How a change in perspectives started a growing movement in Ottawa’s South Asian community

Jenny Burr
Spur Ottawa Correspondent

Christians are called to serve others and to share God’s love, but life can be busy and many of us wonder “what can I do?” Abraham Sudhakar found a way to make a difference in his community after God led him through a change in perspectives.

Sudhakar has a full time job. He is also working towards his master’s degree in theological studies, taking one credit at a time through a program offered by Heritage Seminary, in Cambridge. The seminary has an extension campus at the Metropolitan Bible Church (the MET) in Ottawa.

Initially, when he was invited to take the Perspectives Study Program and earn a credit, he brushed it off. He had already registered for another course, so he didn’t consider enrolling in Perspectives until he felt a nudging from God.

“The course helped me rethink my perspective of missions.”

“I wasn’t really sure about what the Perspective course was,” shares Sudhakar. “But two days before the course started, I had the leading to take it. I am glad I did. The course helped me rethink my perspective of missions. The lectures, readings, assignments, and interactions with fellow students helped me rediscover my passion for God’s work.”

One take away was the emphasis that everyone has a role in God’s mission. He says his other big take away was “that every nation, every tribe must experience God’s love in culturally relevant ways. The course also provided some practical ways to be involved in evangelism while working full time.”

Sudhakar is a South Asian and it is to this population in Ottawa for whom he felt God’s call to serve. The Perspectives course ended on May 2, 2016, and on May 7, 2016, he held his first prayer meeting with a few friends, in his home.

“We now have around 30 to 40 people attend worship and prayer each week,” he says. “As the numbers grew, God opened an opportunity to meet at the MET, where most attend Sunday worship.”

They also held special prayer meetings to commemorate holidays. During their Christmas celebration, on December 3, many attendees heard the gospel for their first time. A few families have gotten involved.

“We have adults, children, and youth who are deeply committed to this fellowship, who help out by playing the music, singing, and with preparing the food.” Photo courtesy of the South Asian Christian Fellowship.

“We have adults, children, and youth who are deeply committed to this fellowship, who help out by playing the music, singing, and with preparing the food. We are prayerfully considering the next steps and plans for outreach and evangelism activities.”

Sudhakar says their website, along with Twitter and Facebook proved great methods for reaching out to local South Asians and friends in other countries. They often post scriptures on their social media in both Tamil and English.

“We hope to expand to other South Asian languages soon,” Sudhakar adds. “Our aim is to minister to these new immigrants and students and to bring God’s love to them. The needs of new immigrants are very diverse and need to be addressed in their respective cultural contexts. We hope to partner in prayer and outreach work with local churches and other mission organizations that minister to immigrants.”