faith

Robert Clark

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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.

Mark Daniel Buntain

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A Missionary Who Served the Poor in India

Full Name: Mark Daniel Buntain
Birth: January 26, 1923
Death: June 4, 1989
Native Place: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Country: Canada
Place of Vision: Kolkata, India

Early Life

Mark Daniel Buntain was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, into the family of a Pentecostal minister. Growing up in a godly home, he was deeply inspired by missionary stories and dreamed of becoming a missionary himself. While working as a radio broadcaster, he felt a strong call from God to leave his job and dedicate his life to ministry.

After marrying Huldah Monroe, Mark left his broadcasting career and began serving as a pastor in Saskatchewan, Canada. Later, he ministered as a missionary evangelist in several countries including Taiwan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Japan.

Mission Call to India

In 1954, obeying God’s call, Mark and Huldah Buntain came to Kolkata, India, with their one-year-old daughter. They began their ministry by setting up a tent on an empty plot of land and started preaching about the love of Jesus Christ.

One day, while Mark was preaching, a man interrupted him and said,

“Preacher, feed our bellies first, then tell us about a God in heaven.”

Those words deeply touched Mark’s heart. They made him realize that people needed to see God’s love through action.

The Birth of Calcutta Mercy Mission

That powerful moment led Mark to start the “Calcutta Mercy Mission” in 1964, a ministry dedicated to feeding, educating, and providing medical care for the poor and needy.

As part of this mission:

  • He founded the Assembly of God Church School in Kolkata, which gave thousands of poor children a chance for a better future.
  • He also established a small medical clinic that later grew into a multi-specialty hospital, offering hope and healing to countless people.

Growth of the Ministry

For many years, Mark pastored the Assembly of God Church in Kolkata, which became the center for the growth of over 900 churches in North India. He also shared the gospel through radio broadcasts in Hindi, English, and Bengali, reaching millions across the region.

Even after Mark’s death in 1989 due to illness, his wife Huldah Buntain chose to stay in India and continue the mission they had begun together. Under her leadership, the Calcutta Mercy ministry expanded and now operates in over 21 countries, continuing to serve the poor with love and compassion.

Legacy

Mark Daniel Buntain’s life is a powerful example of obedience, compassion, and faith in action. He not only preached the gospel but lived it by serving those in need. His vision turned into a global movement that still touches lives around the world — feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and giving hope to the hopeless.