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Related Titles: Plymouth Brethren Missionary Story; Christian Brethren Salvation Story; Brethren Assembly Missionary And Evangelist In Bihar, India; India Conversion Story
Last Updated: 2008 July 26. Author: Jacob Mathen, New York. Published By: Spiritual Digest Newsletter. Used With Permission.
Photo: Narayan Paul. Born: 1935; Died: June 12, 2008.
Bro. Narayan Paul was a pioneer missionary to the unreached Sora Tribe of Gummada in the Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh, India.
After 35+ years of faithful labor in the vineyard of the Master, it pleased the
Lord to call His child home to rest in His presence on June 12, 2008 at 8:15 PM.
Indian Standard Time. He is survived by his wife Grace Paul, son Philip Timothy
(evangelist) and daughters Phoebe and Hephsiba (Arizona-USA). The funeral is scheduled
for Saturday, June 14. At the time of writing this, Hephsiba is on her way to India
and would reach her home in India on Friday night. Evangelist A.G. Jacob of Vizag
is staying close to Bro. Timothy and helping him with all the arrangements. There
will be elders and believers from some 200+ assemblies in the hills attending this
funeral. We are saying farewell to one of the most outstanding native missionaries
of our time.
His smile, laughter, jokes, songs, those little incidents in the 74 years of his
life and some 35+ years of ministry will not be forgotten. Our children will cherish
the times spent with him. Farewell, my dear uncle, my friend who would stick closer
than a brother, and my faithful co laborer in the vineyard of the Lord, farewell…till
we meet at the feet of Jesus.
Bro. Narayan will continue to be a great inspiration to all who knew him. Let
us pray for the sorrowing families and friends. He planted over one hundred churches
in the hills of Andhra and Orissa border. When he was getting weak he delegated
a lot of responsibilities to others. His son Timothy oversees 138 congregations,
son-in-law Silas oversees 26 congregations and Bro. Narayan was overseeing 53 assemblies.
He personally baptized over 4000 people and conducted over 800 marriages. There
are over 12,000 believers in the Sora community now. The attendance at the week-long
annual conventions of the Sora assemblies exceeds 5000 people. In the community,
Bro. Narayan was known as the father of the tribals and even his enemies treated
him with great respect. His tireless efforts and love for the people uplifted the
entire Sora tribe. He dressed and lived like a tribal.
He founded the New Life Association to reach out to the Sora community with the
Gospel and he served the community in various ways:
-- Bethany Hospital for the sick and suffering
-- Mercy Home for the orphans
-- Cherith Bible School to train missionaries
-- Schools to give elementary education to the poor
-- Programs to help the widows in the community, etc.
Bro. Narayan Paul was obedient to his call. When the Lord called him to the ministry,
he resigned his secure job as a welding supervisor with Hindustan Motors in the
city of Calcutta. Why he would choose to reach out to the primitive tribals in the
hills and valleys in the wilderness of Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, is a mystery.
There was not a single Christian among the Sora tribals in the 1970s. There would
not be a single Christian in that community for another 11 years after Bro. Narayan
Paul set his foot in those hills with his wife Grace. Those were the days of major
confrontations between Naxelites and Central Reserve Police. Srikakulam was the
stronghold of and a hideout for the Naxelites. Bro. Narayan and Sis. Grace persisted
despite ruthless opposition, and day after day he would climb those hills to share
the good news with the villagers. Houses are clustered together in each village
on those hills and each village has a village-headman and a few elders. Many a time
he was threatened by the tribals with poison-tipped arrows. They told him not to
return to their villages; if he did, they would shoot first and talk later. Many
times he was physically abused and even stoned.
Years and years later, those same people would receive him into their village, after
washing his feet. [How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring
good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who
say to Zion, "Your God reigns…Isaiah 52:7]. This scripture verse is the basis for
this practice. These precious believers in the hills still continue the practice
of washing the feet of any evangelist visiting their villages. After an evangelist
ministers from the Word, every believer in the village church will have something
in their hand to offer to the preacher, from their meagre resources. The Lord transformed
their lives and they would express their gratitude by honoring the Lord's servants.
[He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent
me…Matthew 10:40]
In the earlier years when he got expelled from a village, he never shook off
the dust from his feet, but he would go out of the village and camp under a tree
and cook his dinner using the firewood freely available in the area. He had no other
choice -- no roads and no transportation and he could not get back to his hut in
the far away village the same day. Traveling during day time is dangerous, let alone
traveling at night on foot. There are tigers and other wild animals in those jungles
and it is unsafe to camp outside as well. All the stuff needed for the daily use
were carried on the shoulders and sometimes he would get a companion.
One evening after getting expelled from a village, he was under a large tree cooking
his dinner (Chappathi and Dal). It was getting dark and the boys from that village
were returning to the village with their cattle after grazing them in the forest.
