The Story of One Merger

by E. Keith Jones

The amalgamation of the International Christian Fellowship, formerly Ceylon and India General Mission, with the Poona and Indian Village Mission, took effect on July 1, 1968. This was the culmination of thoughtful consultation and prayer during the many preceding months.

The amalgamation of the International Christian Fellowship, formerly Ceylon and India General Mission, with the Poona and Indian Village Mission, took effect on July 1, 1968. This was the culmination of thoughtful consultation and prayer during the many preceding months.

The present report notes the steps taken to achieve the merger; some of the practical issues to be met, as well as the hope there is for the united body to be an instrument in God’s hands for a greater thrust of evangelism and the training of nationals toward the objective of church planting in countries which surround and have affinity with the Indian sub-continent.

The combining bodies, the CIGM and the PIVM, were both founded in 1893 – the CIGM in Great Britain and the PIVM in Australia. Their bases of faith, outlook on the "faith principle," especially in regard to finance, their objectives of church planting, and the methods to achieve this end, while not exactly the same, in every respect were extremely similar. The type of missionary in the societies was similar and both were interdenominational and international in outlook. (The CIGM alone had crossed the Atlantic in any significant way, although PIVM had some small representation in Canada).

Both societies had maintained a witness in the sub-continent of India. Down the years their missionaries have faced the similar massive problems of Hindu caste and idolatry and the almost impenetrable barrier of Islam. No dramatic figures can be quoted for the church body that emerged from the years of work. But the church was established. All these factors had brought about a similarity of outlook and a real community of interest between the societies.

However, it must be remembered that India, though not as large as a continent, is greater than what we usually think of as a nation. With its more than 500,000,000 people, it contains many races and great variety of languages. It is the birthplace of four religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism), and the host country of Christianity and Islam. Hence, India differs within itself quite as widely as the continent of Europe, and thus it would not have been strange for missionaries in one part of the sub-continent to sense no need to combine with those in a different part of India.

PIVM worked in Maharashtra, West India, and the CIGM in Southern and Northern India and both wings of Pakistan. Occasional meetings of missionaries of the two missions took place in holiday resorts. Apart from a mutual respect for each other, nothing significant is recorded of any desire for amalgamation. There were, nevertheless, influences that began to make an impression on the thinking of some within the societies.

Concurrently with the liberalism of the National Christian Council of India and its becoming a part of the World Council of Churches, all-India evangelical enterprises began to appear. The Evangelical Fellowship of India with its India-wide conferences and facilities for cooperation in the fields of literature, training of national leadership, medicine and radio, provided a common meeting ground for evangelicals. The climate in regard to amalgamation began to change in the homelands. Such articles as Olan Hendrix "Too Many Missions" articulated this. In Great Britain the Evangelical Missionary Association discussed amalgamation in general terms.In Britain, by some human oversight, PIVM and CIGM found themselves booked at the same conference center on the Clyde coast on the same dates and thoroughly enjoyed several joint sessions together. The home secretaries of the two missions in London began to see the advantages that might come from amalgamationVarious economies in the reduction of overhead and the pooling of literature and representation costs were tabulated. It was also recognized that with the combining of staffs more concentrated effort could be given to specialized ministries among youth and in a biblical teaching ministry relative to missions, impossible for those who must cope with ail the whole administrative side of the work in a given country.

There was a feeling among businessmen that for missions to persist in working in small units was uneconomic and inefficient. It was recognized that if CIGM and PIVM were to come together, a better balance would be achieved in representation, as PIVM was strongly represented in Australia and New Zealand and CIGM was represented in North America.

In Britain, where the two societies were strongly based, a sense had come to the two leaders that if assured of the Lord’s will in the matter, amalgamation would be very acceptable to them and of glory to God.

At this point, the area where strong reaction might be expected was in Australia and New Zealand. Both societies looked to the fields where most of the members were, for a readiness to amalgamate. The fields are completely autonomous (within the guidelines of the bylaws and constitution), to govern their own affairs, and their wishes in regard to major changes are of paramount importance.

In 1965 a General Conference of CIGM had changed the name of their society to International Christian Fellowship and had brought in a new administrative system to enable it to meet the demands of the work. At that conference a representative of PIVM was invited to be present.

The following year, at the end of 1966, the following minute was passed by the International Conference of PIVM:

"Subsequent to information regarding the discussion with Mr. W.G. Nelson, field superintendent of the CIGM, at the preliminary meeting, the following recommendation was accepted—That Mr. Perkins, Mr. Napper and Mr. Pattemore be appointed to a Special Committee to confer with a like number of CIGM missionaries to co-relate the information to the mission concerning the advisability or otherwise of a merger.

"It was agreed that the Special Committee should wait upon God regarding His will on the matter and until God’s will is made clear definite action should not be taken. Also that the day prior to the meeting of the Special Committee be made a day of prayer by the whole PIVM Fellowship and that we invite CIGM to do likewise."

Thereafter the representatives of the missions on the field met informally in January, 1967, and covered the ground of differences in method in the two societies. It was in India itself that difficulties appeared.

1967 was a year of unrest in India. One of our missionaries (and with him the mission) was maliciously attacked in the pages of a nationwide Communist-oriented weekly, for allegedly handing out dollars to influence voters. It became apparent the Indian government was going to enforce its policy re the non-admission of Commonwealth missionaries.This sort of atmosphere engendered by such incidents does not encourage missionaries to make changes in the legal status of a society. It became clear in discussions that our two societies were registered in two different ways. The PIVM was registered under the Societies Act and the Bombay Public Trust Act, and paid 2 percent on ail general funds coming into the country. The CIGM was registered under the Companies Act and were under no such ruling. The PIVM dealt with its funds that were not subject to the tax levied on general funds. It was considered unwise to seek a new form of registration.At the January meetings in Bangalore, the representatives looked closely into their respective Principles and Practice. This resulted in the sense of the suitability of merger, but there was recognition of difficulties which would require adjustment in both societies. It was also recognized that in the beginning a period might ensue when particular supporters in the homelands might drop off.

