Samuel S. Day

Samuel Stearns Day (1808–1871), also known by name Samuel S. Day, was the first Canadian-born American Baptist missionary to Telugu speaking provinces – Visakhapatnam, nearby to British Baptist missionary presence in Orissa(present Orissa); and Nellore, part of then-Madras presidency, later part of Andhra, and currently part of Andhra Pradesh.

He was the founder of American and Canadian Baptist missions in Telugu speaking provinces, especially Telugu Baptist mission at Nellore.

He was born in Bastard Township, Ontario, Canada on 13 May 1808 to Jeremiah and Submit Day. He went to Sunday school in 1818. He has the habit of writing review of the past year on occasion of his birthday each year. At an age of seventeen, he wrote his autobiography on two narrow scraps of paper. In 1825, he was baptized at the "Branch Church" - later renamed to "Leeds Church". He stopped farming and started a career of teaching at Stone School House between 1827 to 1828. He was rebaptized in April 1828 and received into the church fellowship. Later, he continued teaching at Brick School House and than at Stone School House.

In 1831, he attended seminary in Hamilton, New York, and later joined for ministerial training. Though his initial idea had been to work as missionary to the Native Indians of Canada, but foreign missionary operations in the whole world seemed to be calling. In 1833, on a return trip to Bastard, his home church granted him a license to preach. He was appointed a missionary to India in August 1835.

He married Roenna Clark in 1825, and was ordained to the Baptist ministry at Cortland, New York. On 23 September 1835, he along with E.L. Abbot and their wives sailed to India for missionary work under the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society(ABFMS). Upon arrival in Calcutta on 5 February 1836, E.L. Abbot departed to Burma, while Samuel family proceeded to Vizagapatam - also known by names Vizag or Visakhapatnam.

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