Pastors, Teachers, Families, and Those We Have Lost
In the words of the congregation they served
A church is not its building, its constitution, or its calendar.
It is its people — the ones who preached and the ones who listened, the ones who taught the children on Sunday mornings, and the ones who swept the compound, arranged the flowers, set out the chairs, and stayed behind when everyone else had gone home.
Richmond Town Methodist Church has been shaped, across 150 years, by a long succession of such people.
What follows is a record of those the congregation remembers.
This section focuses on pastors. Teachers, families, lay leaders, and active members are featured separately in People of the Pews.
✞ THE SHEPHERDS
The Pastors of Richmond Town Methodist Church
Impressionistic portraits drawn from congregation memory
The pastors of Richmond Town Methodist Church have come from different backgrounds, brought different gifts, and served in different eras.
Yet when the memories of the congregation are placed side by side, certain qualities appear again and again: an ability to listen, a commitment to Scripture, and a willingness to be present in people’s lives — not only from the pulpit, but in their homes, their celebrations, and their moments of crisis.
These are not merely institutional qualities.
They are human ones.
The profiles that follow are impressionistic. They are built from fragments of memory shared by members of the congregation — stories, phrases, small encounters, and lasting impressions.
They are not intended to be comprehensive biographies.
They are portraits of ministry as it was experienced by the people who lived through it.
The Rev. Dr. Theodore Williams
Named by more contributors than any other pastor in the collection
No name appears more frequently in the responses than that of Rev. Dr. Theodore Williams.
Contributors from different decades — from the 1970s to the most recent years — return to him for many of the same reasons: his preaching, his pastoral presence, his intellectual seriousness, and a faithfulness that seemed to continue long after his formal ministry at RTMC had ended.
P. Nirmala Kumari recalls a phrase he used so often that it became part of the congregation’s vocabulary:
“This I am not saying — but the Word of God says.”
— P. Nirmala Kumari
It is the phrase of a preacher who placed the authority of Scripture above his own.
Sunil Gokavi remembers him particularly for “his teaching,” but also for something that extended beyond the pulpit. Even after leaving RTMC, Pastor Theo continued to keep track of him and encourage him as he pursued and practised medicine in mission hospitals.
The pastoral relationship did not end when the appointment did.
Aural Shatananda remembers another distinctive feature of his preaching:
“He had the courtesy to wake everyone before he gave his final point.”
— Aural Shatananda
It is a preacher’s gift — knowing when the congregation has drifted and finding a way to bring them back before the message reaches its climax.
Pamela John remembers the altar call at the end of every sermon.
Her memory of him is simple:
“He was truthful.”
— Pamela John
Devaki Samuel remembers another phrase:
“God is good, all the time.”
— Devaki Samuel
Sunitha Gokavi remembers him for his “expository preaching.”
Ravi David, who served on the Pastorate Committee under several pastors, describes the fundamental character of RTMC as having been shaped during the Williams years.
Indira Prithviraj remembers him as a mentor.
Taken together, these memories reveal a pastor who understood ministry as long work — not a succession of performances, but a sustained relationship with a congregation that could outlast the formal appointment.
Theodore Williams shaped RTMC in ways that remain visible decades later.
“This I am not saying — but the Word of God says.”
— The Rev. Dr. Theodore Williams
The Rev. Vinay Kumar Moses
Repeatedly remembered as warm, human, and genuinely present
If Theodore Williams is remembered primarily for his preaching, Vinay Kumar Moses is remembered for his presence — the quality of his attention to people and the way he made himself available not simply as a clerical authority, but as a fellow human being.
Viji and Priya, whose wedding he conducted, offer one of the most personal memories:
“He identified with us as teens growing up and as young adults and parents in all those phases of our lives.”
— Viji and Priya
Viji also remembers a phrase from his wedding sermon:
“I saw a VBS: a Vision Blinding Sight.”
— Rev. Vinay Kumar Moses, recalled by Viji
Eva Sukumar describes him as someone who stayed true to his calling:
“A shepherd who was kind, caring, nurturing, selfless, and wise through God’s leading.”
— Eva Sukumar
Grace N. Joseph remembers him as a good speaker, knowledgeable, and an empathetic pastor.
Amritha Sarah Singh recalls him alongside Theodore Williams as someone who was always ready to give his time.
For Usha Sundaresan, his influence travelled much farther than Richmond Town.
When she left Bangalore for Austria, she carried with her the parting words he gave her:
“Never give up your love for the Lord, and do not be led away by unbelievers.”
