Rev. K. Vasudevan Looks Back on His Years as Pastor of RTMC

The people, the programmes, and the moments he cannot forget


Rev. K. Vasudevan • Pastor, Richmond Town Methodist Church • 1996–1999

What follows are not the polished reminiscences of a man who had time to revise his memories. They are musings — offered in the spirit in which a pastor talks about a church he loved, with gratitude for what God did and honesty about what he himself could not have done alone.

Three Godly Visitors

While Narola and I were at RTMC, we had three distinguished visitors who came to the parsonage and preached in the church.

The first was David Seamands himself — who had memories of the parsonage from his own time at RTMC and returned here with great warmth. A godly and generous man.

The second was Tim LaHaye — world-renowned author of books like Spirit-Controlled Temperament and The Act of Marriage. I remember him sitting at lunch with us and saying:

“I am also a very ordinary person. I put my pants on like everybody else, one leg at a time.”

A man who had accomplished so much, and who wore it with such simplicity.

The third was Selwyn Hughes, who wrote the daily devotional Every Day with Jesus. He came to the parsonage and prayed for us and for our children.

In the morning service, he quoted Oswald Chambers:

“You will grow in your spiritual life if you accept that life in this broken world is more tragic than orderly.”

Hughes’ wife had died. Two of his sons had died. He had lived through all of that, and he kept writing. Even after his death, he had already written the devotional six months in advance. Such was his dedication and commitment.

“Everything that promotes good is purely from God. Only the mistakes are mine.”

— Rev. K. Vasudevan, quoting a godly man from his pastoral annual report

The Wonders of a Potluck Lunch

One Sunday after service we had a potluck lunch for the whole congregation.

We organised it by area: Koramangala, Indiranagar, Wilson Garden, and Richmond Town. Families gathered in booths with others from their part of the city.

For many of them, it was the first time they had met someone from their own area who attended the same church.

That afternoon became the catalyst for the Area-Wise Bible Study Fellowship, which already existed but suddenly found new momentum.

One simple meal, and a community discovered itself.

The 6 a.m. Prayer

One of the greatest joys of our time at RTMC was restarting a morning prayer meeting at six o’clock.

Seven or eight people came regularly. Some of them were beyond eighty years old — crossing the road in the early morning to come and pray.

That was very, very encouraging.

We prayed for revival — for ourselves, for the church, for the country — and for each other’s personal needs.

When it was someone’s birthday among us, we would go out for breakfast together afterwards. There was a tremendous bonding.

I don’t think we missed a single morning throughout the time we were there.

Christmas with the LR Nagar Community

One of the most moving Christmas celebrations I can remember happened when we brought the families from the LR Nagar church — mostly people who lived in the slum settlement there — to our church.

Families at RTMC prepared food for them, and we sat together at lunch: each family with three or four children from the LR Nagar congregation at their table.

I wish we had mobile phones then to take photographs.

Imagine every family in the church sitting with a child they had never met before, sharing a meal.

That was a true celebration. That was a true and meaningful way to celebrate Christmas.

A Child’s Whistle — The Special Abilities Sunday School

One Saturday a month, we started a Sunday school for children with special abilities — autism, Down syndrome, and a range of needs.

Even Muslim mothers used to bring their children for the sessions.

Mrs. Anna Oomen Francis led the parents from a psychological perspective, sharing what was available to them through government support. I led a devotion for the children.

I remember saying one morning:

“God loves you just as you are.”

One of the boys — perhaps eight years old — was so thrilled by this that he put his finger in his mouth and gave a great whistle.

I will never forget that.

I said to myself: this boy has responded to the love of God in a way I have rarely seen anyone respond.

That was an amazing moment.

“This boy responded to God’s love in a way I have very rarely seen somebody respond. That was an amazing experience.”

— Rev. K. Vasudevan, on the special abilities Sunday school

Mr. Paulose — The Man Who Noticed Who Was Missing

One church member I can never forget is Mr. Paulose.

Typically well-dressed, always with a bag in his hand. He never missed a Sunday.

And he had a unique way of noticing who was and wasn’t in the congregation.

If he missed someone and saw them the following week, he would say, lovingly and without condemnation:

“I marked you absent last Sunday. What happened to you?”

It was not a judgment.

It was: I missed you. Is everything all right? Is something keeping you away? Can I pray for you?

I believe that if every church had ten people like that — who noticed who was missing and reached out in love — it would be amazingly wonderful.

Mr. Paulose was one of those people.

Saturday Outreach

Every month we had different Saturday outreach activities.

One Saturday, a group took tracts to MG Road.

Another Saturday, people went to visit the prison and share the Gospel.

Another Saturday, a group of us went to Bowring Hospital — to the AIDS ward — and shared the love of Christ with patients who were isolated from society.

For many of them, that was the last conversation they had before they passed away.

That was a very touching and very meaningful time.

To God Be the Glory

One thing is clear: anything we were able to do or accomplish is only because of God’s grace and power.

I always quote one godly man who puts it so well:

“Everything that promotes good is purely from God. Only the mistakes are mine.”

I was not a perfect pastor. Not all my decisions were correct. But anything I was able to accomplish is because of my wife Narola’s support, my family, and what the Lord enabled us to do together. All the glory belongs to God.

Rev. K. Vasudevan

Pastor, Richmond Town Methodist Church • 1996–1999