After relinquishing my responsibilities in CSI St. John’s Church at Guntur, me and my wife prayed fervently asking God to open a new door for us to serve Him through Gospel Mission of India. Praise God, for the wonderful plans He has designed for us to serve Him. He has led us to a slum, Seethamma Nagar Colony near to our house. It was a conglomerate Colony inhabited by people of all castes, communities and religions. Most of them were economically and socially backward living in thatched huts. Some people used to live in tents too. The Colony had no roads, no water facilities and no amenities for casual daily living. Many people are addicted to all kinds of vices. Almost all the children from the Colony used to roam around the streets half-naked with sunken eyes because of malnutrition. We found some of the children begging at the railway gate when it was closed. I could see blatant starvation on their frustrated faces. They were accustomed to living outside the boarders of minimum comforts and civilization. Many parents were not interested to send their children to schools though the education was provided by the government free of cost in the nearby township. Almost all the families live on daily wages. When there was no work, they were forced to skip off their meals. It was really pathetic. Nobody ever started a Church there as they were scared to step in to the Colony because of its financial backwardness.

One day God has led me and my wife to go into the Colo as the railway gate that would lead us into the city w closed for train’s arrival. Having gone there, we have found the true realities of the Colony showing its utmo backwardness in every reflection of human standards. The I decided that this is the place that I should restart my Pastoral ministry and serve the people and lead them to Christ resulting in their holistic transformation. In a remote centre of the Colony, I found some men chitchatting on the road. I asked them whether I could find a piece of land to buy. They were shocked to see a person coming in a car and enquiring for a piece of land to buy in the Colony. They said, “Sir, you cannot live here. We don’t know why you want to buy a piece of land here. It is not a place for people like you. “Then, I insisted that I want to buy a place to construct a Church in the Colony. They were so amazed as nobody has ever tried to build a Church in that Colony. They showed me some sites available for sale. I prayed with my wife Leela with a spirit of dedication and selected the place where the Church is now. Initially my wife was bit discouraged to start a Church there as she was very much scared of the conditions of those people. Later on she became more and more interested in having a ministry started there. She used to spend hours together there in the Colony after she would return from Andhra Chrstian College where she used to teach.

Ultimately God has led us to construct a small but beautiful Church there. Many people expressed that the Church building was too big for that colony. But now it has become 100 small for the worshippers who attend the Church regularly. Those days it was not appreciated by theeducated Christians of the city very much. They used to mock at us saying, “You are highly educated people and what made you to go and start a Church in a remote slum?” We felt that we didn’t have to give them a reply. Glory to God, He has made that place an internationally known place today. Many national and international leaders of reputed organizations and Churches visited the colony and ministered in the Church. In the early days, only five to ten people used to attend the Church. Yet we were not disappointed. God has given us perseverance. We continued to prevail on God for enabling us to hold on to our vision. My wife being a former student of a missionary school, found the indispensable necessity of providing education to the children living in the slum who are without any hope for the future. She believed that these children are as precious as the children of any bureaucratic or aristocratic families. She felt these children should not be deprived of education which would open a door to social equity, personal credibility and personal sustenance leading them to a brilliant future.