The boys found this stranger under the tree. They were very friendly to this stranger
and wanted to know more about him. Bro. Narayan lighted his gas lantern and began
teaching the boys songs and Gospel stories in the Sora dialect, using pantomime
and a small wooden musical instrument in his hands. The boys got excited and invited
him to their village. But he would say that he could not go back to their village
because their parents would kill him. The boys would in turn persuade Bro. Narayan
-- and say, they will have to kill us before they touch you -- and offer to protect
him with their lives. He would then pack up and go back to the village with the
boys. And in the center of the village he would set the lantern and then form a
large circle and sing Gospel songs in the tribal language and teach them to step
to the rhythm of the Gospel song. This would go on well into the night. All the
children in that village would soon come out of their huts followed by their parents;
and soon the whole village would be there. All the children and some of the grownups
would get involved in the act. The next time he visits that village, he is warmly
welcomed and the village becomes receptive to the Gospel. Bro. Narayan knew how
to get to the heart of people with the Gospel, especially through music. [He always
had a musical instrument with him -- two small pieces of wood - what do you call
it in English? -- I call it Chaplakkatta in Malayalam.]
On another occasion he was expelled from a village. This time there was another
helper with him. They both decided to camp under a large tree in the valley outside
the village. After they settled down, they heard a noise like something falling
from the tree. In the twilight they saw a figure with long hair. They were afraid.
There was a young woman with barely any clothes on her and he had a very fierce
appearance and she had a large stone in her hand ready to attack them. She was a
demon possessed girl aged 19. She lived in the forest all alone abandoned by parents
and her village because she was violent. She approached Bro. Narayan to attack him
while his companion ran and hid himself. Instead of running from the scene, Bro.
Narayan closed his eyes tightly shut and started praying aloud. A few minutes passed
by as he continued in prayers standing. Then he felt a touch on his foot. He opened
his eyes. There was the young girl -- the demons had gone out of her; she was asking
for some clothes. Bro. Narayan gave her his shawl. Soon his companion came back
from the hiding and joined them. Straight away, they went back to the village [from
which they were expelled] and the healed girl following them.
The villagers saw them coming back and the girl following them in submission. The
villagers were surprised to see her. She has been healed. Soon the villagers understood
what had happened. Bro. Narayan's God has power over demons. [The Sora people live
in fear and they are animists; they worship spirits and appease them with animal
sacrifice. When they get sick they consult a witch-doctor. Some witch-doctors control
the villages and entire territories.] The women in the village started bringing
water mixed with turmeric power and started pouring it on the head of the girl now
who is now free from the demons. This is a purification ritual the villagers perform
in order to receive someone back to their village. Soon the parents of the girl
arrived. They received their daughter safe and sound. The result? Almost the entire
village came to Christ that year and an assembly testimony was established in that
village. The girl's name is Laxmi and she is now happily married to an evangelist
from the neighboring village. She goes from village to village with her husband
to share the good news -- a living testimony for the power of our Lord over the
demons. [This incident was shared with me during Bro. Narayan's third visit to New
York in 2006; there are many other incidents he has shared with others and I believe
someone out there is attempting to put all that in writing for the benefit and inspiration
of believers everywhere.]
The villagers could not turn him away for a long time. His methods of presenting
was unique. Sometimes he would ask the village leaders permission to conduct a Bhajana
(classical songs using some professional musical instruments) in the evening. During
that session he would present the Gospel through songs. Many times people would
object and some times he was expelled by force. Then he would return after a few
weeks in another form -- with Shanti Ratham (which means chariot of peace -- a decorated
vehicle). He would then share the Gospel with songs in an interesting way using
loud speakers. When that would not work, he would come back with a mobile clinic
with a doctor, nurses and a lot of medicines for the villagers. He provided free
ambulance service and medical help to all the villages in the area and his hospital
in strategically located in the center of hundreds of villages. Many of his opponents
received treatment. One of the leaders in the village got so sick that he was bedridden
for days. Everyone expected his imminent death. Bro. Narayan got word about this
leader's condition. He promptly dispatched his ambulance with enough people to carry
this man to the ambulance and to transport him to the Bethany Hospital. Some of
the people even said that this was the man who tried to hurt Bro. Narayan and that
he should not be helped. Any way, the village leader was completely healed and returned
to his village. Later he became Bro. Narayan's best friend. Many are the opponents
who became his friends.
He would share his years of experiences in the homes he stayed. His wife Grace is
a lady with great convictions and commitment. When prompted, he would share about
his arranged marriage. He never saw her before marriage and she never saw Bro. Narayan
before marriage. Grace is the daughter of an evangelist. She is a mother to all
the tribals.
What a glowing testimony, what commitment, what sacrifice and what an impact. Iron
sharpens iron. May Bro. Narayan Paul's life and example sharpen our lives for our
Savior and Lord.
Andhra Pradesh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Srikakulam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
India - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
India - CIA, The World Factbook