Thursday, September 3, 2009

Birth Centenary of Pastor John Vasu Thanksgiving Service

Thanksgiving Service on the Birth Centenary of Pastor John Vasu


Sis.Stella Dhinakaran - Jesus Calls shared the word of God and prayed for the people


Greetings by Bishop Ezra Sargunam

Bishop Ezra Sargunam releases Birth Centenary Souvenir of Pastor John Vasu

Bishop Ezra Sargunam leads Special Prayer for Pastor Stanley Vasu

Greetings by Bishop V.Devasahayam - Church of South India (CSI) Diocese of Madras

Pastors and Beleivers attended the service. Special music featuring MPA Songs were rendered





Mrs.Stella Dhinakaran presenting a large clock as a gift

Tribute by Pastor Henry Joseph - Chairman , Chennai Full Gospel Ministers Fellowship

Tribute by Rev.Sam.P.Chelladurai - Apostolic Fellowship Tabernacle

Tribute by Mrs.Sheila Allwin - daughter of Pastor John Vasu

Mrs.Ruth Vasu dedicating the music audio Cd sung by her daughter Mrs. Pamela Israel with music by her son Ernest Vasu

Prayer by Rt.Rev.John Sathyakumar - Bishop , Anglican Church

Prayer by Rev.Arul Chandran - Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church

Tribute by Mrs. Gloria Ebenezer - niece of Pastor John Vasu

Tribute by Mrs. VasanthaKumari Pushapanathan - Secretary , Madras Pentecostal Assembly Mission

Tribute by Dr.David Paul - Full Gospel Students Fellowship

Prayer by Pastor U.Benjamin - Intermission

Special song by Mrs.Glory Kirubainathan

John Vasu Street in Madhavaram , Chennai

Birth Centenary of Pastor John Vasu - Souvenir


Pastor John Vasu was a member of the World Pentecostal Conference committee

Pastor John Vasu was the President of the All India Pentecostal Fellowship and the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship Madras


Pastor John Vasu was the Chairman of the historic T.L.Osborn crusade in Madurai in 1961

Pastor John Vasu was the Co-founder and the Superintending Pastor of the Madras Pentecostal Assembly

Foreign Missionary Journeys of Pastor John Vasu

International Ministry of Pastor John Vasu

Pastor John Vasu with Family and Friends

Mrs.Kirubai Vasu

Funerals in the Family

The Life and Ministry of Pastor John Vasu

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.

A Personal Note from Pastor Stanley Vasu



I have never met my grandfather Pastor John Vasu. He died 9 years before I was born. But I have heard much about him, from those who knew Him well. I have come to realise that he had laid the foundation for many of the ministries that we are involved in today . I have come to understand that we owe a debt of gratitude to all those who had pioneered and laboured before us according to John 4:36-38 and I Corinthians 3:6-15.

David Livingstone the great missionary to Africa was born in a town called Blantyre in Scotland. During his ministry in Africa , he had planted a christian mission in a town in Malawi East Africa which is now named Blantyre in his honour . During his ministry he did not see any great results immediately. But he beleived that the work he had pioneered would one day bring a great harvest . He wrote thus in his diary

" We are like voices crying in the wilderness; we prepare the way for a glorious future. Future missionaries will be rewarded with conversions for every sermon. We are their pioneers and helpers. Let them not forget the watchmen of the night - us, who worked when all was gloom , and no evidence of success in the way of conversion cheered our paths.They will doubtless have more light than we ; but we can serve our Master earnestly and proclaim the Gospel as they will do."

David Livingstone died in 1873 . More than 100 years later in 1986 Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke held a gospel crusade in Blantyre and more than 150,000 people came to hear the Gospel. At that time the Holy Spirit spoke to him and said ' You are walking on the tears of former generations'. Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke realised that he was reaping with joy where others have sown in tears.

When I think about the ministry of my grandfather and others who had laboured during the pioneering years of Pentecostal ministry in India , it is clear that we are reaping where they have toiled and sowed with tears. Through these pages we have attempted to record the historical facts from eye witnesses who can share with us the work of God in the previous generations and help us to understand the price that these pioneers have paid .

