Biography
Midgley John Jennings was a devoted Christian chaplain who served with the East India Company and became known for his faithful ministry in Delhi, India.
He was born on 8th June 1806 in Stevenage, England, and went to be with the Lord on 11th May 1857.
Early Ministry
Jennings came to Kanpur (Cawnpore) in 1832, where he began his ministry among the British people. However, the deep love of Christ touched his heart, and he started to care for the spiritual needs of the Indian people too. Even though there were many restrictions, he went out into the streets, met the locals, and preached the message of Jesus Christ to them.
Ministry in Delhi
After serving for 20 years in Kanpur, he was transferred to Delhi in 1851. At that time, Delhi was a strong center of the Muslim faith and had no active Christian missionary work. Seeing this, Jennings felt a great burden for the salvation of the people there.
He worked alone without help or support, often walking through the streets of Delhi, praying and asking God to bless the city. Through his faithful prayers and preaching, two educated Indian men accepted Christ — Ram Chandra, a professor of mathematics, and Chimman Lai, a surgeon at the Delhi Hospital. Their conversions marked the beginning of the Delhi Church.
Growth of the Mission
Later, because of Jennings’ request, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG) sent two missionaries along with financial support to continue the ministry. Under this mission, the Delhi Church began to grow and became one of the most promising mission fields in India.
The 1857 Tragedy
During the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, all Europeans in Delhi were attacked and killed by the rebels. Jennings was living in the Red Fort quarters with his young daughter, Annie Jennings. Sadly, both father and daughter were killed by the soldiers. Chimman Lai was also martyred in his dispensary because he refused to deny his faith in Jesus.
The Legacy
Even though it seemed like the Delhi mission was destroyed, God’s work continued. Ram Chandra, who had escaped the attack, returned to Delhi and continued to preach the Gospel fearlessly. Later, more missionaries came, and the seeds planted by Midgley John Jennings grew into a fruitful Christian mission.
Summary :
మిడ్గ్లీ జాన్ జెన్నింగ్స్ (Midgley John Jennings) — ఒక గొప్ప దేవుని సేవకుడు. ఆయన ఇంగ్లాండ్ (England) లో పుట్టి, ఇండియా (India) లో దేవుని వాక్యాన్ని ప్రచారం చేశారు. కాంపూర్ (Kanpur) లో మొదట బ్రిటిష్ ప్రజలకు సేవ చేసి, తరువాత దేవుని ప్రేమతో భారతీయుల మధ్య సువార్త చెబుతూ, ఢిల్లీ (Delhi) లో చర్చిని స్థాపించారు. 1857లో జరిగిన తిరుగుబాటులో ఆయన తన కుమార్తెతో పాటు వీర మరణం పొందారు. కానీ ఆయన విత్తిన విశ్వాసపు విత్తనం ఫలించి, ఢిల్లీ మిషన్ దేవుని మహిమకు గొప్ప ఆశీర్వాదమైంది.