OMS Outreach magazine interviews One Mission Society missionary David Dick and other mission leaders about the importance of partnering.

OMS Outreach Magazine: How did One Mission Society first get involved in India?

David Dick, Vice-President at Large for OMS: OMS entered India in 1941. The stories I’ve heard were that when Dr. and Mrs. Eugene Erny arrived in Allahabad, it was like an image in an old spaghetti Western movie where the train came to a stop with the big billow of steaming smoke and a cloud of dust. They stepped off the train, walked down the street and started the process of locating a strategic location for the first ministry outreach.

Outreach: How did our involvement with the Evangelical Church of India (ECI) become a formal partnership?

Dick: In 1945, the national church was organized as the Church of the Oriental Missionary Society (OMS) in India. In 1962, it was renamed The Evangelical Christian Church of India and later updated to the current ECI in 1973. At this time, the denomination still only had 25 congregations. The multiplication of churches really started after three key personalities came together: OMS missionary Graham Houghton; Elmer Kilbourne, grandson of one of the OMS cofounders; and Ezra Sargunam, Evangelical Church of India president. Out of this dynamic triad came the challenge of 100 churches by 1980.

Over the years, the number of partners has changed, but the heart of the partnership has always been the same. ECI is the senior partner, and One Mission Society, Samaritan’s Purse and New Directions International have been consistent junior partners. Later, the Korea Evangelical Holiness Church (KEHC) came on board, along with a few other organizations like Vision Trust International (VTI).

Dr. Ernest Taylor, Founder of VTI: I attended OMS’ annual conference a few years ago. While I was there, I heard the report on India delivered by Bishop Ezra Sargunam. I was mesmerized by this phenomenal man. I began to hope that we could begin partnering with ECI.

Outreach: Is everything that OMS does in India filtered through ECI?

Dick: Yes. We don’t have residential missionaries in India these days, so we have turned everything that was originally owned, operated, funded and staffed by OMS over to ECI—all the Bible schools, all the church properties, everything. OMS is accountable to ECI for our work in India. We do what they ask us to do.

Outreach: What role do the partners play?

Dick: Historically, each partner has had a specialty, and OMS has always been known as the contributor to the evangelism, church planting and theological education aspect of ECI. New Directions International helps with Happy Homes, the orphanage program that ECI operates. They also help with leadership training functions for various pastoral workshops or women’s ministry seminars. Samaritan’s Purse contributes to disaster relief and church and seminary building construction. More recently, the KEHC has contributed significantly by placing missionaries and funding many church buildings. And Vision Trust International now funds a lot of children’s aid programs.

Dr. Joseph Williams, CEO of New Directions International: As a ministry that exclusively partners with national leaders overseas, we have enjoyed a strong partnership with ECI for more than 20 years. Bishop Ezra has been a close friend and partner. We are excited about the House of Moses and Joshua, which is training 30 senior and 30 junior future ministry leaders.

Outreach: How has ECI grown?

Dick: For the first 25 years, they averaged about one church a year. When OMS missionary Dr. Wesley Duewel was reassigned from India in 1964, he traveled the world of OMS, challenging 1,500 people to pray for 15 minutes a day for India for a year. For the next 20 years, church growth increased from one new church a year to one new church a month. After the other partners joined in about 1987, the next 10 years saw a dramatic growth increase from one new church a month to one new church a week! With the partnerships, we have been able to leverage the combined resources in strategic ways that have multiplied the rapid increase of churches in India. At the end of the 20^th century, and at the height of the ECI church growth, the denomination was increasing at the rate of three churches a week.

Partnership pulls together the gifts and resources of the larger body of Christ. When we work together, we are more fruitful and productive; we are accomplishing far more together, than we could ever accomplish individually.