It has been an intense personal journey for me to study the life and ministry of my grandfather Pastor John Vasu. As I have been going through the various greetings and tributes that have been sent by those who had worked closely with my grandfather , I almost wish that I had an opportunity to meet him personally . Since I did not have that privilege , my aim in this publication is to glean the truths and the lessons that can be learnt from his life.

We must keep in mind that it is only Christ who can tranform the heart of any man and use him for His glory. When we admire a work of art , we praise the artist who had created that masterpiece. Thus when remember the life of Pastor John Vasu , we know it is the work of Christ in his life according to Galatians 6:14 , Galatians 2:20 , Colossians 1:27 , Ephesians 2:10 and Romans 9:21-23. God has no favourites and anyone who is an yielded vessel can be used my Him.Pastor John Vasu's motto was John 3:30 'He must increase but I must decrease' . He wanted only Christ to be seen in him.

7 Christlike Qualities of Pastor John Vasu: By Pastor Stanley Vasu

From the testimonies that I have heard and read about Pastor John Vasu , I would like to highlight some aspects of his life and ministry which have challenged me deeply . I trust that others too would find it inspiring and worth emulating.


CHRISTLIKE QUALITIES OF PASTOR JOHN VASU

1. HIS FAITH

He had a deep faith in Christ which he demonstrated by forsaking his religion and his family and all familiar surroundings and setting out to serve God like Abraham not knowing where he was going. The Lord honoured his faith and obedience and blessed him.

Hebrews 11:8 , Isaiah 51:2 ,Mark 10: 28-30, Matthew 10:32-42 , James 2:14-26


2. HIS FATHERLY LOVE

He had a fatherly love towards people. He was an outstanding preacher himself yet he often invited younger ministers to speak and thus encouraged their ministry. As Apostle Paul said ' Even though you have ten thousand instructors , you do not have many fathers'. Many young ministers during his days have testified that Pastor John Vasu took a fatherly concern towards them and encouraged the development and fulfillment of their calling and ministry.

1 corinthians 4:15


3. HIS FRUIT

He bore fruit in his life and ministry that has lasted long after his sojourn on the earth. The ministry that he did, the churches that he planted , the young people he had encouraged and mentored are still bearing fruit and even their descendants are serving the Lord and accomplishing great things for the Kingdom of God. This shows that his labours were not in vain but are continuing to bear fruit even today. He was careful not to waste his time and efforts chasing popularity or position or serving God with ulterior motives . He had served God with sincerity and truth so that his ministry had lasting fruit. Even
in his personal life he had demonstrated the fruit of the Spirit such as love , joy , peace, meekness etc.

John 15:16 Galatians 5:22-23 Matthew 7:20


4. HIS FORGIVING NATURE

He had a very forgiving nature and many have testified that even in very provocative situations , he maintained his tender spirit refusing to give any place in his heart to resentment or bitterness. No doubt this quality was greatly beneficial in his leadership responsibilities and helped to maintain and harmony especially in the pastors fellowships that he led.

Ephesians 4:32


5. HIS FOREIGN MINISTRY

He travelled abroad in Europe and America and many have testified that his ministry there was a great blessing. He had made such a deep impact in the hearts of the people there that even today many have fond memories of his visits. In an era when many westerners had a condescending attitude towards Indians and Indian preachers , Pastor John Vasu commanded their respect by his stature and personal integrity and spiritual maturity. Many of the outstanding international christian leaders of his era were his personal friends.

Mark 16:15 Acts 1:8 Acts 11: 27-30


6. HIS FELLOWSHIP

He loved the fellowship of the people of God and fellow servants of God. He did not prefer to live and work in isolation but was burdened for the unity and harmony of all the churches. He wanted to do his best to remove divisions and misunderstandings and bitterness between the people of God and the servants of God. As a result he was chosen to provide leadership to the pastors fellowships.

