian men, money and methods. In 1909 he went as a missionary to Dornakal and later became the Bishop ofDornakal diocese. He worked for church union and was instrumental in the formation of Church of South India (CSI). He worked for the upliftment of the depressed classes. So he is remembered as the Apostle of Unity and also as an Apostle of Outcastes.
Sherwood Eddy
Sherwood Eddy was born on January 19, 1871 in the United States. He finished his engineering studies in Yale University. In an evangelical meeting which he attended, he committed his life as a missionary to foreign lands. He came to India through YMCA but had to live with financial support from his parents. In a particular occasion when Bishop V S Azariah needed Rs 60,000 for his Dornakal diocese, he and his wife prayed about it. They then wrote a letter to Sherwood Eddy asking for his help. He immediately helped them with the needed money!