The American Baptist Mission’s narrative among the Telugu people took an unforeseen turn with the emergence of Yerraguntla Periah, a member of the Madiga community hailing from Tallakondapadu village in Kanigiri Taluk, situated about 100 kilometers southwest of Ongole town. Periah, a skilled leather worker and trader, frequently embarked on journeys to the northern district of Godavari with his kinsmen to trade in hides. This venture involved procuring hides in large quantities from Godavari and selling them in Madiga hamlets en route to their village.

In 1862, a peculiar opportunity arose when a significant number of animals perished in the Godavari district due to poisonous insect bites. Seizing the business potential, enterprising Madigas from Ongole, including Periah, ventured to Godavari to purchase cartloads of hides for resale in their region. During this expedition, while passing through the town of Eluru, Periah encountered his relative, Ongole Abrahamu, who had converted to Christianity through the influence of Church of England missionaries in the Godavari district.

Abrahamu, now an evangelist, shared his transformative conversion experience with Periah, sparking curiosity about the Christian faith. Periah’s encounter with missionaries Rev. Alexander in Eluru and later Rev. Bowden in Palakollu, both associated with the Church of England and close friends of Lyman Jewett from the American Baptist Mission, deepened his interest. The missionaries, realizing Periah’s connection to Ongole, directed him to the American Baptist Mission for further instruction and baptism, advising him to await the arrival of a new missionary in Ongole.

Periah’s experience in Eluru profoundly impacted him, leading to his abandonment of idol worship and adoption of Christian practices. Despite facing ridicule from relatives, including his wife, Periah remained steadfast. Within a year and a half, not only his wife but also many relatives in his village and neighboring areas converted to Christianity.

In his eagerness to meet the awaited missionary, Periah made several trips to the mission bungalow in Ongole, only to be disappointed by meeting the watchman, Obulu. In 1866, after multiple attempts, Obulu finally took Periah to the British officer overseeing the bungalow, where Periah’s wife penned a letter on his behalf to Rev. Lyman Jewett. The letter reached Nellore, coinciding with John Clough’s language acquisition and his readiness to embark on a new mission.

Periah’s letter provided a renewed sense of purpose to the struggling mission, which was on the brink of closure. Discussions ensued at the Nellore mission compound, ultimately leading Jewett, Clough, and Kanakiah to visit Ongole in March 1866 to meet Yerraguntla Periah, marking a pivotal moment in the expansion of the American Baptist Mission among the Telugu people.