John 17 :21 1 Corinthians 12:12 Matthew 5:9


7. HIS FINISH

He finished his race triumphantly keeping his faith till the end . He did not stray away from his calling and ministry or wander into strange doctrines . He stayed in the course given to him and completed the task that was given to him. He wanted to die in harness and labour till his last breath. He said that it is better to wear out than rust out. Even a few days before he passed away he travelled a long distance for the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a church in a village.

Hebrews 13:7 2 Timothy 4:7 Hebrews 12:1-2 Psalm 37:37

Introduction to the Birth Centenary Souvenir : By Pastor Stanley Vasu

I trust that you would be blessed and inspired as you read these pages .

We have included greetings and memories of present day christian leaders , friends and family members who have graciously shared with us their experiences and best wishes on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Pastor John Vasu as well as the Platinum Jubilee of the Madras Pentecostal Assembly . This is followed by excerpts from the tributes published in the Balm of Gilead magazine in September 1962. We have also included an autobiography of Pastor John Vasu which relate to the first forty years of his life called ' My mites to my Master'.

We have published a brief history of the Madras Pentecostal Assembly adapted from previous publications .

We have included short biography of my father Pastor Prabhudoss Vasu who followed his father's footsteps in serving the Lord. He has served for the longest period as the Superintending Pastor of the Madras Pentecostal Assembly so far since its registration in 1934 and most of the pastors , teachers and wardens and staff serving today were appointed during his tenure.

As my birthday falls in September , a short biography of mine along with pictures are also included .

We begin with an article by Mrs. Sheila Allwin , the daughter of Pastor John Vasu and we conclude with an article about my mother Mrs.Ruth Vasu , the daughter-in-law of Pastor John Vasu.

My mother Mrs.Ruth Vasu celebrated her 60th birthday this year and we share those celebrations with you.This was very special to us because our father Pastor Prabhudoss Vasu , and our grandfather Pastor John Vasu and our grandmother Mrs.Kirubai Vasu died in their 50's . As a result we missed the opportunity to see our grandparents alive. So we celebrated our mother's 60th birthday as a thanksgiving to God for His mercies.

We have included many photographs in this publication which is a combination of the past and the present. We had to do our best with whatever photographs were available . We trust that you will forgive us for any shortcomings as this is first experience of this kind.

Our sincere thanks to all who helped with this publication.

To God alone belongs all the glory.

May God bless you and keep you .


Pastor Stanley Vasu

Tribute by Mrs. Sheila Allwin - daughter of Pastor John Vasu



Dad

I am proud to be your daughter. I lost you when I was 15 years old . Your loss is great . I missed you for the past 46 years . I express a few things about my feelings . Your only son Prabhu has already joined you in the Heavenly Home. Your grandson Stanley has not seen you , yet he is honouring your 100th Birthday in 2009.


Your Ministry


Here I wish to share a few things about you dad. You have been an untiring warrior in the army of God. You taught the word of God full of zeal and enthusiasm. You preached the word of God calmly and slowly. Yet it came out with mighty power and authority. You fed your flock with deep and strong foundation. People from other churches rushed to MPA to hear your message after attending their church . They said that the spiritual food here is so tasty and filling to our souls.




Your Vision

You had a burden for native missionaries and pioneered many churches in villages in Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh. Your counseling and guidance edified one and all. You encouraged uneducated men and women and was so firm to make them read the bible by themselves.

You sacrificed your privileges and pleasures to make others happy and blessed. Those who came with distress , you encouraged them with powerful words.


You had great desire and passion for souls. Your dedication and commitment was so strong . Your devoted life touched many lonely and rejected people.


Your exemplary life was a great role model to young and old. In 1956 When I was 10 years old , you started a ministry for the widows who had no shelter and food and gladly provided the best food and shelter to them. They lived peacefully with love and care until their death.




