» Carl Rhenius: Apostle to India

Carl Rhenius was an ex-soldier when he became a missionary to India. Although trained at a Berlin mission institute, he went out under an English organization, the Church Mission Society.

Ecclesiastical differences would eventually cause Rhenius and the Anglican mission to sever ties, but not before Rhenius had done significant work. He learned Tamil, made a new translation of the Bible and trained Indians to carry the gospel two-by-two to their own people. He set a catechist/schoolteacher in each Christian community. So successful were these methods that whole villages converted to Christ.

However, his use of the Lutheran catechism and his ordination of workers without a bishop (as required by the Anglican bishop) led to a rift.Continuing under the mantle of the Gossner mission, Rhenius and his co-workers were invited by their converts to return to the area of their previous work and they experienced more success although this split the local Indian Christian community.

To help Indian converts cope with persecution, Rhenius established villages of refuge. By his death 168 years ago this week (June 5, 1838) he was responsible for 13,000 converts. He is known as the “Apostle to Tirunelveli” and as one of the most effective missionaries India has known.

Source: Christian History Institute