He Walks the Talk

Rev. Vinay Kumar Moses

Senior Pastor 1977–79 and 1985–1988 — a former member’s portrait
  • A tribute by Shanthini Dawson • Member of RTMC during Rev. Moses’s tenure*
There is a phrase that gets applied to people of faith so routinely that it has almost lost its force. “He walks the talk.” But it is the only phrase that fits Rev. Vinay Kumar Moses. Not simply because he preaches well from a pulpit—though he does, but that everyone who has known him across five decades describes exactly the same person: generous, gracious, consistent, and entirely without performance. Moses came to RTMC as Presbyter in Charge in the mid-1970s, and the congregation he served quickly recognised something that members across different decades have since confirmed: that what he said on Sunday was the same as what he lived the rest of the week. The parsonage under his tenure — shared with his wife Clementia, known warmly to all as Sweetakka, and their son Johnny — was the kind of household where the door was rarely closed. Members were fed there, counselled there, welcomed there. Those who were new to a city found familiar faces and a ready welcome. Those going through difficulty found steady company. The parsonage was an extension of the ministry, and Sweetakka was as much a part of that as Moses himself.
“He is the only person I have ever known whose Christian faith showed so consistently, in every sphere of life.” — Shanthini Dawson
What made his ministry unusual — and this is attested by more than one person who knew him well — was the quality of his presence with those who were struggling or doubting. He never preached at people nor withheld warmth from those whose beliefs had shifted or lapsed. He accepted people as they were and enfolded them in his faith regardless — not as a strategy, but as a natural expression of how he understood the Gospel. For those who encountered this quality in him, it was quietly revelatory. It made clear that faith and belief are lived experiences, not positions to be argued or defended. A person who watched Moses navigate personal challenges — which were real, and which he faced with the same steadiness he brought to everything else — understood that his equanimity was not a performance but a conviction. He served RTMC, and subsequently other congregations in Hyderabad and the United Kingdom, with the same consistency that those who knew him in any of these postings would recognise. Johnny, Sweetakka, and he remain — to those who were fortunate enough to know them in any chapter of his ministry — a beacon of love, joy, and kindness.

He Drew Us Closer to God

Rev. Michael Peppin

Senior Pastor, Richmond Town Methodist Church • 1987–1994 Profile based on a tribute submitted by a well-wisher who wishes to remain anonymous Before he became their pastor, Rev. Michael Peppin was already known to some in the RTMC congregation. He had come to faith and to ministry through the Youth for Christ movement, and it was through those connections — at conventions and youth gatherings across India in the early 1970s — that friendships were formed which would eventually bring him to Richmond Town. The reception of his wedding to Vinoo was held in Stephen’s Hall. He was, in this sense, a pastor who arrived not as a stranger but as someone already woven, in part, into the life of the community he would serve. What distinguished his ministry at RTMC was a combination not often found together: the practical clarity of a man who had worked as a foreman at Ashok Leyland Motors, and the spiritual depth of a preacher who had given his life entirely to the Word of God. His sermons were accessible without being shallow. He communicated with equal care to the long-standing member and the first-time visitor, to the educated professional and the person who had come simply because someone had invited them.
“His messages carried both weight and warmth. They were convicting and comforting. They drew us closer to God.” — A well-wisher from Richmond Town Methodist Church
Those who sat under his preaching remember a particular habit of language. Words like ‘therefore,’ ‘wherefore,’ and ‘beloved’ were not verbal tics or period usage — they were deliberate signals. They told the congregation that what was coming was not merely information but application: truth moving from the text into the room, into the specific circumstances of the people sitting in front of him. Much as the Apostle Paul used such transitions in his letters, Peppin used them from the pulpit — to ensure that the Scripture did not remain at a comfortable distance. His classy humour sheathed a gentle “speaking the truth in love” that most of his congregation cannot forget. His wife Vinoo and their daughter Deepa Peppin served alongside him with grace, and the congregation remembers them as an integral part of his ministry. The pastoral household at RTMC during these years was characterised by the same warmth and approachability that marked his preaching: what he proclaimed on Sunday mornings was visible in the life his family lived the rest of the week. Rev. Michael Peppin is remembered at RTMC as a pastor who brought something rare to the pulpit: the instinct of a craftsman and the heart of a shepherd. His congregation knew he had measured the wood before he cut it, and trusted that the same care had gone into every word he offered them.