YOUR WITNESS


Once when you visited London , your hostess took your clothes for washing. As she started to wash , suddenly a great anointing passed through her like an electric current and immediately she received the Holy Spirit. She came out of the washroom shouting with joy ' Oh ! how many years I waited to receive the Holy Spirit but today I received power as I touched his clothes '.


Another time God told you to go to a foreign country whose language you did not know. You just obeyed and flew there . As you were coming down from the plane , in every step you kept saying Hallelujah. When you reached the last step you were in anxiety and so you shouted a very big hallelujah. A native pastor immediately reached out to your hand and shouted Hallelujah . What an amazing experience . Both of you went together to his home rejoicing even though you did not know each other's language.


Your spiritual nourishment was excellent. You lived with clean words and actions . Your spiritual wisdom and knowledge was a great treasure to us. Through your instructions you made me to read 5 chapters daily kneeling from the bible. when I was 12 years old I had already finished reading the word of God 4 times.


I still follow your wish though I am 62 years old now. Well it was not an easy childhood to be the daughter of an orthodox Pentecostal Pastor , Yet it was so glorious and enlightening as I look back now and understand how much it contributed to my spiritual growth. Thank you Dad. I remain


Your daughter

Sheelammal

Tribute by Rev.Dr.Y.Jeyaraj - Former General Superintendent , General Council of the Assemblies of God of India


Pastor Stanley Vasu, President
Madras Pentecostal Assembly

Dear Bro. Stanley Vasu,

Greetings in Jesus' Name!

What a joy it is to write a few lines of salutations about one of our dearly beloved former Pentecostal leaders of India, Pastor John Vasu, as MPA commemorates the birth centenary of its co-founder, as well as the Platinum Jubilee of their organization! My personal association with Pastor J Vasu started in the year 1949, the same year I committed my life to full-time ministry.


All-India Pentecostal Pastor's Fellowship was the vision of Pastor John Vasu as early as 1949. By this time he was the advisory member of the World Pentecostal Conference. He convened the first All-India Pentecostal Pastor's Conference at Madras and had Donald Gee of the U.K., Levy Patros of Sweden, and Maynard Ketcham of the U.S.A as the great guest speakers. One of these All-India Pentecostal Pastor's Conferences, under his leadership, was conducted at Courtallam in the year 1959. This was only one of the accomplishments that Pastor J. Vasu has achieved in his lifetime.

Pastor J. Vasu has been used by God to do great things among the nation of India, specifically regarding the Pentecostal Fellowship. He, with the help of God, has brought the Pentecostal churches together in unity. I have fond memories of Pastor John Vasu as a great leader and a great friend. I wish all success to the MPA Church as they celebrate the birth centenary of Pastor J. Vasu and the Platinum Jubilee of their organization!

Should Jesus tarry, I wish and pray that the MPA will continue to grow in leaps and bounds and be a blessing to the nation of India!

Tribute from Pastor M.K.Sam Sundaram - Apostolic Christian Assembly

TO READ LETTER IN ENLARGED SIZE, CLICK ON IMAGE AND THEN RIGHT CLICK FOLLOWED BY DOUBLE CLICK ON VIEW IMAGE

Greetings from Bishop Ezra Sargunam - Evangelical Church of India

Greetings from Bishop V Devasahayam - Church of South India - Diocese of Madras

Greetings from Dr.Paul Dhinakaran - Jesus Calls and Karunya University

Greetings from Rev.Dr.R.Abraham - National Secretary , Pentecostal Fellowship of India


Dear Friends,

Greetings in the matchless name of our soon coming Lord Jesus Christ. I am happy to join with Pastor Stanley Vasu and the MPA family to remember God's faithfulness in your ministry for the last 75 years.

At this juncture my thoughts go to the great apostle of faith Pastor John Vasu whom God has raised a century ago to bear the witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was truly a man of vision and committment and became one of the founding fathers of the pentecostal movement in India. I had the privilege of hearing great stories of his ministry not only in India but also across many countries of the world.He was Mighty among the Great.

