John Everett Clough was born in New York July 16, 1836, Died November 24, 1910.
John Clough went to India with his wife Harriet Clough in 1864. He established the Baptist Mission in Ongole.
John Clough baptizes 2,222 in one day in Ongole in the Gundlakamma River which was of the Madras Presidency, July 1878 and 9,000 within six weeks. This happened after many non-productive years, when only a few people favored continuing the “Lone Star Mission” in South India.
The American Baptists began work among the then neglected Telugu in 1840 in Nellore. The first believer was baptized in 1841 and a church organized in 1844. Fruitless years followed and in 1846 and later in 1855 the Nellore mission was in danger of being closed.
A speech by the corresponding secretary and a poem on the “Lone Star Mission” turned the scale and the mission continued. Again in 1862 comparative non-success of the mission put the mission in jeopardy.
One missionary Dr. Lyman Jewett said, “You can give up the Telugu mission, but I will never abandon the Telugus. I will go back to India and die there.” After this one of the secretaries said, “well brother, if you return to die in India, we must send somebody to give you Christian burial.” The mission was continued, but some felt continuing was unwise.
At first John Clough worked with the high caste Brahmins. If outcasts were received the work with the Brahmins would be finished. Clough did not hesitate long to work among the Madigas. While turning the matter over in his mind, he opened a new copy of the Telugu New Testament and his eyes fell on the verse, 1 Corinthians 1:26 “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many are wise after flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.”
Dr. Clough made great advances in 1878 following a famine, and Clough took a contract for a portion of one of the canals that were dug. He gave employment to thousands of Telugus who may have otherwise starved. This practical demonstration won the hearts of the Telugus.
Clough’s Tomb reads: Be Still and Know that I am the Lord.
John Clough was known as: “The Apostle to the Telugu.”
References:
Click to read: Understanding Church Growth by Donald McGavran, C. Peter Wagner Page 10-12
Click to read: Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions by Gerald H. Anderson
Jayaraj, Franklynn. Moses of 19th Century John Everett Clough Published by Centre for Contemporary Christianity. India, 2006
Clough, J. E. Social Christianity in the Orient To Read on-line click here Macmillan Company 1914
very wonderful to know about clough sir “The Apostle to Telugu”.
I love the work of Clough but why is Tupili Rangiah not mentioned
Dear Sam,
I am the great grandson of Late Rev.Tupili Rangiah, Can you please tell me some history of Late T.Ranigh, if you know, for which I shall be ever thankful to you.
Rev.Prasad
Rajahmundry
Cell.9440176050
I am the grandson of Tupili John Rangiah who went to South Africa. Is this the person
you are enquiring about. I have a lot of history of him
DAVID DAYAKARAM RANGIAH
Em drangiah@bigpond.net.au
Anna please send me what all the information you have, loves a to the children and grand children
T Arthur prasad
Very happy to read about him. I am from a colony which is named after him in Ongole. Thanks for posting
I am most impressed to read about the missionary work of rev .Clough among telugus..He is a pioneer and messiah of people in ongole district.
Proud to say that I’m a product of Dr. John E Clough.
Please visit: https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=133986036636587&v=wall
Like to see more pics of Clough… we are Clough youth
HI,
I AM VERY HAPPY TO SEE SOME PEOPLE STILL REMEMBER MISSIONARY’S AND THEIR WORK.
JOHN CLOUGH WAS GREAT MISSIONARY .THERE IS A BOOK NAMED “GUNTA NUNDI MINTIKI” AUTHOR UNKONW AND IT IS AVAILABLE IN ALL CHRISTIAN BOOK SHOPS .IN THAT BOOK U CAN SEE THE MISSIONARY’S WORK AROUND ONGOLE AND SOME HISTORY OF JOHN CLOUGH TOO.
I AM FROM NELLORE , AND I AM PLANNING TO MAKE A BLOG ABOUT NELLORE MISSIONARYS .I GOT SOME CONTENT IN NET.THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED CONTACT ME 9985599587.
I AM PROUD TO SAY I AM A RESIDENT OF CLOUGHPET,ONGOLE. WHEN I GONE THROUGH THE HISTORY OF J,E,CLOUGH TEARS RAN THROUGH MY CHEEKS FOR THE WORK DONE BY HIM IN ONGOLE AND SURROUNDING VILLAGES IN EXPANSION OF CHRISTS MINISTRY
ravikennedy@gmail.com
Hi. I am Reverend Clough’s great great granddaughter. My daughter is named after his daughter, Gratia, who was also a missionary and a great woman as well. Thank you for this post. I am considering writing about this part of my family.
Dear Heidi. Greetings: will you please send soem news of your great blessed family, like how may grand children, great children of Rev. Clough.if posible some pictures it helps us to konw how much you are blessed.
