THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF PASTOR JOHN VASU
Pastor John Vasu was a legendary Pentecostal Pastor and a Visionary Leader. He was one of pioneering Pentecostal leaders in India recognised both nationally and internationally in his generation.
Pastor John Vasu was born 100 years ago on September 2nd 1909 as the eldest son in an orthodox Hindu family. He became a follower of Jesus christ at the age of 16. He received a call to ministry through a supernatural experience in which he fell into a trance and was taken to heaven.
He obeyed the heavenly vision and entered into full time ministry at the age of nineteen. He destroyed his educational certificates lest he be tempted to seek secular employment in any desperate situation. He travelled for a period as an itinerant evangelist in various parts of Tamilnadu and Srilanka.
He then joined with Pastor B.Jacob to found the Madras Pentecostal Assembly and later served as its Superintending Pastor. He married Miss.Kirubai Conrad on 6.6.1941 and they had two children Pastor Prabhudoss Vasu and Mrs.Sheila Alwin.
Mrs. Kirubai Vasu was a highly qualified lady having completed B.A Lt and working as a Mathematics teacher. She resigned her job and joined wholeheartedly with her husband in the ministry, interpreting his messages and assisting him in every way she could.
Pastor John Vasu published one of the first Pentecostal magazines in India in English and Tamil in 1938 called the Balm of Gilead. He also started one of the first Pentecostal Bible Colleges in India in 1950 called the Madras Bible Institute.
He also laboured much to promote unity among Pastors and churches and formed the first fellowship for the Pentecostal Pastors which has continued to bear great fruit even today as is seen in the growth of Pentecostal Pastors fellowships throughout India.
He served as the FIRST President of the All India Pentecostal Fellowship from 1957 until his homecall in 1962. He served as the FIRST President of the Pentecostal Fellowship, Madras from 1956 until his homecall.
He was the FIRST representative of India in the World Pentecostal Conference Committee from 1949 until his homecall.
He was also the chairman of the historic T.L.Osborn crusade in Madurai in 1961.
He was great mentor of young leaders and encouraged them in the ministry and many of them have become outstanding Christian Leaders today.
Pastor John Vasu was an outstanding preacher of the word of God and was considered a Prince of Preachers in India in his time.
He travelled widely around the world in three Global Missionary tours between 1949 and 1962 in his preaching ministry and was a great blessing everywhere he went.
In one meeting , a pastor saw the cloven tongues resting on the people and in another meeting two children had visions of Jesus. He exalted Christ and expounded the Scriptures, charged by the power of Holy Ghost that by the very presence of God which filled the place , sinners and backsliders were drawn to the feet of Jesus and saints were richly blessed.
Pastor John Vasu cared deeply for poor and needy and laboured much for the welfare of the orphans and the widows. He took much efforts to establish schools for the education of the deprived and the downtrodden people of society.
He was a man of deep love and humility , soft spoken and a man of few words. He was a celebrated resident of Chennai well respected by the society .He was appointed as a honorary magistrate by the Government.
He went to be with the Lord after an untiring ministry of 33 years. To the end of his earthly pilgrimage , he was toiling hard in His vineyard, wishing to die in harness. It pleased the Lord to fulfill His servant's desire on 7th July 1962.
His family has continued to serve the Lord even to the third and fourth generation. His son Pastor Prabhudoss Vasu was also a great Pentecostal leader serving the Lord for 33 years until his heavenly homecall .
His grandson Pastor Stanley Vasu is currently leading the Madras Pentecostal Assembly.
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