The Madras Pentecostal Assembly which had its humble beginnings as a Sunday school ministry has grown in the last 75 years to become a great organization with hundreds of churches, orphanages,bible schools and so on. I really enjoyed my friendship with late Pastor PrabhuDas Vasu and also had the honour of being present for the dedication of Pastor Stanley Vasu to take over the Leadership.

May the Good Lord bless the MPA ministry under the dynamic leadership of Pastor Stanley Vasu and take it greater horizons in the coming days.

Yours in His commission
Rev Dr R.Abraham

National Secretary
Pentecostal Fellowship of India

General Secretary
New India Church of God

Managing Director
Power Vision TV

Tribute by Rev.Dr.Henry Joseph - Chairman, Chennai Full Gospel Ministers Fellowship


I am happy to send my greetings on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Pastor John Vasu and the Platinum Jubilee of the Madras Pentecostal Assembly .I praise God for the life and ministry of Pastor John Vasu which had a great impact on my life.


MY ASSOCIATION WITH PASTOR JOHN VASU


In the early 1940's Pastor John Vasu was the only Pentecostal leader who would invite many powerful international preachers and conduct large public meetings which were mostly held in the Egmore tram shed grounds ( where the periyar thidal is now situated ) . I had the opportunity in those days to speak in many Pentecostal and non-pentecostal churches including mainline churches. On one such occasion I was invited to preach at MPA church at Royapettah. In this service I had the opportunity to make the acquaintance of Pastor John Vasu. From that moment onwards I developed an intimate relationship with Pastor John Vasu.


Thereafter whenever Pastor John Vasu invited overseas speakers and organised big public meetings for them , I used to assist him in organising those meetings. Those big conventions were major events in those days in which all the pentecostal churches would join together to make it a grand success.I was working in the Accountant General Office at that time . During the interval time at the office , Pastor John Vasu would come to my office at Teynampet in his car and we would sit in his car and discuss matters regarding organising meetings and conventions involving all the pentecostal churches.


A TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE IN A CONVENTION ORGANISED BY PASTOR JOHN VASU


One very unforgettable event which I cannot afford to miss and must leave on record happened during one of those big conventions that Pastor John Vasu had organised. It was a massive meeting involving all the pentecostal churches held in the Egmore tram shed grounds. There was a powerful international preacher from U.S.A who was ministering in that meeting. On the last day of the meeting towards the end of the service , the preacher announced that he would pray a special prayer for those who needed guidance from the Lord regarding their future life and ministry. A large group of people gathered at the altar in response to the invitation of the preacher.


Pastor John Vasu who was the chairman of the meeting was seated on the stage. As I was assisting him in organising that meeting , I had all the files and account books regarding the expenses of the meetings. I took these files and account books to Pastor John Vasu for his signature as we had to close the accounts. Pastor John Vasu took all the books and files from me and placed them by his side and told me ' Bro.Henry , the man of God is praying for the people and the Lord is revealing many things about their life . You also go and join them in prayer as the Lord may speak to you '.


I immediately obeyed and went and knelt down in prayer along with the others. The preacher came and laid hands on me and began to prophesy about what the Lord wanted to do through my life and the ministry that the Lord wanted me to do. I was thrilled by the revelations that the Lord gave me that day. It was a turning point in my life. A few years later the Lord confirmed that prophesy through another servant of God from West Bengal who repeated verbatim the exact prophecy that was given to me by the American preacher. I was deeply humbled by this experience and it established the future direction of my life and ministry.


PASTOR JOHN VASU WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE CHENNAI PENTECOSTAL FELLOWSHIP


In those days just as Jerusalem served as the headquarters of the early church , Chennai also appeared as a spiritual capital for the pentecostal churches. In particular the Madras Pentecostal Assembly started in Royapettah by Pastor Jacob and Pastor John Vasu. The Church of God started by Pastor Kuruvilla and followed by Pastor M.Benjamin, The Assembly of God church started at Chetpet by Pastor Moses , The Apostolic Christian Assembly started at Purasawakkam by Pastor G.Sundaram, The National Revival Crusade started at Otteri by Pastor Upham from New Zealand and continued by Manuvel Prasangiar and Pastor Otteri Prabhudoss, and several others were noteworthy in the early days of the pentecostal movement in Chennai.