A Heart for Young People

Rev. C. A. Benjamin

Senior Pastor, Richmond Town Methodist Church • 2000–2003 Profile based on the tribute written by Joshua Noel Kumar, member of RTMC during Rev. Benjamin’s tenure Rev. C. A. Benjamin served as Senior Pastor of Richmond Town Methodist Church from 2000 to 2003, and in three years left a mark on the congregation that those who were part of it have not forgotten. He was, above all, a preacher who wanted his congregation to understand what they heard. His sermons were clear and accessible — not simplified, but grounded. He had no interest in impressing from the pulpit; he was interested in transformation in the pew. Those who sat under his teaching consistently describe the same experience: they came away understanding the Scripture in a way they had not before, and feeling that it had something specific to say to their lives.
“He never wanted us to simply listen to the Bible. He wanted us to understand what it was telling us and apply it to our lives.” — A congregation member, reflecting on Rev. Benjamin’s preaching
His Thursday morning Bible studies, held at 6 a.m., became one of the most valued parts of his tenure. They were not easy to attend — the hour was early and the commitment real — but they drew a faithful group week after week. In those sessions, the congregation encountered a pastor who was as serious about formation as he was about proclamation. Benjamin had a particular heart for young people, and especially for those who were struggling with addiction, with direction, with circumstances that had placed them on difficult ground. He did not judge or keep a distance. He engaged, encouraged, and stayed with people through their difficulties. Several members of the congregation trace the turning points of their early adult lives to his pastoral intervention during these years. His ministry extended well beyond the Sunday service. When a death occurred in the congregation, he was among the first to arrive, remaining with the family until everything was done — including, in the tradition of humble service, personally washing the body of the deceased. This act, witnessed by more than one member of the congregation, said more about his understanding of pastoral calling than any sermon could. The Benjamin family — Mrs. Kamala Benjamin, and their children Sangeetha, Mohan, and Joash — were inseparable from his ministry. Their home in the parsonage was, by universal account, always open. Members of the congregation, and particularly the youth, moved through it freely — welcomed with warmth, fed generously, and made to feel that the pastor’s home was theirs too. The family embodied the hospitality that the ministry proclaimed.
“He was always willing to help anyone who came to him. I do not remember him ever saying no to someone who genuinely needed help.” — Joshua Noel Kumar
Rev. C. A. Benjamin served at RTMC for three years. The congregation he left behind carried more of his influence than three years might ordinarily produce — in the way its members read Scripture, in the lives of young people he had refused to give up on, and in the memory of a pastor who lived what he preached.

Meeting, Talking, Listening

Rev. R. G. Soanes

Senior Pastor 1989–1996 — a member’s portrait
  • A tribute by Freddy Soans • Member of RTMC*
Rev. R. G. Soanes came to RTMC by way of Baldwin Boys’ High School, where he served as chaplain in the early 1970s. He was the kind of pastor whose presence extended well beyond the Sunday morning service — into the choir, the parsonage, and the unhurried conversations that stretched long after the congregation had dispersed. [Place WINSLOW – Image No. 28 of Pastor Soanes here within the article.] He sang bass, and not merely in a supervisory capacity. He found time to join the choir at practice and sang alongside the choir members at services and special occasions. There was something in that willingness — to sit in the choir stalls rather than stand apart from them — that spoke of his character. He was not above the fellowship of the people he served. His habit after the Sunday service was equally distinctive. Rather than moving quickly on, he would remain in the compound — meeting people, talking, listening, until the church had long grown quiet. Many members found that some of their most meaningful exchanges with him happened in those unscheduled minutes after the service ended. He was genuinely interested in the people of the congregation, and they knew it. Mrs. Irene Soanes was very much part of the welcome that RTMC’s parsonage extended. Hospitable and warm, she had the gift of making people feel at ease, and her laughter — ready and genuine — was its own kind of ministry. Those who spent time at the parsonage after a Sunday service carried something of that warmth home with them. They are both remembered with affection by those who knew them at RTMC.