In April, a further meeting of representatives met in Poona and the difficulties were faced in greater detail. The main points of practical difficulty were:

(1) In relation to the method of support;

(2) In a reservation on the part of the PIVM to accept the position of a general director. This stemmed from unfortunate experiences in its history. It was emphasized by them that a general director should spend most of his time on the field and be drawn from the missionary ranks.

The PIV support was received in large measure by the missionary himself, through personal gifts and not through general funds. This overcame the necessity of paying the percentage demanded to be paid from general funds to the Bombay Trust. This system had led, however, to some inequality of income of missionaries. The representatives agreed that it would be desirable to overcome an inequality.

The reservation regarding the central authority and "final court of appeal" was, I think, dissipated by the study of the rules under which the general director serves the International Council.

Thus, in regard to the differences of registration, it was suggested by the field a solution to this might be an amalgamation in the homelands which left the structure of the mission, as far as India Government was concerned, intact, and which would mean each section, although merged in the homelands, would continue to use the old names under which registered in India. This would obviate the need to enter into costly, lengthy and undesirable court action which might endanger the future in India of the two merging societies.

In the fall of 1967 the general director of ICF took a tour of nearly all the councils and was able to meet most of the members of both societies and found a great measure of goodwill toward the idea of merger on the field and in the Home Councils. Even in areas sensitive to merger, it was evident there was a willingness to follow the Lord’s leading even to the point of apparent local, or personal disadvantage.

This was no doubt the result of prayer and it evidenced the Christian maturity of those involved. During the tour it was possible to present the propriety for making a decision at meetings of the International Council of ICF to be held in March, 1968, in Toronto. The membership of both societies had been involved in voting for the principle of merger and there was a majority of 84 percent in favor of going forward.

The majority being in favor of merger, two representatives of the PIVM were invited to the Toronto meetings of ICF and the decision to merge was officially taken. Events had moved too swiftly for a complete adjustment of all details before the decision to merge. This would have been a difficult procedure in any case. It was made perfectly clear that the decision was not to absorption of one society by another, but amalgamation.Therefore, in March, 1968, at a meeting of the International Council of ICF, with the above-mentioned representatives of PIVM, the following Minute was unanimously adopted:

"2. Amalgamation: It was unanimously resolved that: (a) The International Christian Fellowship and the Poona and Indian Village Mission merge to take effect from 1st July 1968.

(b) Recognizing the need of maintaining the existing standards of missionaries of both merging societies, but desiring also to move towards equality of standards for all missionaries of the enlarged Fellowship, it was resolved that during the twelve months beginning 1 July, 1968; missionaries in or on furlough from the Maharashtra area shall receive 75 percent of the allocations received by other International Christian Fellowship missionaries in, or on furlough from, India; during the twelve months beginning 1 July, 1969, 80 percent and so on until parity is reached at the end of five years, or earlier if agreed by International Council, (c) Arrangements concerning personal gifts, payments to servants, language school fees, travel, etc, be standardized for all missionaries in India from 1st July, 1968."

The area where most of the adjustments are to be made are in those countries where both societies are well represented and chiefly on the India field.

In November, 1968 a Coordinating Committee was set up in India to bring the practices of the two bodies into line. It discussed such things as standardization of allowances, of which there were a good number, including servant allowance, conveyance, etc., all within the India field. Block allotments of money to each India region were decided upon. A step was taken to place before the mission supporters a statement clarifying our financial policy, as the new group, and rectifying the system which could lead to a too great emphasis on personal gifts rather than support. This had special significance for Australia.

The immediate result of amalgamation was to make available suitable persons to take over administration in strategic places. There has been some interchange of personnel on the India fields. Offices in Britain and Australia now have one central office in each country, instead of the four previously. One magazine instead of two is published though it should be mentioned, each continent (U.K., North America and Australia) needs a separate publication, both from the point of view of distance from each other and the type of literature which is most acceptable to each constituency. Thus that economy has not proved too great. Audio-visual presentations are now being shared, and both literature and audio-visual presentations show the enlarged scope made possible by amalgamation.

In my opinion, the most important benefit of amalgamation was the "purchase" given by a more substantial base for further outreach. If it is true that what we wish to produce in a society is not a monument of mere numbers but an efficient machine, then the important question becomes, What more can be done now than before? A mechanical crane, with its swinging, movable projecting arm, is anchored to a stable base.

The projection of vision that has come to the united mission is of further fields of opportunity in Asia. Each of our present fields has within it seasoned missionaries with a knowledge of the characteristics and languages of those among whom they work. They have come to respect and love the nationals of their respective areas. They have joined hands with them. They have seen a pattern of work by which the church can be built.

This pattern must be taken further. The Rhine and Rhone, after their confluence in Geneva, can still be discerned flowing together foi some distance as separate streams, though in one river. Long before the river reaches the sea, these separate streams have intermingled in greater volume and force, and the separate streams can no longer be discerned. Thus in ICF the new elements and emphases we have received from two separate missions will strengthen the power of the whole, to flow on by God’s grace, to fresh endeavor and blessing. The stronger base of the united body will bring a wider outreach. Already we have begun to see an entering into significant new enterprise.

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