Church of God Celebrates Centennial of First Missionary to India
Kerala, India — Hundreds are gathered in the city of Kerala, India to celebrate the 100th year of the arrival of Church of God Missionary Rev. Robert F. Cook in South India.
The centennial celebrations began earlier this year throughout the country and are culminating this week in a series of services which includes special guests from the International Offices. Among the guests are Church of God General Overseer Mark L. Williams and General Director of World Missions Tim Hill.
General Overseer Williams ministers in Kerala, India at the Robert Cook Centennial Celebration (click on photo to enlarge).
According Professor Sushil Mathew, general coordinator of the Robert F. Cook Centennial Celebration, Christians in South India, especially the full-gospel believers in the land of Kerala, fondly and respectfully called him “Cook Sayip.”
“Rev. Cook obeyed the call of God to go to the land of India with a heavy burden for souls, and an unwavering dedication to evangelize the unreached in that vast land,” Mathew stated. “He sincerely desired to help the needy and uplift the downtrodden.” Rev. Cook left Los Angeles with his family, arriving in the city of Bangalore in October 1913. He suffered both physical and spiritual hardships for the sake of the gospel during his 37 years of ministry. Cook moved from village to village proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, and praying for the deliverance of the socially and spiritually oppressed masses.
During the year-long celebration, the Cooks have been remembered and honored for their significant contributions towards evangelizing India. The RFCCC has prayed and challenged the full-gospel believers in India to finish the work that missionary Cook began a century ago.
The office building of the Church of God Kerala State, Mt. Zion, and Mt. Zion Bible College, built by Robert F. Cook, will be converted to the “RFC Pentecostal Heritage Center” to preserve the history and legacy of the Church of God in India.
“Rev. Cook’s obedience to the call of God impacted the lives of thousands in his lifetime, and continues to influence millions even decades after his death,” Mathew continued. “The founding, as well as the establishment of the Church of God in India, is one of the most significant contributions of this missionary hero.”
With a beginning in the region of Travancore, presently known as the state of Kerala, the Church of God in India has spread to over 20 states in India and continues to grow. As the Keralite Pentecostals have embarked on a year of celebrations in various locations throughout the world, the members of the Church of God, in collaboration with many other full-gospel denominations, have conducted several missions-oriented conferences and conventions during 2013. Several Pentecostal denominations, such as the Indian Pentecostal Church, Assembly of God, Sharon Fellowship, New India Bible Church, and Pentecostal Mission Gospel Church have participated in the celebrations. One of the projects in progress is the translation of Cook’s autobiography into Malayalam, a major language spoken by 40 million people in India.
The celebrations will conclude in December 2013 with a social work project in Kerala.
To view portions of the conference via livestream, log on to www.vsquaretv.com.
