Long-Time Missionary Beryl Joyce Ching Asleep in Christ
December 16, 1927 – September 12, 2022
It is with great sadness that we advise that Sister Beryl Joyce Ching (née Hollis) fell asleep in Jesus Christ, in her 95th year, on Monday evening 12th September in the hospital wing at Powley Retirement Village, Auckland, New Zealand, where she had lived in an independent apartment for many years. Her funeral service was held on Saturday 17th September at the Titirangi Baptist Church where she was a member for many years before moving to live at Powley Village.
Sister Beryl served her Lord in Madras/Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India for 42 years from March 1954 to 1996 with the American Advent Mission Society, seconded to that mission by the Missions Committee of the Churches of Christ (Life and Advent) Association Inc. which later became the Advent Christian Missions New Zealand Trust.
As a trained nurse, she was involved for many years with the operation of a medical clinic at the Velachery Mission compound and with a mobile clinic which travelled (on a bullock-drawn, flat cart!) around the villages on the then city fringes of Madras. During her years in India she held many positions and responsibilities: she served in charge of the Industrial School and of the printing press at the mission’s headquarters at Velachery; as secretary of the India Field council; as treasurer of the same group: as director of Literature (Including the press, the bookshop, two reading rooms and magazine production); in charge of the Velachery dispensary; in the mobile dispensary; in charge of the Velachery Sunday school; as director of Religious Education; as assistant superintendent of the field; as the correspondent (manager) of two schools; as a teacher of a regular, weekly lay-workers’ course; and of course regularly filling preaching and speaking appointments and many other jobs too numerous to mention. For several years she led an English-speaking group of professionals and businesspeople in a weekly fellowship service and discussion ministry.
The Indian folk to whom she ministered had huge amounts of love and respect for Hollis Amma as they called her. She was indeed looked on as “Amma” – Mother in the faith – by many, men and women alike, but particularly the Bible Women who ministered in many of the churches to the ladies of the congregations in both spiritual and practical ways. She was a loving and respected “Aunty” to many of the small children of pastors, including having them stay at her home.
She retired back to New Zealand in 1996 and for a number of years served in various positions in the ministries of the Churches of Christ (Life and Advent) denomination here in NZ, including as a trustee of the Advent Christian Missions of New Zealand Trust, where her knowledge and experience was invaluable as we have continued of support of the ministries that Beryl and her fellow workers were so much involved with. Since her return she has been a very faithful “prayer warrior” both for the Advent Christian ministries in India and for those in the other countries in Asia which we support.
Beryl will be missed by many, but as she did, we look forward to that great day when Jesus Christ returns for his church, when we all meet the Lord in the air. He will say to Beryl…
“Well done, good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”