As the pentecostal preachers and churches began to increase , some of us began to feel the need of unity among the pastors and churches . Three of us namely Mr. Kuttralam Pillai ,Pastor Otteri Prabhudoss and myself went to meet first with Pastor John Vasu. We obtained consent from him to invite all the pastors for an evening of tea and fellowship.


In those days the spirit filled pastors preferred to work individually and were not eager to associate with other ministers. It was difficult to think about bringing them under a single umbrella.When the pastors first met in this meeting , they sat silently without mingling freely with one another. It was a tense moment in a surcharged atmosphere.


However soon the Holy Spirit began to move on everyone and the meeting which began with a sense of uneasiness soon began to come alive with loud cries and prayers unto God along with voices of praise. After this session of prayer and praise the whole atmosphere was changed and Pastor John Vasu rose to address the pastors with a short exhortation.


Pastor John Vasu gave three suggestions which could help the fellowship among the pastors to be strengthened.


1. The Pastors should be willing to forget any past bitter experiences with each other and bury their differences.


2. The Pastors should avoid speaking ill of other Pastors behind their backs and instead approach the concerned individuals directly and clear any misunderstandings.


3.The Pastors should have unity in essentials and liberty in non-essentials. They should insist on unity as far as the fundamental doctrines of salvation , baptism , holiness etc. However they should allow freeedom for individual churches to follow their convictions in peripheral and non-essential issues.


After this address by Pastor John Vasu the pastors present in the meeting desired that this meeting should not end as a one day affair but should continue as a regular fellowship and be a blessing to all. Thus they elected office bearers for the fellowship.The fellowship was named Chennai Pentecostal Fellowship and Pastor John Vasu was chosen as the President of this fellowship. He was assisted by two secretaries namely Pastor P.S.Chelladurai and myself. Thus the first fellowship meeting ended on a blessed note.


THE LEADERSHIP QUALITIES OF PASTOR JOHN VASU


Pastor John Vasu was a quiet and soft spoken person and a man of few words. His wife Mrs. Kirubai Vasu was also the same although she was a highly qualified person. Once there was a meeting at MPA Church for all pentecostal pastors and leaders to discuss matters relating to the growth and expansion of the pentecostal churches. The meeting was chaired by Pastor John Vasu and attended by many pastors and their wives. During the course of the meeting Mrs.Kirubai Vasu rose and requested permission from the chairman to express her view on a particular matter. Immediately a missionary from U.K who was present at the meeting raised an objection saying that the bible does not allow a woman to speak in the church. The entire audience was shocked at this blunt outburst by the foreign missionary which could be considered as a public insult to the chairman's wife who was a highly educated lady . The entire congregation was waiting tensely for the reaction of Pastor John Vasu.


Pastor John Vasu did not get upset at this development. He simply smiled and nodded at his wife to sit down which she did in a good spirit and Pastor John Vasu then gently announced that we will continue the meeting. This made a great impact on the congregation . What could have become an ugly incident ruining the whole meeting was handled by Pastor John vasu with great wisdom and sagacity. This was the kind of leadership qualities that Pastor John Vasu possessed. I learnt a lot from him about the practical spiritual life which we should observe in our daily walk.



THE ROLE OF PASTOR JOHN VASU IN MY BIBLE SCHOOL TRAINING

The time was coming when the Lord would call me to serve him full time. I had worked for 17 years from 1943-60 in the state and central government of India. One day I received a letter from England from the dean of the International Bible Training Institute (IBTI) located in Burgess Hill , Sussex ,England. The letter informed me that I had been selected as a full time residential student for 2 years for training in ministry with full scholarship which meant that the entire education for 2 years was completely free of cost. In the letter ,the dean had urged me to join as early as possible . I was totally shocked and did not understand what was happening as I had not applied to any bible college. I kept the letter in my pocket for two weeks. I was perplexed not knowing what to do next.


