Dr. J. David recalls two moments when his medical calling and his church life became one

Dr. J. David • Member, Richmond Town Methodist Church


Not every act of service at Richmond Town Methodist Church has happened from a pulpit or a platform. Some of it has happened in the pews themselves — or in the moments just after a service ends, when the needs of people become suddenly and quietly urgent. Dr. J. David, a medical doctor and one of the longest-serving members of the congregation, recalls a few such occasions.

Up Close with Thatha Seamands

During the years when Rev. J.T. Seamands and Rev. David Seamands were serving as pastors at RTMC, the fourth Sunday of every month was marked by an After-Dinner Song Service — held from eight to nine in the evening, a beloved time of worship and fellowship that drew members together after a day of church.

WINSLOW – Photo No. 43 of Earl ‘Thatha’ Seamands – from SHORTLISTED. Dont blowup the pic. Small practical layout

On one such occasion, Rev. J.T. Seamands was present with his father, Rev. E.A. Seamands — known affectionately to the congregation as Thatha Seamands. He was a well-built elderly gentleman, an architect and engineer from the United States who was also a devoted preacher and evangelist. He had been instrumental in establishing several churches and educational institutions across North Karnataka, particularly in the districts of Gulbarga, Raichur, and Bidar.

Rev. J.T. Seamands was singing in Kannada and playing the saxophone when Thatha Seamands suddenly swooned and collapsed into the pew. My wife and I were seated just a couple of rows behind him.

I immediately rushed to his side. His pulse was very feeble and he was perspiring profusely. It appeared that he might have suffered a silent heart attack. I quickly brought some water, sprinkled it on his face, and within a few minutes he regained consciousness.

His first words were:

“Don’t take me to any hospital in Bangalore. Please take me to the ETCM Hospital in Kolar.”

A few days later, he passed away peacefully.

It was the desire of Earl ‘Thatha’ Seamands that he be buried in his beloved Karnataka. His grave rests a few yards from Gate No. 1 of the Hosur Road Cemetery — a quiet memorial to a faithful servant of God whose life left a lasting mark on the church communities of Karnataka.

“Don’t take me to any hospital in Bangalore. Please take me to the ETCM Hospital in Kolar.”
— Thatha Seamands, his first words on regaining consciousness

By Their Side — Bishop Kariappa Samuel and Mrs. Tara Samuel

The second such occasion that I recall was when I received an urgent call from Miss Rose Viswasam, the former Principal of Baldwin Girls’ High School, at about two in the afternoon on a particularly hot day. Bishop Kariappa Samuel had just arrived from Jabalpur, she said, and was suffering from high fever, severe headache, and profound weakness. I went there immediately.

A second call followed one Sunday morning at around 10:30 a.m., while the church service was in progress. Miss Viswasam came again in search of me and asked me to accompany her to the Bishop’s residence at Cambridge Layout, Ulsoor.

Both Bishop Kariappa Samuel and his wife, Mrs. Tara Samuel, were seriously unwell. I attended to them medically and prayed for their recovery.

There was another pastoral connection through which medicine and ministry came together. I also served for a period as personal physician to Rev. Theodore Williams and Mrs. Esther Williams, visiting him both at the Home and later at St. Martha’s Hospital, where I continued to offer medical advice and encouragement during his illness.

These are only a few of the many occasions on which God enabled me to serve through my medical profession. Looking back, I’m deeply grateful for every opportunity to minister to others with compassion, care, and faith — to be, in the quietest and most practical of ways, a doctor to the shepherds.

A Ministry Measured in Presence

Dr. David’s memories reveal another dimension of church life — one in which ministry does not always announce itself. Sometimes it is a doctor rising from his pew. Sometimes it is a hurried journey across Bangalore after an urgent call. Sometimes it is sitting beside an unwell pastor or bishop, offering medical counsel, encouragement and prayer.

The service happens quietly.

But it becomes part of the story of a congregation.

Dr. J. David
Member, Richmond Town Methodist Church • At 90, among the longest-serving active members of the congregation