Rev.Tupili Arthur Prasad
Good to come across Rev Clough’s great grand daughter, I am sandeep from India, we are really blessed because of the work of Reverend! I work along with Yerraguntla Peraiah’s great grand daughter In Hyderabad among the HIV infected and affected. I would love to be in touch with you.
Dear heidi, I am grand son of Bezawada Paul and son of Bezawada Christopher, Past Head Master of CAM High School. I wish u come to India and meet us. I came 4 times to US but I do not now u then. next visit of mine surely I try to meet u. I live Vijayawada in AP and my email : kamalbez@gmail.com
Bezawada Paul Kamalkumar
dear Ms. Heidi,
I am glad to know of you I am grand son of Bezawada Paul who Rev clough has brought up as well worked for upliftme nt of Madiga community. If only I were to know of you earlier I would have come and see you in Us in my 4 visits there. Now I am 72 and I do not think I will be able to see u. wish you the best in the world
Paul kamalkumar Bezawada
Dear Heidi
What a joy it is to hear that you are Rev Clough’s great grand daughter!
Your great grand father Rev Clough has been an inspiring personality to the Telugus. I do share some of his stories with my congregation from his missionary journeys. Lately, I have been reading of his missionary endeavours in the Telugu land and it is breathtaking. Indeed, he is the ‘messiah of the masses’, the Telugus. It is because of him and few other missionaries, today some millions of telugus are in the light, living with dignity, following Christ and well educated. We are ever grateful and praise God for Rev Dr and Mrs John Everett Clough.
Please do consider posting some of the inspiring stories of him and family, of God’s faithfulness. Looking forward to seeing them and sharing them. My email
God bless you
-Rev Anil Samuel Reddipogu
{Am one of the families blessed by the American Baptist Mission among the Telugus}
He is the great man of God.Really i thank God for sending such a great man to our country.I always inspired by his great sacrificial work.
hai
here is a book writen by John Clough with a lot of pics and information about missions in http://archive.org/stream/socialchristiani00clouuoft#page/n5/mode/2up
hi, I am making a documentary on all the missionaries of all the denominations who have come here. As part of this I have visited Nellore and Ongole and still in the process of collecting photos and books on the missionaries. I have already visitied Jewett memorial church, Prayer hill, and the cemetry and had taken detailed photos of all these. However, I am looking for old photos all the places where the missionaries have worked. My intention is to tell the world that the missionaries have come here to make us what we are today.
If anyone is got the photos of Rev. Albert Loughridge, who started the Hanumakonda Baptist church please let me know.
“Be still and know that I Am the Lord!” A verse so relevant for us today…with all our busyness!!! Amen!
I am a church history student. |i am going to do research on mass conversion movement held at gundlakamma river in 1878. |||||||||||||||Please help me in this task.
Ravi Kennedy, Secunderabad can u please update ur Email Id here?
Dear,, Iam grand son of Bezawada Paul who lived in thehouseof Clough in Ongole. It looks Mrs clough used to take him to school every day. He used to run away from school and come back with 50 to 60 people for giving Baptism. Mrs clough in her book calls him a born evangrlist. kamalkumar 9542104110.
Can you please tell us Mrs. Lyman Jewett Name
praise the Lord
iam very happy reading about rev.clough garu
we r from kanigiri gandham families.settleld in hyd .working as SA govt schol .plz give some phone no .of gandham families.
Hi
Praise the Lord !
We too have gandham roots. hope to get in touch.
God bless you.
Rev Anil
It is indeed I was so happy to here about Rev Clough and my grand father Bezawada Paul who worked along with him. The mount of work they did in the most dangerous situations is commendable. Rev. clough saved thousands of people from dying in the famine. His work onBucking ham canal tc I feel we did little by naming only a part of ongle on his name we should name ongole in his name.I am proud to be grand son of of Bezawada Paul as well Yerraguntla Peraih.
Every Telugu Madiga shoulp be indebted to Rev Clove since what they are today is because of him kamalkumar Bezawada
Found a booklet going through family items. I have no idea why my family had this. Can send pictures. approx. 6×3 , Dark Green cover
A Sketch
by
Emma Rauschenbusch Clough PH.D.
Boston USA
American Baptist Missionary Union
1902
Dear carla,
I shall be glad to see those picures and my email is ” kamalbez@gmail.com”
Bezawada Paul Kamalkumar
After reading about the work our fore fathers did along with Rev Clough I feel that I am useless to society. I was president of Rotary club of Vijayawada east, president of YMCA for long time, developed 12 villages constructed 50 houses for poor, all this is nothing compared to what our fore fathers did to our community. I think it is time we should form a Clough club and start working for his objectives. my cell 9542104110
Praying for all chrisyians in India and for the work of Christ to continue there
My great-great- grandfather ( pedda Ramanjulu’s ) friend. thank Mr. Clough and Samuel Day.
Wow what an amazing testimony to the power of Prayer. Amen!!!