One day I met Pastor John Vasu in a convention meeting in a pentecostal church in which he was the speaker. After the service he asked me if I had received any letter from England. I was stunned for a moment and slowly learnt the truth about the matter. Pastor John Vasu informed me that he had written to his close friend Rev.Donald Gee, who was the chairman of the British Assemblies of God and a visiting senior lecturer at the International Bible Training Institute , recommending me for admission there. That was how I went to study in the Bible School in England.


When I was in Bible School in England , Pastor John Vasu , who was visiting many countries in Europe at that time , came to England and came all the way to International Bible Training Institute just to see me and spent two days with me at the Institute. We went on a tour of London together and had a wonderful time of fellowship. After spending two days with me , he bid farewell to me and left and that was last time I saw him alive. When I returned to India after my training , he had already gone to be with the Lord , his Eternal Father.



PASTOR PRABHUDOSS VASU , THE SON OF PASTOR JOHN VASU


I had the opportunity to spend time with Pastor John Vasu on many occasions and once while we were talking together at the MPA church , Pastor John Vasu pointed out his son Prabhudoss to me and asked me to remember him in prayer as he wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and serve the Lord in the ministry.


After I returned to India from England , Pastor Prabhudoss Vasu , the son of Pastor John Vasu become close to me . After a few years of ministry , he told me one day that he would like to study in a bible college for 2 years and asked me if I could recommend him to the same bible college that I had studied. So I did what he requested and Pastor Prabhudoss Vasu went to England and studied at the International Bible Training Institute . After his studies he returned to India and served the Lord in the ministry for a total of 33 years before he went to be with the Lord. He has now joined his father in glory land.


On this occasion I pray for God's blessings to rest upon Pastor Stanley Vasu and the entire family as they continue to serve the Lord and may the Lord bless the ministry of the Madras Pentecostal Assembly and use it for the expansion of the Kingdom of God until the coming of the Lord. Maranatha.



Rev.Dr.Henry Joseph


Chairman - Chennai Full Gospel Ministers Fellowship

Founder - Maranatha Ministries.

Greetings from Rev.Dr.Sam Kamaleson


THEY LIVED AT FLOODTIDE! By Dr.Sam Kamaleson


“…..full of the Spirit and of wisdom….a man full of faith….Stephen, full of grace and power….” ACTS 6:3, 5, 8.

Pastor Stanley Vasu invited me to celebrate the PLATINUM JUBILEE OF THE MADRAS PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLY. A walk down ‘memory lane’ is extremely rewarding – I Tim 1: 3-14.

This great privilege is celebrated with the Assembly that continues to gather at Thandavarayan Street in Chennai. Because of the limitations of geography my participation in the joyous celebration is limited to the submission of the following lines.

THE FIVE FULLNESSES:

Dr. Paul Rees pleads with us to please pay attention to the interesting and illuminating expressions that appear with reference to the man Stephen in Acts 6: 3, 5, 8.

There are FIVE FULLNESSES mentioned: in verse 3 two are found: “full of the Spirit and full of wisdom”; in verse 5 the third is mentioned: “full of faith”; and, in verse 8 the fourth and the fifth are mentioned: “full of grace and full of power” (this translation quoted here follows one of the oldest and most respected of our ancient manuscripts).

Let me remind you that Stephen is not an apostle. He was a man of the ranks. Stephen was what we should call today, in most church circles, a layman.
The New Testament and, in particular, the Book of Acts shows us that what is being OFFERED TO THE CHURCH is the WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, through whom the life of victory and adequacy is as FREELY offered to LAY PEOPLE as it is to apostles and ministers. It is God’s DESIGN and God’s DESIRE that ALL OF US should live at FLOODTIDE.


THE FULLNESS IN CONTEXT:

It was in mid 1930s. My grandmother rented a house on Thandavarayan Street. I was a little boy who had lost his father. I lived for a short time with my grandmother. That was my first exposure to Pastor John Vasu.

