100 Year Reunion

Celebrating One-Hundred Years of Adventism in Nuzvid

This year marks the one-hundredth anniversary of the Nuzvid Seventh-day Adventist community. The Nuzvid Adventist community is made up of three distinct institutions: Giffard Memorial Hospital, Seventh-day Adventist Higher Secondary School Nuzvid, and the Nuzvid Community Seventh-day Adventist Church. Please celebrate this major milestone by joining us in person or online on September 1-3, 2023, to fellowship, renew friendships, and reaffirm core Adventist values.

Adventism first took root in Nuzvid when a group of missionaries travelled to the region for ingathering and met with the Rajah of Telaprole. They did not know it, but the Rajah's father had vowed that, if God restores the health of his wife, the mother of the current Rajah, he would build a hospital in Nuzvid for the women of the city. After meeting Adventist physician Theodore Flaiz, the Rajah, grateful for his mother’s recovery, was convinced that the Adventist missionaries were the best people to build the hospital his father had envisioned.

In October 1925, what is now Giffard Memorial Hospital opened its doors—initially staffed and led by missionary physicians from the College of Medical Evangelists in Loma Linda. In its first month of operation, it offered care to patients from more than three hundred local villages.

The hospital began operating a nursing school in 1927. Currently a college of nursing, it has educated thousands of nurses and now serves communities in Canada, the United States, Britain, Ireland, and many Arab countries. The school’s first principal, A. E. Coyne, was followed by other missionary superintendents including Emma Binder, E. L. York, E. M. Stoneburner, Marion Miller, and Louis Walton.  The first Indian superintendents were Mary Matthew, Sandra Adi, Ponnamma Thomas, K. Samuel, T. A. Joseph, Ruby Anand, Grace Patta, Rayavarapu Isaiah, Ranjitham Kisku, Jothi Kennedy, Amala Sundar, Subhapriya Edwin, and many more.

The Telugu Mission (now the South Andhra Section) of the India Division was formed in 1922, and the first Adventist church structure was built in Nuzvid on land donated by the Rajah in the early 1940s. Initially, this structure also served as the site of an Adventist school, started by physician J. B. Oliver in 1946. Oliver oversaw the opening of a school for the children of Giffard employees and physicians. Its first classes took place on the steps of the old church building, with Mrs. Palle Jessiamma and Paka Rajah Rao serving as principals. Now an accredited the school has grown to become a CICSE K-12 institution, that school serves over 700 students. Principals and teachers who have helped the school to flourish since its inception have included J. M. Lucas, Ch. Paul, P. S. Prasada Rao, S. Lilly John, I. D. Devadas, Alta, Samuel, T. Paul Raj, S. George Kelly, Ch. Prabhakar, K. Mrudulavanya, J. Ballantyne, M. S. Jeremiah, P. V. Prasad, and many more.

In 1956, a large multipurpose auditorium was built under Oliver’s direction and the church moved into this new facility, which was able to seat about 500 people. The current church building, with a capacity of over 2,500, was completed in 2006, opening with a dedication service over which California pastor Dan Smith presided. Many members of the Nuzvid community past and present came together to build the new Nuzvid SDA Community Church. Among the leaders who made this possible were P. V. Prasad, Thomas P. Mathew, and Boddeti Mohan Rao. In 2010, the church building was joined by an attached community hall, named in honor of physician David Lazarus and serving as a site for community services and events.

Many physicians from around the world have come to work at the hospital, creating a hub for medical care. The 'American Hospital', as locals called the facility, was considered by many among the best in Andhra Pradesh through the late 1970s. Around 2007, METAS took over management of the hospital, the nursing school (now labelled a college) and the secondary school. Facilities are being upgraded and expansion plans are in place. The three METAS institutions are currently managed by Eliah Srikakolli.

The hospital’s founders left a lasting legacy that inspires future generations. Their contributions to the field of medicine and their generous service to the people of Nuzvid will always be remembered and celebrated. We are grateful for the courage and dedication of physicians including A. E. Conye, A.E. Clark, D. W. Semmens, E. J. Hiscox, Emma Hughes, G. E. McWilliams, Mary Small, T. G. Hebard, Theodore Flaiz, J. B. Oliver, A. E. Clerk, D. W. Smith, Eden Smith, A. Young, S. McNeal, C. K. Kruger and P. S. Nelson, among many. Indian medical directors have included C. A. Ninan, N. S. Fernando, K. P. George, Jaganadha Rao, Philip Virthan, Mohan Chandersheker, Ronnie Gyi, and many others. The investment of these professionals and others in Seventh-day Adventism’s medical mission has enriched many lives throughout the region served by the hospital.

The Adventist family of faith surrounding the hospital has continued to thrive and grow. Today, it is an active and vibrant community that seeks to share the good news of God's love through both words and actions. It also provides its members and others with support and encouragement. Its history is a testimony to the power of perseverance. Its members have left a lasting, inspiring impact on the world. We look forward to celebrating those who have made it among the most vibrant Adventist communities in India, nourishing the relationships they helped to create, and laying the groundwork for the continuation of their legacy.