Persecutor to Preacher

At an army base nestled in Akhnoor, Jammu, a place often filled with the disciplined routines of drills, commands, and camaraderie, a different kind of battle was taking place in the heart of one man.

Balakrishnan, a soldier from the southern tip of India in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, had earned a reputation for being tough, not just physically as a boxer in the Indian Army, but spiritually resistant too. Deeply rooted in his Hindu beliefs, he carried a strong dislike, some would say hatred, for Christianity. Nearby, there was a small church. He didn’t go there to pray. He went to provoke. Mocking believers, arguing with the pastor, and calling Jesus a “foreign god,” he made it clear that Christianity had no place in his world.

But God has a way of reaching even the hardest hearts.

One summer, everything changed. Balakrishnan was suddenly gripped by a violent illness. His hands began to tremble uncontrollably, and without warning, he collapsed. Alone and helpless, the very church he once mocked became the place of his rescue. The Pastor, the same man he had insulted time and again, took him in with compassion, praying over him and caring for him through the night.

That night, as he lay barely conscious in the church, Balakrishnan had a dream. Not just a fleeting image or a strange sequence, but something divine.

He saw the heavens open.

A brilliant city shimmered before him, glowing with a light that words could never fully describe. It was Jerusalem, but not the earthly one, it was radiant and holy, filled with a countless host in white robes, worshipping. And standing before him… was Jesus Christ. Gentle, majestic, unmistakably real. Overwhelmed, Balakrishnan fell at His feet and asked, “Lord, what should I do?”

Jesus looked at him and simply said, “I will tell you.”

When he woke, something inside him had shifted. There was a deep fear of God, but not a fear that paralyzes. A fear that awakens. The Pastor, sensing what had happened, opened the Bible to Revelation 21 and read about the New Jerusalem. Every word aligned perfectly with what Balakrishnan had seen. It was no ordinary dream. It was a divine encounter.

There was no turning back.

He made the decision to follow Jesus, fully and publicly. But not everyone was ready for his transformation. His mother, his wife, and his extended family, all deeply devout Hindus, were shocked. Some were angry. Most were heartbroken. But Balakrishnan, now convinced of the truth, chose Jesus anyway.

Even when granted leave from the army, he didn’t go home. Instead, he stayed close to the church, soaking in every teaching, studying Scripture, learning to pray. He accepted Jesus as Saviour soon after. The pull toward ministry grew stronger by the day. Eventually, he left the army through voluntary retirement and enrolled in Kanyakumari for Bible training.

It was there that God gave him a clear direction: “Go to West Bengal.”

He had never been there. He didn’t speak the language. He didn’t know a single soul. But he went, with his wife and children—trusting only in the voice that had once said, “I will tell you.”

They landed in a District in West Bengal. Life wasn’t easy. The early days were rough. Money was tight. The language barrier was real. But slowly, things began to change. People started coming. The sick were healed. Those tormented by evil spirits found deliverance. Miracles took place and the Gospel was taking root.

With bold faith, he returned to Tamil Nadu and sold all of his family’s properties. He took the money and bought land in West Bengal, not for himself, but for a church. A place for worship. A place for others to find the same hope he had.

It was around this time that Balakrishnan took a new name: Paul. Inspired by the Apostle Paul, whose story mirrored his own, once a Persecutor, now a preacher.

And God honored that decision.

Today, he is serving not just West Bengal, but parts of Jharkhand as well. His son leads a growing church in Jharkhand. His daughter and son-in-law minister alongside him. Every Sunday, churches are filled, worship rising, the Word preached, and souls turning to Christ.

But the journey has not been without pain.

Paul has endured attack after attack. His vehicles have been vandalized. False accusations have been hurled. Legal cases have been filed. He was even imprisoned while still serving in the army, for preaching the Gospel. Yet, none of this has shaken him.

“If there’s no Persecution,” he says, “something is not right. Persecution means we are shaking the kingdom of darkness. It’s proof we are on the right path.”

His words are not defiant—they’re deeply rooted in experience. A testimony forged through suffering, obedience, and divine encounters.

Today, Paul continues to serve boldly—his eyes fixed not on the threats around him, but on the calling ahead. His life is living proof that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, and that one encounter with Christ can change everything.

As Christians, you are fighting against the army of a defeated king; be courageous, move forward and take possession. Bro. Shibu Thomas, Founder- Persecution Relief.