James Shepherd

James Shepherd (2 February 1847 – 29 March 1926) was a Scottish physician and missionary known for his work in the Indian mission field. He founded the Rajputana Mission Hospital in Udaipur.

Early life James Shepherd was born on February 2, 1847, in Aberdeen, Scotland. He was one of four sons and two daughters, none of whom ever got married. From a young age, he was considered very bright, receiving a number of awards from Aberdeen Grammar School. While his father did not push him to pursue missionary work, Shepherd and his family belonged to St. Nicholas Lane Church, where Shepherd took a bible class that is thought to have influenced his decision to do so.

Education After deciding to become a missionary, Shepherd prepared thoroughly, focusing his attention both on medicine and the Gospel. Although the local population was skeptical of him at first, Shepherd quickly won their confidence, and within eleven months, his dispensary had had 27,472 visits. He also treated people in their homes and held preaching meetings twice a week along with Isa Das. With this money, and a land plot gifted by the Raj, Shepherd began building the hospital upon his return and oversaw its development from beginning to end. In 1886, it was ready for use, and the Rajputana Mission Hospital opened to the public with a grand ceremony. Later, he established a Christian school for the Bhil people and an asylum for lepers.

Impact The impact of Shepherd's work in India is measured by the service to hundreds of thousands of patients with conditions ranging from malaria to broken bones, and his church has inspired the development of a Christian community including the school he founded. The church is now known as the Shepherd Memorial Church as well as the Church of North India and is the oldest surviving church in Udaipur. In Udaipur, there came to be a "Shepherd tradition," in which he created a new atmosphere, set up standards of truth and honesty, and stood for what was honorable.