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| MAY 2005 | ||||
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| The Other Side of the Pulpit | A Missionary Warrior Goes Home | ||
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A Tribute to Danny—April 26, 1952-April 11, 2005 |
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In the March edition of Action you read about a missionary couple in India, who humbly spoke of "Making a dent for the glory of God" in that vast country. Heaven is a richer place (if that were possible) as Danny, our beloved missionary colleague and friend, has gone ahead of us to glory. President Emeritus, Elgin Taylor, gives us his memories of Danny. |
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| Dear Friends of Christians in Action, | ||
| It seems like only yesterday when, in 1975, I welcomed Deepak, a native of India, and his English girl friend, Barbara, into our London missionary training center. Even though this was somewhat against our fraternization policy, I sensed a special dedication and determination in both Danny and Babs, as they were fondly known. They assured our staff, "We will follow the rules," and they did. Upon graduation, they were appointed as missionary candidates to India. A few months later they were married and began raising support in Northern England. | ||
| "Exceptional," you say? Exceptional indeed! Not only did their marriage endure (with the addition of two wonderful children), but they invested almost thirty years of their lives laboring under extreme hostile conditions, both physically and spiritually. Their part of India has an extremely hot, dry, desert-like climate. All known missionaries were sent home, killed or simply disappeared without a trace from the 1980’s until this present day. (But amazingly, Danny and Babs were allowed to stay. See below.) | ||
| As Director of Europe, Africa and India, I visited Danny and Babs in India during Easter 1978 (and three later times in the office of President). While we walked the dusty streets from village to village, Danny would point out temples where snakes, rats, and other creatures were being worshipped. I recall especially when he pointed out an unusually shaped rock and stated, "That rock will most likely not be here upon our return, for by it's being unusual, it will be taken to the temple and made an object of worship!" | ||
| Danny’s Burden for India | ||
| Danny shared with brokenness the burden he felt for his people—how at that time they worshipped over 34,000,000 idol gods. Danny, who was born in India, had immigrated to England with his widowed mother as a young lad. Without a husband, she could not support herself and her son in India. | ||
| From Danny's own lips, he told me, "I knew that I had to return to India and to share the truth of the Living God with my people, family and friends, even if I was not well-received by them." They suffered many forms of persecution and isolation by the local community, but continued to follow their God given vision for the people of India. | ||
| Danny and Babs labored faithfully over almost three decades, through the use of one-to-one evangelism, assisting the few local churches, using his gift as a phenomenal accordion player for open air festivals (crusades) where a short Gospel witness could be injected by various means, and through building a Christian school for Hindu and Muslim children. Both he and Babs had been teachers in England. They became our first "tentmaker" missionaries, with Danny being the headmaster of the school. When many other missionaries were forced out during a particularly strong time of religious persecution in the 1980’s, Danny and Babs were allowed to remain to run the school. Thus hundreds of Hindu and Muslim children (very few were Christian) were reached for Christ. | ||
| Danny’s reputation progressed from being just "The Englishman" to the respectful title of "Sahib," meaning "Teacher or Professor." I can’t think of anyone who deserved that respect shown by the people of India more than he did. | ||
| Danny developed a form of genetic diabetes, from which his father had died early in life, but, even with the difficulties that he faced, Danny still loved a good laugh. We shared a natural and beautiful relationship and from his student days, I nicknamed him "Danno" from a character on "Hawaii 50," a TV series of that time. Later he returned the favor by naming me, "Mr. Money Bags" due to the time on my first visit to India, when I purchased for four dollars a bag of rupees to give to the hordes of beggars and street children. | ||
| Beloved, Danny passed into the presence of his Lord on April 11, 2005, suddenly and unexpectedly, following a routine gall bladder operation. This brave one will be sorely missed. | ||
| None of us has the answers to pressing questions, i.e.: What will his wife and family do now? What will happen to the long-established church and school after so many years of hard labor? Who will become the new headmaster? | ||
| However, I do know that our heavenly Father saw this day even before the Danny and Babs left the shores of Britain. Somehow, Romans 8:28 still fits into God’s higher purpose for India. | ||
| My challenge and prayer for you! | ||
| My challenge is that those of us who remain may seek God with our whole heart, so we can find our own place in the big picture of missions. My prayer is that hundreds will be motivated by Danny's life and that God will give them the missionary vision that He gave to Danny. Missionaries are desperately needed in India! Some 40,000 villages in India are still without the Gospel. | ||
| Who is God calling to help complete this task that Danny and Babs have started? Just as they committed themselves to carry the Gospel to the unreached of India nearly 30 years ago, there are still others being called today—perhaps you? | ||
| Danny's fifty-two years seem too short a life, but our Father knows what He is doing. Let me suggest the following three things for you who are reading this and asking, "What would God have me to do?" | ||
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| Our President, Dave Konold, and his staff will gladly talk and pray with you about missionary service. | ||
| Don't hesitate—take action today. | ||
| Yours for India, | ||
| Elgin Taylor | ||
| Elgin Taylor | ||
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| The Other Side of the Pulpit | A Missionary Warrior Goes Home | ||||
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