pastor ohm

October 16, 2021/Paul Windsor/

Yesterday, Covid-19 came close to heart and home, with the death of my friend, Pastor Ohm Prakash, in Pune (India).  

As is the custom, the funeral took place within a few hours, with a livestream on YouTube which I was able to watch.  I am always a bit slow to roll out the great truths at these times as I get stuck in the sadness.  This time was no different.  Although I’ve not met his family, it was hard to watch Ohm’s wife, Mercy, and their children — Charisma, Clessia and Chris — gather around that graveside…
But I want to stop what I am doing … and take a few minutes to thank God for Pastor Ohm and for the friendship and fellowship we enjoyed around the preaching of the word of God.
The best way I know how to do this is — to write a blog!
I first met Pastor Ohm in Hyderabad, at our Telugu-language training programme, under the oversight of Praveen and Veena Bunyan.  Ohm was a Hindi-Marathi-English speaker, but that didn’t stop him from coming.  He was so keen to learn.  With the two of us sometimes being the only non-Telugu speakers in the room, we often ended up in conversation during the times of interaction. 
The Telugu group excited to receive their South Asia Bible Commentary

After a few years, Praveen & Veena started to organise a training programme for facilitators speaking languages other than Telugu, in the hope that preaching movements could start in those language groups as well, including Marathi.  A whole new layer to the work in India commenced.  
The two most recent seminars in Hyderabad fell on my birthday and I was delighted to find this video. I thought I had a photo of Pastor Ohm honouring me by feeding me a piece of the birthday cake, as is the custom — but, eventually I discovered that it was a video that I remembered…
Two highlights of our friendship built in the context of the preaching ministry remain with me.
In January 2020, just weeks before our sudden, covidian departure from India, these emerging language-specific facilitators gathered in Bangalore.  It was a highlight of my time in India (as I write about in ‘A Teacher Being Taught’, link here).   We divided the sessions of our basic seminar among the group and each one had a go at something different, with Pastor Ohm leading us off with the opening message from Nehemiah 8.  Here is what I wrote at the time in that blog post:
With the simple exposition of Nehemiah 8, with an eye on how it applies to the training which follows, Ohm stepped up and delivered a message with such faithfulness and clarity, such warmth and gentleness, that I was moved to write on his assessment, ‘I wish John Stott was still alive to hear this message because it would have made his heart sing.’ I meant it.
The second highlight came later in 2020. The group The Other 167 (link here) posted some of Pastor Ohm’s sermons on their YouTube channel.  He sent me a link every now and then.  Barby and I were struggling with exit (from India) and re-entry (to NZ).  Covid was ravaging India and NZ seemed so insulated and isolated from the pain…  We watched a few of the sermons.  I was drawn into the way they were ‘truth through personality’, to use the age-old description of preaching.  Short, direct, simple, urgent, authentic, a bit mischievous (I suspect Ohm was a naughty boy as a youth!), a bit rough — but they really ministered to us.  And no, it is not war breaking out in Pune in the background — just Diwali fire-crackers that go on and on, long after Diwali has ended!
I spent time yesterday afternoon, listening and watching a few of these sermons again. This first little one, on Elijah and the ravens, was watched by us on a number of occasions…
A few weeks later, we appreciated this message from Habakkuk:

Here is a photo of us together in Hyderabad. I feel badly that I don’t remember who the little boy is — but maybe someone will write and remind me.
I’ve enjoyed going back through all our WhatsApp chat. He refers to me as ‘Gurujee’, which is so special.  He took his three children right through the Discipleship course (from PNG) which Barby gave him — and which she had used with the women at SAIACS. 
Thank-you, Pastor Ohm. May the God of comfort and peace be with your family, whom I hope we can meet on a future visit to India.
nice chatting
Paul

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About Me

paul06.16

the art of unpacking

After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.

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8 Comments

  1. Heather on October 16, 2021 at 11:12 am

    So sorry for your loss, Paul. Thank you for sharing about him, and sharing those two sermons. We continue to pray for the global church in the face of the loss of so many leaders.

    Reply
  2. MD Med in Mumbai on October 16, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    Reading through your simple narrative helped me to understand the late Ohm and I want to thank the Lord for his life. Our loss is heavens gain. In the midst of tragedy, may the Lord of all comfort be our hope.

    Reply
  3. the art of unpacking on October 17, 2021 at 5:03 am

    Yes, Heather, you've read me exactly right. It was a 'big call' to write a blog like this. However I wanted to thank my friend — but also express some solidarity with the global church, with some sorrows but also joys.

    I watch Aotearoa-NZ TV news and then watch Al-Jazeera news and wonder if we are inhabiting the same world…

    You are playing your role. Keep on, keeping on — by God's grace

    Paul

    Reply
  4. the art of unpacking on October 17, 2021 at 5:04 am

    Your words are true, "MD Med in Mumbai" — may the Lord sustain you at this time.

    Paul

    Reply
  5. Ken Keyte on October 18, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    Sorry to read about your friend Pastor Ohm's death to Covid. Your blog struck a chord with me as I've just finished watching an online funeral service (though not from Covid) for a close friend of mine with whom I travelled to Nepal many years ago. Tragically, while people and preachers around the world are dying of Covid – we here in NZ get worked up vaccination rates and lockdown length. Forgive us Lord, for not being concerned about those suffering great persecution and infection in other parts of the world!

    Reply
  6. Paul on October 19, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    So true, Ken — there is an inequity and an iniquity going on, globally, against which Christian communities should be standing. Not easy issues, however. But any confining of our compassion & passion to live only within the borders of our own nation is wrong. Plain and simple. Goodness me, people have no trouble following the Premier League and the NBA, if they wish to do so — & it is possible to lift our eyes and align ourselves with sisters and brothers in deep trouble around the world. Thanks for engaging — Paul.

    Reply
  7. Sandeep Doulos on October 19, 2021 at 8:49 pm

    Very sorry to know the sudden demise of Pastor Ohm. Bro. Paul Windsor, what you said is true about Bro. Ohm and he is a good friend for us too as we enjoyed his humor, fellowship in group activities, and sharing. By the way, the little boy is our son, Fabby which we named when you shared your joy with the expression "Fabulous" after learning about his birth.

    Reply
  8. Paul on October 20, 2021 at 6:00 am

    Oh, Sandeep — of course, it is Fabby. Please forgive me.

    And please send me an updated photo of him and your family. OK?

    Shall I ask Sister Danita for your WhatsApp number?

    Paul

    Reply

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