How a man of Sikh background came to be known for planting 10,000 churches in his 97 year lifetime
Editor note: This will be part of series on the “heroes” of Indian Christians. We have an article published on one Bishop Vedakam Samuel Azariah before, and will continue to publish stories of these “heroes” of Indian Christians by multiple authors.
He lived for 97 years & regarded as India’s foremost Evangelist, Church Planter who single handedly established more than 10,000 Churches much before Converted Rice bags of South spoiled the demography. Bhakth Singh Chabra or “Brother” Bhakth Singh was his name.
Born to a Devout Sikh family on this day in 1903 at Punjab, Chabra was a devout Sikh in his childhood.
According to his website, he got an opportunity to visit England in 1926 for higher studies & he promised his parents not to get converted. Once in England Singh got fascinated with their lifestyle & started practicing their habits. He shaved off his head too. In 1929, he officially converted to Christianity; in his words, he “miraculously accepted Christ”.
Before
After
While the Sikhs both from India & abroad (including the Gadar Part based in the USA) were fighting for Independence, here was a Bast Sardar busy getting baptised.
Singh returned back to Bharat in 1933. When he met his parents in Bombay (now Mumbai), they refused to accept him. This scum, this loser child of proud Sikh parents, found himself on streets started singing Jesus hymns and telling stories in the road corners. He gained popularity and started travelling across India. All this of course was sponsored by the church. In 1941, he held his first convocation at Madras. That was the year he formed the Assemblies Jehovah Shammah. His next venture was in Hyderabad, in 1950. Starting that year, his “convocations” would draw up to 25,000 and continued to do so even after he planted churches elsewhere in India. It should be no surprised that the family of YSR Reddy now reaps the harvest of this man’s efforts, to the detriment of the Telugu people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The charismatic church movement (Christian version of Disco Deewane) started with “Brother” Bakth Singh. It is claimed by Apologists that many peoples (Including Periyarwadis of Madras who are supposed to be atheist) got cured from illness. In Hyderabad, people came with beds & sheets. No wonder Punjabi Bro Bhakth made Hyderabad his head quarters.
“Brother” Bhakth died in his sleep on 17th September 2000. More than 2.50 lakh people attended his funeral.
It is unfortunate that this man helped to lead to a darkening age in Andhra Pradesh. And there are many more like him who are not only responsible for bringing in the dark ages in Andhra Pradesh, but also Punjab, the North East, Tamil Nadu and elsewhere in India.