Many years after – in the late 40s – Shankernarayan, my class mate at Madras Veterinary College, who led me to Jesus Christ, referred to Pastor Vasu often.
Within the fellowship of the Pentecostal pastors, which was greatly united and less fractured with uneasy tensions born out of pettiness, Pastor John Vasu was a celebrated leader.

Whatever ‘the men who lived in the floodtide of the Sprit’ did , they did it with exuberance. It was most evident in their preaching. They preached out of the Overflow of the Spirit.

When Pastor Vasu preached he did not give the impression that he had only a little that he was capable of saying on that Biblical subject. Because of ‘living in the floodtide’ of the Spirit Pastor Vasu and others like him rejected the idea about the Christian’s life in Christ as mean, narrow, cramped and miserly.

They were ‘more than conquerors’ (Rom 8: 37), and believed and lived a life that is “all sufficient in all things” (II Corinthians 9: 8) they ‘abounded in every good work!’ In their ministry they ‘abounded’ in everything that they did, and, the devastating blow that sometimes ‘crushed’ them was accepted as part of the ‘permissive will of God’ and hence they lived to conquer.

FULLNESS: SIMPLE & PROFOUND:


The Congregation that ‘lives in the floodtide’ of the Holy Spirit, is “….always, having all sufficiency in all things may abound unto every good work” II Corinthians 9: 8). Living in the Floodtide of the Holy Spirit the congregation is always in ‘Mission’.

There are three dominant qualities that characterize the ‘mission model’ of the congregation that lives in the ‘floodtide of the Holy Spirit’.

First, they minimize the distinction between the clergy and laity and their specific responsibilities in ‘the Mission of the Church’.

Second, they invite and trust into leadership every ‘believer’ according to the ‘gifts’ the Holy Spirit gives them.

Third, they ‘go to the people in need’ and thus accept the Great Commission as their life-style and, hence, their priority in life.

More important than any explanation we might give is the fact itself. “The new Pentecost is ‘actual’ and is happening now. It always was so, but in the last century it has taken on new proportions of a scale never known before.
At the beginning of the twentieth century the Pentecostal phenomenon emerged, and later, through mid-century, through various charismatic movements it began to appear within traditional churches.

Many seriously believe that this is the greatest spiritual upsurge in all the history of the Church: in a mere eighty years, from zero to about four hundred million people.(”Come, Creator Spirit, Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the Preacher to the Papal Household since 1980, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 2003)
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As the Madras Pentecostal Assembly and Church move forward under the anointed leadership of Pastor Stanley Vasu may they be “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom”, “full of faith”, and, “full of grace and of power”! May their irresistible witness transform the entire Church of Our Lord in all of India!

Greetings from Rev.Owen Roberts - President, Synod of Pentecostal Churches



I am delighted to send my greetings on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Pastor John Vasu and the Platinum Jubilee of the Madras Pentecostal Assembly.


I praise God for the ministry of Pastor John Vasu whom the Lord used to bring unity among the Pentecostal churches in Chennai. Through his leadership the first fellowship of Pentecostal Pastors was formed in the 1950's.


At this time when the Lord has graciously enabled us to form the Synod of Pentecostal Churches , we remember all the pioneers of the Pentecostal movement in India who had laid the foundation for the formation of pentecostal fellowships in our country.


As the President of the Synod of Pentecostal Churches , I thank God for Pastor John Vasu , the first President of the Pentecostal Fellowship Madras and the All India Pentecostal Fellowship. The unity efforts that they initiated is still continuing to bear fruit as the Lord is uniting our hearts to work together for the Kingdom of God in these last days.


I thank God for His faithfulness to the Madras Pentecostal Assembly for the past 75 years and I pray that God's blessing should continue to rest upon their ministry.


I also pray for Pastor Stanley Vasu that the Lord should guide him with His wisdom and use him to fulfill His purpose. God bless you



Rev.Owen Roberts
President - Synod of Pentecostal Churches
President - Good Samaritan Fellowship