I just got off a video call with Pastor Chand and his wife. To my surprise, he was full of joy. I wasn’t expecting that—especially considering he had just been released from jail. Yes, he was one of the nine pastors I mentioned in my articles, the ones we had been trying to help get released.
The first thing he did was thank me and all the supporters who had prayed for him and stood with him. Pastor Chand leads a congregation of about 200–300 believers in a small town in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. He had been arrested before and released, but this time he was imprisoned for the past eight months.
And yet, he told me this was the best time of his ministry.
While in prison, he witnessed people being healed and giving their lives to Jesus. He was even able to raise up four new leaders—brothers who found salvation behind bars and are now leading prayer groups inside the prison. When Chand was about to be released on bail, many inmates begged him to leave his Bible behind for them. He said he had never felt the presence of the Lord so closely as he did in prison.
At first, some inmates were hostile and even threatened him, saying they would report him to the jailer for converting others. But Chand and the new believers began praying. The very next day, the ones who had threatened him were overcome with fear—they stopped harassing him entirely. Chand said, “The fear of the Lord gripped them.”
But not everything was easy. The greatest pain he endured was being separated from his wife and three young children—ages 4, 5, and 13. His wife suffered greatly in his absence. With no food and no protection, she was forced to move in with her parents, who are not Christians. They began blaming Jesus for her suffering and even tried to arrange for her to marry another Hindu man who could provide for her and the children.
In India, arranged marriages like this can be difficult for a Western mind to fully grasp. But for her, the pressure was unbearable. She would visit her husband in prison, crying, “Is there any way we can all just stay here together? Life outside is harder. I don’t want to sin against my God, and I don’t want to be forced to marry someone else.” Being the only believer in her village made her situation even more painful.
Yet God, in His sovereign mercy, protected her and their children. Now that Chand is out, he secretly visits his church members and prays with them, although he cannot officially reopen the church. Chand told me, “I have tasted the Lord—how can I stop serving Him?”
I was speechless.
I encouraged his wife, who clearly needed comfort and healing after months of trauma. But then came the question: What is the next step?
We have a laborer willing to serve, fully sold out for Jesus. But he needs covering, and he needs to feed his family. I humbly asked him, “How can I support you?” He answered, “A business—something that will allow me to serve the Lord and provide for my family.”
Immediately, I thought of BTJ and Business as Mission. This is one of the few legal ways we can support families like his, enabling them to live out their calling while sustaining themselves. In his small town, many churches are being shut down. But we, as members of the Body of Christ, can come alongside these pastors and encourage them to continue their work.
If you would like to give to help this pastor set up his own small business, you can donate below and add the message “PASTOR SUPPORT”.
