Persecutor to Pastor

Pastor Nandan Singh from Almora, a district in Uttarakhand, was born under difficult circumstances. His mother faced many struggles while carrying him, and he was born prematurely in the eighth month. As a child, he suffered from serious health issues, which led his family to seek help from many gods and follow strict religious rituals.

Growing up, he had a deep interest in becoming an army commando and trained in martial arts for five to six years, preparing him for a life in the forces. But when he was in seventh grade, something unexpected happened after he saw a television series called Dayasagar, which told the story of Jesus Christ. He says, “When I watched the final episode where Jesus was crucified, I wept bitterly.” He could not understand why the people had done that to Jesus; the image of His suffering never left his mind.

After completing his twelfth grade, he attempted to join the army, but while all his friends succeeded, he failed and it shattered him. Feeling worthless, he decided to leave his hometown and travelled to Raipur, Chhattisgarh, and Bastar, planning to join the Naxal rebels through a friend. During this dark period in his life, which was filled with violence, drinking, and reckless living, he became infamous for his aggressive nature, injuring people in fights by throwing stones.

He attempted to take his own life many times, but each time he survived and did not know that God had a different plan for him. In the middle of his darkest years, his cousin handed him a book—the Holy Bible. At first, he was not sure what to make of it, but then he remembered the Jesus he had seen in that TV series as a child. He began reading and something inside him began to change, and he realized he needed to leave his old ways behind, so he abandoned his plan to join the Naxals and moved to Jaipur.

In Jaipur, he found a job in a hotel and worked there for several years. During that time, he continued reading the Bible. He had never been to church or had anyone teach him about Christianity, but the words in that book spoke directly to his heart. Slowly, his faith in Jesus grew stronger. He later moved to Pilani, Rajasthan, and one day, he walked into a church for the first time in his life, dressed in torn clothes, drunk, and filled with anger.

While in the pastor’s house in Pilani, Pastor Nandan was taken into a divine vision. In the Spirit, he saw himself standing clothed in radiant white garments—yet all around him swirled the filth and brokenness of a place in, Uttarakhand—a place gripped by spiritual darkness and need. The burden gripped his soul. He knew the vision wasn’t just symbolic—it was a mandate from the Lord Jesus Christ.

He still held strong nationalist beliefs and thought India should belong only to people like him. The believers in that church were scared of him and kept a close watch, but he kept returning. That same season, he surrendered his life completely to Christ. From that moment, everything changed—he gave up his violent ways, stopped drinking, and left behind his life of crime and hatred. He joined a Bible college, where he stayed with his pastor and learned God’s Word. That same period, his marriage was arranged to a believer from Maharashtra.

He later felt called to return to Uttarakhand. He travelled to places

sharing the message of Love & Peace in Jesus. Then, his faith was tested in a way he had never imagined. A mob stormed his house, attacked him and his family, and destroyed everything they owned. They falsely accused him and had him thrown into jail under charges that could have kept him behind bars for ten years without bail.

But God was faithful, and in just seven days he was released. What should have been a decade in prison turned into a testimony of His power, and since then God has used him in even greater ways than before. Today, his entire family—his wife, daughter, his parents, and his siblings—are all believers in Christ. He gave all the glory to God for saving him time and time again.

During his time in prison, he clung to God’s Word, and one verse that strengthened him was:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” — Psalm 27:1

What the enemy meant for evil, God turned into good. His life is proof that no one is too far gone for God’s grace. He once persecuted those who followed Christ, but now, he is one of them.

“Persecution is a badge of honour for a Christian.” – Bro Shibu Thomas, Founder- Persecution Relief.