Mother Teresa of Bangalore' Teaches OBU Course

Students at Oklahoma Baptist University had the opportunity during the fall semester to enroll in a course discussing the history, geography, demographics, culture, religions and missions outreach in India taught by Dr. Rebekah Naylor, a practicing physician who, for 35 years, served as a surgeon, administrator and medical superintendent of the Bangalore Baptist Hospital in India.

"This was a rare opportunity to study under one who has been called the 'Mother Teresa of Bangalore'," said Dr. Bob Dawson, OBU's WMU Professor of Missions and professor of applied ministry.

The fall course on the culture and religions of India was structured around three weekends of lecture and dialogue with Naylor, Sept. 18-19, Oct. 16-17 and Nov. 13-14, 2009.

"This kind of course allows students to take an in-depth look into a country that is an increasingly major player on the world stage today," Naylor said. "The key thing I hope impressed the students is the lostness of the people of India, and their need to hear about Jesus."



While making rounds, Dr. Rebekah Naylor works with two interns and their professor as they give patient histories and identify current treatment methods at the Bangalore Baptist Hospital in India.

Naylor often incorporated her experiences on the mission field into her lectures, providing students with real-life applications in relation to the course topic.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Naylor earned a bachelor's degree from Baylor University and the doctor of medicine degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She also attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. She served her four-year residency in general surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas.

Naylor was appointed as a representative of the International Mission Board (then the Foreign Mission Board) to India in April 1973. She retired in February 2009.

Naylor became connected with Bison Hill by serving as a member of the advisory group for OBU's Avery T. Willis Center for Global Outreach. She also served as a guest speaker during chapel services on campus and was involved with launching the partnership between OBU and India's Kai people group.

For more information about the Avery T. Willis Center for Global Outreach, go online to www.okbu.edu/go.