"The just shall live by faith" was the word that God spoke to Pastor V.A. Thampy
at the age of 21, in 1962, which compelled him to leave his secure job and step into full-time ministry.
By accepting God's call, he left his job. He stepped into his new endeavor not
knowing what to do or where to start. With a burden to reach the unreached millions of India with
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he began preaching and spreading the Good News from his native village in Kerala, South India.
Persecution started right from his own family and he was kicked out of his home. For the next ten years,
he was literally on the streets. But the fire still burned inside...."India for Christ".
God was calling him to pioneer a work, which in the years to come would make a difference in the
nation of India. At the same time God was preparing a well educated young man, Pastor R. Abraham, who refused an offer for a well paid job and stepped out into the harvest field like apostle Paul. The initial stages of their ministry was filled with ridicule, suffering, persecution, and isolation. All these attacks of the enemy could not burn out the seed that God had planted in their hearts.
In 1976, Pastor Thampy along with Pastor R. Abraham and the few co-workers who were with them
started the ministry in Kerala, the Southern tip of India, under the name "New India Church of God". (NICOG).
It is evident that the wonderful hand of God was clearly moving through this ministry since then to reconcile
mankind to Him.
Today, NICOG is an organization with more than 1000 Churches all over India. We know that these Churches spread throughout India is like a "drop in an ocean ". We still have a long way to go, a lot of people to reach - to accomplish the vision - CHRIST FOR INDIA!