— Rev. Vinay Kumar Moses, to Usha Sundaresan
Prema Hall remembers another practical expression of his pastoral care.
When she moved to the United Kingdom, Moses arranged the transfer of her church membership to Quex Road Methodist Church in Kilburn, London.
It was a small but meaningful act — a pastor thinking about what a member might need even after leaving Bangalore.
His ministry, in these memories, was not confined to the years of his appointment.
“He identified with us as teens, as young adults, as parents — in all those phases of our lives.”
— Viji and Priya
The Rev. R. G. Soans
Remembered as a family pastor — one who made the congregation his household
Rev. R. G. Soans occupies a particular place in the memory of those who knew RTMC across several decades.
He is remembered not simply as a preacher or administrator, but as a presence — someone whose ministry felt personal.
Ravi David, who served as Secretary of the Pastorate Committee during Soans’s tenure, remembers a long and close working relationship.
Kamala Rachel Kripavathi Noronha puts the memory more simply:
“Pastor Soans and family were family to us.”
— Kamala Rachel Kripavathi Noronha
Dorothy Deena Theodore lists him among the multi-generational families of RTMC.
That, in itself, is a form of tribute: to be remembered as family rather than simply as clergy.
Prema Hall describes him as a “family pastor” and recalls that he arranged her membership transfer when she emigrated to London.
Several contributors also remember his wife, Aunty Irene Soans, with particular warmth.
The Soans household and the church were, in these memories, almost inseparable.
Florence Michael remembers him among the pastors who “first thought of church ministry and the welfare of the congregation.”
It is an essential pastoral instinct — the shepherd who knows the sheep by name and considers their welfare part of his calling.
“Pastor Soans and family were family to us.”
— Kamala Rachel Kripavathi Noronha
The Rev. Ravi Joseph
Prayer warrior, evangelist, mission-minded
Grace Veena Bunyan’s description of Rev. Ravi Joseph is among the most specific in the collection:
“He was a prayer warrior, often fasted and prayed for days, an evangelist at heart and mission-minded.”
— Grace Veena Bunyan
These words describe a pastor whose prayer life and commitment to mission were understood as the foundation of his visible ministry.
Sunil Gokavi remembers him for “his single-minded commitment to the Gospel.”
Felix Jeevaneson groups him with Theodore Williams and Vinay Moses among the pastors he remembers most.
For Kamala Rachel, her first encounter with Ravi Joseph was his first sermon at RTMC. Her memory of it is strikingly personal:
“His sermon seemed to echo my own thoughts.”
— Kamala Rachel
Prema Hall came to RTMC during Ravi Joseph’s tenure after losing her mother.
She remembers his sermons as “meaningful” and “captivating,” but his ministry meant more than the sermons themselves. He received her at a time when she was grieving and new to the church, leaving a lasting impression.
“A prayer warrior, an evangelist at heart and mission-minded.”
— Grace Veena Bunyan
The Rev. Arun Andrews
Known for a gentle spirit, an extraordinary command of language, and pastoral care that came home
Arun Andrews is remembered by Shirley Aaron for “a gentle spirit” — a quality that sits alongside, in other accounts, a strong pulpit presence.
Naomi Manorama Joshua remembers:
“His demeanour, his way with words in sermons, his poems, and the message that came through when he preached.”
— Naomi Manorama Joshua
Rohit Sailas and Shams Stallone both name him among the pastors they remember most.
For Kamala Rachel, one particular sentence has endured.
It was spoken to her family during a moment of grief, when Andrews came to their home following her father-in-law’s death:
“God watches us, watches over us, and watches out for us.”
— Rev. Arun Andrews
The visit itself contained another small but telling detail.
His wife Miriam, who was unwell herself, still made lime juice for the guests.
That detail — the lime juice, the unwell wife, the care extended beyond the formal pastoral visit — captures something of how this couple understood their calling.
Saraswathi Priyadarshini remembers Andrews alongside Jayawanth and Royappa as humble servants whose messages were “simple, honest, and deeply rooted in God’s Word.”
Aural Shatananda offers a different kind of tribute:
“Said fantastic English and everyone appreciated the vocabulary.”
— Aural Shatananda
Together, these memories reveal a pastor remembered both for the words he chose and for the way he carried them into people’s homes and difficult moments.
“God watches us, watches over us, and watches out for us.”
— Rev. Arun Andrews
Bishop Sampath Kumar
MYFer, pastor, bishop — a lifelong connection to RTMC
Bishop Sampath Kumar’s connection to Richmond Town Methodist Church runs deeper than most.
