Our Pastors
Where Faith Flourishes, Hope Abides
Prem Sukumar Boda
President
Rev. Ravindar B
Director
Padma Grace B
Co-Director
Prem Sukumar Boda
President
Prem is the president of Shalom evangelical ministries in India, specifically in Telangana and Andhra. He is a full-time evangelist and pastor. His parents were born Hindus, but they converted to Christianity before Prem was born in a village called Khammam. Before embracing Christianity, Prem’s family worshipped various creations, idols, snakes, cows, and more. During the 1980s, a missionary visited their village to share the gospel. Despite facing significant resistance, the missionary left a Bible near Prem’s grandmother, who was receptive to his message. Convicted by the Holy Spirit, Prem’s father began reading the Bible daily, leading him to accept Christ and pursue biblical studies.
Growing up, Prem witnessed his parents endure immense hardships and persecution due to their faith, prompting him to question aspects of God and deepen his curiosity for learning. He desired to address doubts about God’s existence, love, and grace, aiming to educate others about Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit aided Prem in his quest for knowledge and wisdom, primarily through scripture. At the age of 17, he began playing guitar in churches and villages, reaching out to unreached communities, especially tribal groups called gipsy.
Prem, along with his family and friends, established Shalom evangelical ministries and has been actively engaged in full-time ministry since age 17, leading and teaching in Gospel meetings across villages, forests, and hilly regions. He has trained numerous individuals, conducted discipleship programs, and provided resources, having trained pastors in over seven states and his parents in more than 12 states throughout India. Currently, his team comprises 57 pastors working tirelessly for the expansion of God’s kingdom in India.
Currently pursuing his M.Div. at Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Prem’s vision is to lead people to Jesus Christ.
Rev. Ravinder B & Padma Grace B.
Ravinder comes from a Hindu background. Ravinder comes from gypsy people. This tribal group includes over 50 people groups, but they are all bound by common ancestry and the gypsy language. They speak gypsy and most also speak the language of the Indian state they live in.
In the end of 1960’s and the early 1970’s an Indian missionary showed up in Ravinder’s village to talk about Jesus. The villagers gave him trouble. But Ravinder’s mom was having several problems and my she listened with hope when the missionary told the people about how they could have new lives in Lord Jesus Christ and that He was their Creator and died for them to be free of sin and go to heaven. She talked to the missionary on his third visit and said she wanted to become a Christian. He gave her a Bible.
Ravinder’s mom started to pray. Gradually, many of the problems got better. Ravinder’s dad stopped smoking and drinking and began to work hard. Peace slowly came to their home and after a month they both wanted to be baptized. The villagers harassed and threatened them because of their beliefs. In 1970’s, Ravinder’s mom dedicated my dad to God’s service. He had 3 brothers and one sister.
Ravinder wanted to become a doctor. In 1990, while studying for a preparatory exam early in the morning, he saw 2 Bible verses superimposed on his textbook. He didn’t understand and went to sleep and woke up few minutes later and looked again, and the same verses were written over his textbook. The scriptures were telling him to preach the gospel. Again, he went to sleep and woke up and it happened again. He again saw the verses and then he started to pray, and a light entered the room and God spoke to him: “My dear son, I want you to go to your people and preach. You will do my work and preach the gospel.
So, he stopped pursuing medicine. He asked God, “where and when?” and God told him to be like Abraham who left his home for a country he didn’t know. God said He would walk before him and lead him. And not to worry about where to stay. God told him to go from place to place, village to village, to the tribal areas and hilly areas (where many gyspys live), to all people groups living in darkness. “So, I will send you, and when you go somewhere, you will stay in those places, preach gospel, and establish house churches, raise leaders, disciples, and masters. Then move to another place.” So, Ravinder never have had a home. He would walk or ride a bicycle to villages and preach the gospel.
Ravinder was single and he prayed about that. God sent him to an area that had 40-50 Banjara villages. The first village impressed him as very sinful and idolatrous. They worshiped so many things: the sun god, the moon god, the tree god, the water god, the rock god…everything they saw was a god. They were “drinkers, smokers, and thieves.” He saw Padma, a 16 y.o. Hindu priestess who had many idol statues in her home. She led their festivals. He talked to her, letting her know that what she was worshiping were not gods. After a couple of pushbacks, She asked who the real God was. He told her about Jesus—how He came and died for everyone’s sins. He shared many messages with her. Finally, she asked what she could do. He told her that if she believed, he would marry her. She said ‘no’ the first time, not knowing how her parents and family would react. Ravinder believed that God had shown him that if she became a Christian, the whole village and surrounding area would turn to Christ.
Ravinder kept talking to her about serving the true God. And asked for permission from her father to marry her. After his 3rd proposal, her parents gave permission, and she was baptized as a Christian and married in 1992. Many people didn’t attend their wedding because they were upset that she had chosen another god.
Together, they continued the effort to reach gypsy villages with the gospel. They went to an area that had numerous villages, but no Christians within 100 km. With no houses available, one man offered his cowshed with the cows and goats. It was very cramped, but they lived there for 3 years. There were no roads or electricity in the village. The people had no access to doctors. They counseled and prayed for people. God answered their prayers and people were healed. At the end of the 3 years, there were many Christians and a church.
Once there were people prepared to carry on the work of discipleship, they moved to another unreached gypsy area. They would preach, teach, pray, pass on the work to disciples, and then move on to another village. In their 35 years of ministry, they’ve covered 18 Indian states, establishing disciples, leaders, pastors, and house churches.