Close to the People

Rev. N. H. Jayawanth

Senior Pastor • Three terms at RTMC, more than seven years in all A personal reflection by Mohan Paul Prabhu • Member of RTMC Rev. N. H. Jayawanth served three terms as Senior Pastor at RTMC, amounting to more than seven years in all. Affable by nature, he had a disarming smile, a ready listening ear, and the rare ability to disagree graciously when necessary. Over nearly four decades of membership at this church, I came to know him through several roles: as a worshipping member, as a Pastorate Committee member, and through a number of church initiatives. What follows are personal memories that remain especially vivid.

A Pastor Close to the People

Rev. Jayawanth’s warmth went beyond pleasantries at the close of a service. He took a genuine interest in people and in the particulars of their lives. When our home was dedicated in 2004, in the presence of my late father, E. Jayaprabhu, he visited and prayed for us. At the end, he offered a quiet word of encouragement in Kannada:
“Mohan, avare — hiriyaru helidru — manne katti nodu, maduve madu nodu; neevu ondu pramukha bagha yashashwiyaagi madidheedera.”
He was quoting the well-known Kannada saying: experience the building of a house, and experience the responsibility of conducting your child’s wedding. His message was that we had successfully completed an important milestone. That encouragement has stayed with me.
“He had a disarming smile, a ready listening ear, and the rare ability to disagree graciously when necessary.” — Mohan Paul Prabhu on Rev. N. Jayawanth

Encouraging New Initiatives

Several initiatives that continue to serve the congregation today were begun or encouraged during his tenure. RTMC’s first Members’ Directory was published in mid-2018 under his encouragement, the project having been approved under his chairmanship. The Church website was launched under his leadership. He actively encouraged and implemented the Pastorate Committee’s recommendation of grooming younger leaders. That vision continues to be practised. As RTMC marks 150 years, we give thanks for Rev. N. Jayawanth’s distinctive contribution to this congregation’s journey. Many initiatives begun during his pastoral leadership continue today, to God’s glory. He shepherded this flock with warmth, wisdom, and the willingness to hear a voice other than his own. He is remembered with gratitude.

A Pastor Who Invested in People

Rev. Paul K. Royappa

Associate Pastor 2014–2017 Profile by Simon Hanock • Member, RTMC Rev. Paul Royappa came to RTMC in 2014 and served a tenure that is remembered by the congregation — and especially by its young people — for a particular quality: he believed in them before they believed in themselves. He was affectionate, dynamic, and relatable in a way that young members responded to immediately. He had the rare pastoral gift of knowing how to guide without making guidance feel like correction. His parsonage was open. In the tradition of the best of RTMC’s pastoral households, young people could walk in, sit around, talk, plan youth programmes, and pray. Those years produced some of the church’s most remembered youth camps and planning sessions. Pastor Paul also encouraged consistent attendance at Bible study and asked the youth to think beyond the immediate congregation — how could the church reach those who could not be physically present?
“God has given you the talent. Just come and play. Don’t worry about people.” — Rev. Paul Royappa — to a young worship musician
That question was not merely rhetorical. Pastor Paul was an early advocate for live-streaming the services. While RTMC officially took up live streaming in 2020, the thinking had begun years earlier under his encouragement: if people had moved away, if they were unwell, if they could not come to church, how could the church go to them? But perhaps his most lasting contribution was the individual investments he made in young people’s gifts. He saw musical and worship-leading talent in members who had not yet seen it in themselves, and he pushed — gently, persistently, specifically — until they stepped forward. More than one person in the current worship leadership traces the beginning of that journey to a moment when Pastor Paul simply said: ‘Go ahead. You lead.’