His parents were MYFers at RTMC, and he himself grew up within the congregation before going on to lead the church at the highest level of its denominational life.
Rebecca Mahalia Andrew, née Jeevaneson, offers one of the most personal memories:
“He was a friend of my father and came home often. He baptised all four of us children one weekday after school. It was a private ceremony.”
— Rebecca Mahalia Andrew
The private baptism of four children, conducted after school by a family friend who would later become a bishop, is exactly the kind of pastoral memory that remains for a lifetime.
Florence Michael remembers him among the pastors who were “godly, committed, and dedicated.”
His daughter Rachel Shatananda is also among the congregation’s contributors, underlining how Sampath Kumar’s connection to RTMC reaches across generations.
His story is not simply part of the church’s institutional history.
It is part of the living memory of families who grew within it.
Further Shepherds
Briefer memories from the congregation
Several other pastors receive warm and specific mention across the congregation’s responses.
Their memories may be briefer, but each offers another glimpse of the many ways pastoral ministry has shaped the life of RTMC.
Rev. K. Vasudevan
Rev. Vasudevan is remembered by Mercy Sarita Moganti, Rachel Shatananda, Dorothy Deena Theodore, and others for his easy-to-approach personality and great sense of humour.
Mercy recalls him praying every afternoon for a group of wayward teenagers.
Years later, she remembers the outcome with gratitude:
“All of them are now men of excellence.”
— Mercy Sarita Moganti
Dorothy Deena Theodore remembers another deeply personal act of pastoral care.
When her family was preparing to adopt their first child in 1996, Vasudevan helped them navigate the unfamiliar journey. He arranged for them to meet other adoptive parents and promised to stand by them.
It was pastoral care in one of its most practical forms — helping a family take the next step when they did not know what that step would look like.
Rev. Jonathan Bangera
Jonathan Bangera is remembered by Praveen Prasanna for being present during a moment of crisis and for drawing the family into youth ministry:
“Ministered to us during our crisis moment; called us into youth ministry.”
— Praveen Prasanna
Lipsita Sahu remembers something equally personal:
“He never treated me as a visitor but always embraced me as family.”
— Lipsita Sahu
Dorothy Deena Theodore recalls being invited, along with her husband, to take up the role of youth advisers at a time when they felt inadequate.
Then came the pulpit message that made it difficult to refuse.
Sometimes a pastor’s ministry is simply the ability to see a possibility in someone before they can see it themselves.
Rev. C. A. Benjamin
Rev. C. A. Benjamin is remembered by Florence Michael, Sheila William Joseph, Aural Shatananda, and Hannah D’Brass.
Pamela John recalls one particular sermon — a Proverbs 31 message delivered on Mother’s Day, approximately in 2001.
The message touched the hearts of those present, including a visiting family from Hyderabad who, even years later, still remembered it.
Some sermons disappear with the closing hymn.
Others remain.
Rev. Dr. Vivek Gundimi
A pastor of the more recent era, Rev. Dr. Vivek Gundimi is remembered warmly by Linda Catherine, Bob Nathanael, and Shirley Aaron.
Linda Catherine remembers his road-rage story, used as a sermon illustration.
Bob Nathanael remembers something quieter: being greeted by name at the door after every service.
Shilpa Das remembers his sermons for the healing and motivation they brought.
These details — a humorous story, a name remembered, a word that encouraged — show how pastoral memory is often carried in small moments.
Rev. Paul Royappa
Rev. Paul Royappa is remembered by Bob Nathanael for his positivity and for drawing him further into the life of the church through mid-week Bible studies.
Saraswathi Priyadarshini includes him among the pastors she remembers as:
“Humble servants of God whose messages were simple, honest, and deeply rooted in God’s Word.”
— Saraswathi Priyadarshini
His memory sits alongside the many other accounts of pastors whose influence extended beyond Sunday mornings into the ordinary rhythm of church life.
Rev. Rajesh Anand
Rev. Rajesh Anand is remembered by Bob Nathanael, particularly for the way he responded after a period of pastoral transition.
His arrival, Bob recalls, helped restore energy and continuity to the congregation:
“He picked up every gap that was seeping into the church and made it beautiful. He brought back the liveliness of the church.”
— Bob Nathanael
Wednesday Bible studies under his leadership are also remembered warmly.
It is another reminder that the history of a church is carried not only in its major events, but in the weekly gatherings, conversations, prayers, and relationships that quietly keep a congregation together.
