Today on the Evangelism Podcast I interview Pastor Ramesh Kumar, a courageous leader from the Himalayan region of India. He shares the heartbreaking reality of persecution facing pastors and churches across his country, with over 1,500 churches being forcibly closed. However, Pastor Ramesh has responded by pioneering a thriving house church movement, establishing over 300 congregations in his network. As we discuss the challenges and opportunities for evangelism in India, I’m reminded of the immense spiritual harvest waiting to be reaped in this nation of 1.45 billion souls.
Summary:
- Pastor Ramesh Kumar is from the Himalaya region in northern India and has been a pastor there for the last 25 years.
- There has been significant persecution of pastors and churches in India, with over 1,500 churches being closed by the government and anti-Christian groups. Some churches have even been burned down.
- Pastor Ramesh Kumar’s own church, which has over 1,000 believers, has been attacked and closed down by the government. Even now, some of his church members and staff are in prison due to these attacks.
- In response to the persecution, Pastor Ramesh Kumar and his team have shifted to a house church movement, with over 300 house churches established in their network.
- Pastor Ramesh Kumar appeals for prayers and support from Christians around the world to help the persecuted church in India. He also invites the host, Daniel King, to visit India and participate in their ministry
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. Ramesh Kumar, thank you for being on the Evangelism Podcast. Yes. Now you are from India. What part of India do you live in?
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (00:16):
I am not part of India Ultra. I’m from Liv. You are from where? Rahan. Rahan. Okay. And tell me where is that located? That is located north part of India Himalaya region. In the Himalaya? Yeah, Himalaya region. Okay. And you are a
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:31):
Pastor there? Yeah, I’m pastoring there last 25 years.
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (00:34):
Wow.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:35):
And so I’ve heard that there has been a lot of persecution of pastors in India. Tell me what has been happening
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (00:46):
Now. 2014, after a lot of persecution running in India, every Sunday more than a hundred pastor anti people come to attack the church and M Lodge Church and we beat the pastor very badly and they send the prison and a lot of church, more than 1500 church close by the government and anti-Christian people. And another thing, the people, anti Christian people, they come to attacking church, even the police supporting them
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (01:15):
And have some churches even been burned.
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (01:17):
Yes, yes, yes. Lot of church, even money poor, all one by indication peoples.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (01:22):
Wow. And so what about your church? What opposition have you
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (01:27):
Faced in your church? Yeah. Last year, two October, 2025, my very big church there are around more than 1000 believers. Every Sunday they worshiping that integration. People come and attack at that church, sat down by close by government. And now again one church that church our pipe to 700 people every Sunday they gathering 24th of October, 2025, the anti-Christian people come and they attack and the church seal by government and our pastor, they all send the prisons.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (02:02):
Even right now they’re in
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (02:03):
Prison. Even right now. Before that time, my two real brother and to my staff, they send the prison.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (02:09):
Wow, you have such a nice smile, but you are saying they are in prison. You’re smiling at the same time. But this is not something to smile about. This is very serious. We need to pray for the Church of India. What do you think is the best way we can pray to support the pastors
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (02:29):
Of India? Yeah, we need your prayer and your support if you want to come our country and if you need support us, we continue pray for us. And if you want do anything, teaching materials, anything you want to send, we welcome you from India because of we are life living like just a persecution almost. Now,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (02:50):
God loves India. India has a population of 1.2 billion people, 1.45 billion, 1.45 billion,
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (02:59):
Billion people staying in
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:00):
India. It keeps growing, growing. Everyone’s having babies and so it’s a great harvest field. There’s many people that need Jesus in India
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (03:10):
And
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:11):
My wife and I, we love India. My wife Jessica, she lived in India for two years. She lived in Bangalore and traveled by train to almost every single state across India. And I’ve been to India for 11 different crusades and so we love India very much but sometimes it is difficult to evangelize. Tell me what is the effective way that you are evangelizing that you’re telling people about Jesus right
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (03:38):
Now? Yeah, now we are changed our planning because of a lot of persecution. We are only praying and we are running house church movement and that movement is very fast growing church in north part of India because of our provinces, 0.032% Christian. But we are now slowly, slowly we are disciple and we share the gospel. My province and my team, more than 30 people working in my team.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (04:05):
So more than 30 people are working to plant house churches.
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (04:08):
Yes.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (04:08):
And how many house churches do you have in your network?
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (04:11):
We have 300 house church in my network. We are established last 25 year continue. How do you start a new house, church, how does that
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (04:21):
Look?
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (04:23):
House church, when we go to our blaze and we see the gospel, if they sub obliges Christ, then we’ll add a house, church, be established this place.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (04:34):
Wow, what a great blessing.
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (04:36):
Yeah, thank you so much. God
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (04:38):
Will bless you.
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (04:38):
Daniel came, I want to invite you my place and I always see your misty in Facebook and YouTube. I’m very happy and excited. Even my team also want to invite you in my country. I’m most welcome. You and your family and your team. You are welcome with us. You’re doing ministry and we are organizing very big healing crusade in my area. If you have time, you’re most welcome in India.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (05:02):
Thank you so much. What is the main language that people speak in your area?
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (05:07):
My area
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (05:07):
Mostly the Hindi speaking. The Hindi,
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (05:10):
Yes.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (05:10):
Okay. Let’s finish today by praying for India, but I want you to pray in Hindi.
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (05:16):
Yes,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (05:17):
Pray that many people in India would come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (05:22):
Amen.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (05:23):
Go ahead, let’s pray.
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (05:24):
Yeah, Daniel,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (05:48):
And so if you had one thing to say to the Christians across the world about India, what would you say?
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (05:55):
I say, please remember Imper and lot of prescription, highly persecuted top 10 country in the world now in India. Enter they do. We need your support, we need your help. Can you raise your wife to UN and even US president if you stay in USA, that you tell to them India situation that maybe help for us?
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (06:19):
Yeah, I’ve seen that President Trump and Modi are friends. When President Trump was running for office in 2020, they had a big rally in the United States and Texas with many Indian voters and Modi came. And so I pray that God can use that relationship because I know India is very eager to have trade with
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (06:43):
America.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (06:45):
But what India needs to recognize is that along with trade, there must be religious
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (06:51):
Freedom.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (06:52):
And as a nation in the Indian Constitution, it guarantees religious freedom. But on the ground many times that those freedoms are not found and there is persecution.
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (07:07):
And
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (07:08):
So even though the Constitution says there is religious freedom, sometimes officials, sometimes even police, they try to take away the religious freedoms of the minorities like the Christians. And so I believe that we need to stand with India. India will be a great partner for the United States, but if they are going to be a good partner, they must guarantee the religious freedoms of the minorities and they must allow people to come. Indians want to come to America. They must allow people like me to come to India and to have friends, to visit the churches, to evangelize because that is part of having religious freedom. You cannot keep people out just because you don’t like their religion. If you’re going to be open, you must be open.
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (07:58):
Yes,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (07:59):
Yes
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (07:59):
Sir. If you tell, that is a very important movie and our Trump is very good friend. If they are discussion and they give freedom of religion, that is very important. If they give, that is a very good chance to come to Indian. People go to America and American people going to India and then we share something and culture and everything. We share each other. Yes. Very wonderful.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (08:23):
Well, I would love to come and sue you
Pastor Ramesh Kumar (08:25):
Someday
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (08:26):
Very soon. Yes. Alright. Thank you brother for being on the Evangelism podcast. Thank you. I bless you.