Direct and Warm

Rev. Jonathan Bangera

Associate Pastor 2009 • Senior Pastor 2012–13 Profile by Janet S. Prem • With a testimony by Rachel Hongal The boyish-looking pastor with a perennial impish grin was so popular with the youth of RTMC that when he took over as Senior Pastor, there were some seniors in the congregation who found it genuinely difficult to accept that he was indeed senior enough for the role. He was. And he proved it. Jonathan Bangera came to RTMC as Associate Pastor in 2009 and served as Senior Pastor from 2012 to 2013. His sermons addressed contemporary issues with directness and warmth. But it was what happened outside the pulpit that defined him as a shepherd.
“Seeking out an absent young man, visiting him at home, befriending him and guiding him to Christ — that is a shepherd’s heart.” — Janet S. Prem
He was the kind of pastor who noticed who was missing. If a young man stopped coming to church, Jonathan Bangera would go and find him — not to summon him back, but to be with him first. Families in suffering, grief, and trauma found him present and steady. He ministered quietly, firmly, and with courage to those who were going through difficulty, without announcement or fanfare. When the slum dwellers at Ejipura were displaced, Jonathan Bangera responded with compassion and mobilized some members to reach out with immediate aid. Though he saw the potential of an L R Nagar type outreach, it saddened him that it did not grow. His TAFTEE classes — Theological Education by Extension — were not conventional teaching sessions but spaces in which members were challenged to ask difficult questions and explore the Word honestly. For those who attended, they were as much a formation as an education.

A Member Remembers

There are acts of kindness that go far beyond duty, and Pastor Jonathan Bangera’s compassion during the final rites of my sister Ramola Hongal was one of them. When she was found three days after her accidental fall at home, we were faced with a loss made even harder by the circumstances surrounding it. At that time, I was the only adult remaining in the family and was not in a position to return home at short notice. Her two children were too young to shoulder the responsibility without support. Pastor Jonathan, despite the difficult condition of her body, showed no reluctance — only compassion and dignity. He gave my sister the honour and respect she deserved in her final moments on this earth, and he gave our family the comfort of knowing she was cared for with grace, even in circumstances that would have caused many to turn away. Words feel insufficient to capture what this meant to us. His willingness to be present in our darkest hour, and to support me with such humility and love, is something I will never forget. He reminded us, in the midst of unbearable sorrow, that God’s love is present even in the hardest moments — often through the hands and hearts of people like him. — Rachel Hongal

Unwavering Commitment

Rev. Dr. Vivek Gundimi

Associate Pastor, Richmond Town Methodist Church • 2017–2026 Profile based on a tribute written by Dr. Anju Samson, member of RTMC. Rev. Dr. Vivek Gundimi arrived at Richmond Town Methodist Church in 2017 as a young pastor with an unusually broad formation behind him. He held a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Theology and Counselling from SAIACS, a Master of Divinity, a Master of Arts in Western Philosophy, and a Bachelor of Commerce — a range that reflected someone who had taken both the life of the mind and the demands of ministry seriously, and had not assumed the two were separate. He had served in Bangalore, Nagaland, and England before coming to RTMC, and had taught at several seminaries. The congregation received someone with more depth than his age suggested. His nine years at RTMC were defined, above all, by his preaching. The congregation remembers his sermons as thought-provoking and accessible in equal measure — theologically serious without being academic, contemporary without being shallow. His wit from the pulpit became one of the markers of a Sunday morning during his tenure: unexpected, well-timed, and never at the expense of the message.
“The sessions started with beautiful singing of hymns and guitar, setting a warm tone — and then he would open the Word with the same care he brought to everything.” — Dr. Anju Samson, on the COVID-era Zoom Bible studies
The COVID pandemic years tested every church’s ability to hold its congregation together across distance, and Vivek’s response was characteristic: consistent, well-prepared online Bible study sessions via Zoom, opening with hymns and guitar before moving into careful, detailed exposition of Scripture. For many families, these evening sessions became one of the anchors of an otherwise disorienting period. The format was simple; the commitment behind it was not. That he did what he had to with unwavering commitment, forbearance and perseverance made him the pastor the church needed for “such a time as this”. He took the confirmation classes for RTMC’s young people, and the care he brought to that work — meeting teenagers where they were, making theological questions feel genuinely open rather than already answered — is remembered by those who went through it. His pastoral counselling practice, which included premarital counselling, extended his ministry well beyond the Sunday service into the specific situations of individual lives. During his tenure, Vivek received the Rev. Lobban Indigenous Literature Award, one of several recognitions of his writing and theological contribution. His family — Esther, Joanna, and Johnny — were a visible and warmly received presence in the congregation’s life, and are remembered with genuine affection. In 2026, Rev. Dr. Vivek Gundimi moved on from RTMC to new responsibilities. The congregation he leaves behind carries the imprint of nine years of careful, lively, and genuinely engaged ministry.