In this episode of the Evangelism Podcast, I talk with Reverend Dr. Ravi David, a Methodist pastor near Mumbai, India. Ravi shares how he was called to ministry at a young age, and the challenges of evangelism in India. We discuss the rich history of religious freedom in India, and how the teachings of Jesus and Gandhi’s nonviolent approach have influenced one another. Ravi encourages Christians to simply practice what the Bible teaches as the best way to impact India.
Summary:
- Pastor Ravi David is a Methodist pastor near Mumbai, India who began serving in the ministry at around 18 years old [1:16].
- Ravi’s church engages in regular evangelism by going out to nearby villages and rural areas to preach the gospel and provide social services, seeing miracles and healings take place [3:39].
- While there is some persecution of pastors in India, especially independent pastors, Ravi’s organized, mainline church has not faced significant persecution in the Mumbai area [4:52].
- Ravi notes that the current Indian government is Hindu, leading to challenges with anti-conversion laws, but he is hopeful the situation will improve under a new government [6:09].
- Ravi emphasizes the importance of Christians living out the teachings of Jesus, and that this itself is the best way to impact India [7:18] [9:00] [9:28].
Transcript:
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:00):
Welcome to the Evangelism Podcast. I’m Daniel King. I’m excited about telling people about Jesus today. I have a very special guest with me, Reverend Dr. Ravi David.
Pastor Ravi David (00:10):
Praise God. Praise God.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:11):
And you are a Methodist pastor near Mumbai in India. Tell me a little bit about your ministry. How did you first start serving the
Pastor Ravi David (00:22):
Lord? Okay. When I was youth, my church, it gave me a chance to develop myself in the youth ministry. And then I’m born and brought up in the SLA area for Mumbai, the Asia’s largest SLA area called Ravi. That area was totally rubbish area. It was filly area. But God, in his time, he started his work among the people of Ravi. And wherein I could get into the small church there, pastor, the mentor, my mentor, he gave me lot of spiritual boost.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (01:13):
How old were you when you started at that church?
Pastor Ravi David (01:16):
I was somewhere around 18. 18 years.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (01:19):
Okay, wow.
Pastor Ravi David (01:20):
Yeah. But prior to that, I’ll tell you one thing. When I was quite small, about three to four years of age, I used to go with my daddy to that church, slum church. We used to sit on the floor to worship. And my pastor, when he was preaching, I used to admire his kasek. And when he used to lift his hands up, I used to feel as if some heavenly body standing. I used to ask my daddy. I still remember, I asked my daddy, daddy, who is he? Then my daddy told in that small age, he just randomly told he’s an angel. Then I said, how when I’ll become like him? Then he said, when you’ll grow, definitely you’ll become. And then afterwards, after four, five years, we were away from the church. My daddy got transferred to some other area and we lost touch. Totally. I grew up in the secular field and I never thought God would call me in my teens. One fine day when I was again, my daddy got transferred to the area near to my church. My friend forced me to come, the childhood friends to the church. When I went there, God, as I said, he has his own plan. He called me through the sermon of my pastor
(02:49):
And then I said, Lord, send me. I’m here. And from that day inwards, God did a lot of miracles in my life. He pulled me from the secular field. He pulled me into the ministry and I completed my theological studies. I did my even master’s in secular studies and then got permitted me to do my doctorate in ministry. And I entered into the Methodist ministry and by God’s of grace, it was wonderful beginning for me.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:28):
Wow. What a blessing. And so now you’re pastoring a Methodist church. Yes. And what is your church doing in the area of evangelism? How are you telling people about Jesus?
Pastor Ravi David (03:39):
Well, we have got different groups in our church youth group as well as the elders group. Every Fortnite, we just go out to some nearby villages, rural area there. We spend all day along with the people there. And we preach them. We preach them gospel directly as well as through our act, through our work, social work. They know when we go there, they know these are Christians and God uses us to bless them, to pray for them. And we see a lot of healing takes place.
