Pioneer Missionary in Punjab and Kashmir
Birth: 4 July 1825
Home Calling: 16 May 1900
Native Place: Lincolnshire, England
Field of Service: Punjab and Kashmir
Robert Clark was a devoted missionary who played a key role in spreading Christianity in the regions of Punjab and Kashmir. After completing his studies at Cambridge University, he was offered a well-paid teaching position at the same institution. However, Clark felt a deeper calling to serve God among the unreached people in foreign lands. He volunteered for the Church Missionary Society, which appointed him to work in the Punjab Mission in India.
In 1852, Clark founded his first mission station in Amritsar, Punjab. Facing many difficulties in India, he soon realized that the Christianity seen under British rule was not the true representation of the Gospel. Therefore, he focused on personal evangelism instead of public preaching.
Clark believed that local believers could share the Gospel more effectively than foreign missionaries. He trained and encouraged the early converts to witness to their families and communities. Despite strong opposition, within two years there were over twenty new believers.
After equipping and mentoring the local Christians, Clark started a new mission station in Peshawar in 1854. For the next decade, he journeyed through dangerous mountains and valleys, reaching people as far as Lahore and Tibet. During this time, he married Elizabeth Mary Browne, who became his faithful partner in ministry.
In 1864, Robert and Elizabeth moved to Kashmir to establish another mission station. At that time, Kashmir was under the rule of the Dogra dynasty and suffered from poverty, disease, and corruption. Although the King gave Clark permission to work there, he secretly ordered his men to attack the couple upon their arrival. God’s protection saved them, and through Elizabeth’s medical work, their enemies soon became friends.
Elizabeth’s healing ministry opened many doors for the Gospel, leading to the creation of several medical mission centers across Kashmir. The Christian community grew steadily, and Clark continued his work with great zeal, combining education, medical help, and spiritual teaching. He remained active in the mission field of North India until his death in 1900.
Robert Clark’s life was marked by faith, courage, and compassion—a true pioneer who brought both physical and spiritual light to the people of Punjab and Kashmir.