(04:25):
Even all those who are possessed, God gives them deliverance through the prayers. And we are thankful to God. God is using the mainland churches also to evangelize the area.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (04:39):
Amen. I’ve heard that there is a lot of persecution of pastors in India, and even churches have been burned down. Have you experienced any of that in your area?
Pastor Ravi David (04:52):
No, not exactly. There are persecutions everywhere, but media, it shows the other picture. In fact, the persecution is there where the pastors or the independent pastors especially where they don’t follow certain rules and regulations, the norms of the society there, the people of the other faith, they get angry and then they start, but they don’t attack the base. Mainland churches, they don’t even come near to us because we are an organized body.
(05:31):
Yeah. The body which are not organized, they face a little problem. That too, in the interior part, not in the outer area, urban area,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (05:40):
But in the Mumbai area, you have freedom to preach the gospel to evangelize, to tell people about
Pastor Ravi David (05:47):
Jesus. Yes.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (05:48):
Okay. Wonderful. That’s good to hear. I know it’s different in different areas of India. There are some officials and in some areas that might be more against Christianity and even there’s some areas that have passed Anticon conversion laws. Do you see that as a challenge or an issue?
Pastor Ravi David (06:09):
Yeah, it’s a challenge. It’s an issue. But again, this present government, they are Hindus. So we are just waiting for the new government to come. Once the new government comes and all the laws will, again, it’ll go back.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (06:26):
Yeah. Because the Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion.
Pastor Ravi David (06:31):
Exactly.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (06:31):
And has a rich history
Pastor Ravi David (06:33):
Of
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (06:33):
Many different religions living together in peace and harmony. I think that was one of the beauties of India when it was first started, that one of my heroes when I was young was Gandhi, who considered the father of India.
Pastor Ravi David (06:55):
India. Yes.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (06:55):
And of course, he knew many Christians when he was a lawyer in South Africa. And it said that Gandhi said one time, I love your Jesus, but I don’t like all the Christians I’ve
Pastor Ravi David (07:09):
Met. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (07:10):
And I think that’s a great challenge for us as Christians. We must show what Jesus looks like. We should act more like Jesus.
Pastor Ravi David (07:18):
No. In fact, I can tell you Gandhiji, if you read about him, he was a person who read the Bible and he followed the Bible. He in fact practiced the Bible. He told people until, unless my people get their cloth to wear, I won’t wear any cloth except that. And then he said, if anybody hits you, don’t reverse. Don’t you hit them back reversely. In fact, you love them. That is the principle of Bible, which he followed. And I can say the person who followed the principles of Bible was given a title called Maha Maha, very great soul. So in that sense, I would say when the person who followed read and followed the Bible was given this title, then how much more bigger title my God should have.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (08:25):
Amen. Yeah. Gandhi had a big impact, even on America. He influenced the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. Who he taught nonviolence,
Pastor Ravi David (08:39):
Nonviolence
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (08:40):
Protest, which I think that now people need to remember.
Pastor Ravi David (08:45):
Exactly.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (08:47):
It worked in India. It brought the freedom for India. And people around the world, I think, should listen to that teaching. But it comes from the teachings of Jesus.
Pastor Ravi David (08:58):
Exactly. That’s what I say.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (08:59):
Yeah.
Pastor Ravi David (09:00):
That’s what I say. Yeah. Until, unless if you don’t read, if you don’t follow Christ, you won’t be able to make any difference in any society.
(09:14):
You want to make any difference in this society at large, then it’s a must to follow the teachings of all Lord Jesus quest.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (09:21):
Yeah. If you had one message for Christians around the world about how to pray for India, what would you say?
Pastor Ravi David (09:28):
I would say that just practice what Bible teaches. That itself is a prayer, sitting and praying, asking God to give strength to do these certain words. Instead of that, if you practice what is written in the scriptures, that itself would be a prayer. And I say to the people, just practice what Bible teaches, and that will be a prayer for us.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (10:04):
Amen. Well, doctor Ravi, thank you so much for being on the Evangels of Podcast. I appreciate it. Thank you. God bless you.
