<p>My name is Annamalai Gunasekaran, born in a poor Hindu family in a village named R.C. Chettipatti, Salem District, Tamil Nadu, South India. </p><p>Basically, my father and grandfather were strong religious people and took a pilgrimage to a Hindu Temple every year to obtain favor from God. My grandfather, Kolandai, has built a Hindu Temple in my village, and my father was the custodian of the Temple for several years. Both of them did much good work and served the community through liaison with the local government.
In 1959, God saved one of my brothers, Joseph. In the later years, God used him as an instrument of deliverance for everyone in my family except myself. In 1970, a famine struck the country, and many people were stricken by terrible poverty. Due to such poverty, I had a question about the existence of God. In 1975, I had gone to the extent of committing suicide. While attempting suicide, our merciful Father intervened and stopped that attempt and drew me closer to Him.
</p><p>In 1979, I got married to Mary Selvi, and the Lord blessed us with two children, a daughter and a son. Now both of them are married. As a family, we served as wardens in an Orphanage for little wages and faithfully looked after the orphans and others who were destitute. In due course of time, as I had a desire to become a Minister of God, we joined a reputed Seminary in South India with the intention to become an Anglican Priest. After having secured the B.Th. and M.Div. degrees, the Lord sent us to serve among the poor community, contrary to my desire. Later we confirmed that it was the will of God concerning us to work as an Administrator with a Christian Organization.
</p><p>By the providence of God through a friend of mine named John Mark Decker, in 1998, I came to the USA and stayed three months with Shady Grove Baptist Church, Ripley, MS. There, the Lord guided me to join the Primitive Baptist Church through Sister Lea Bennett, and in 2000, I became a Primitive Baptist. So far, God has enabled us to plant 20 churches in the States of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh with over 1200 members. </p><p>The Lord blessed us to run two Orphanages, two Community Development Programs, and ten Tutorial Centers, a Community Health Care Program, a Dental Care Program, and other Self-Help Projects, etc. Glory to God!
I would appreciate your prayers for us and the ministry in India.</p><p>The following information is from an article out of the Gadsden Times, July 15, 2005: </p><p>Elder Gunasekaran Annamalai
is Primitive Baptist minister from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Bro. Guna was born into the lowest caste of his village and did not believe in God.
"Because of the poverty, I had a big question," he said. He hit bottom 30 years ago and decided to commit suicide, but said he didn't "because I was terrified of eternity." Bro. Guna had heard the Gospel and felt he needed to know more. He started reading the Bible and received help from an evangelist in his town. "God came into my life in 1975 - Aug. 5," he said. "Then my life radically changed." Bro. Guna described his feelings as a "thirst to spend time with God."
He ranked at the bottom of his school classes at the time, but realized it was because of the malnutrition that afflicted him.
Bro. Guna got a job in an orphanage, where he was able to eat regular meals. The new diet allowed him to concentrate better on his education, and soon he completed home study to make up his high school work and go on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees.
Instead of going to the United States permanently for the comfortable American lifestyle, Bro. Guna stayed in his village to work with people like him who were born into the lower castes.
"The Lord led us to start orphanages, as there is a great need to take care of the children," he said.
Gadsden Primitive Baptist Church is collecting money to give to the Good Samaritan Trust Fund to continue the work in Bro. Guna's home. The mission there has begun a health care program for wellness education and preventive care, and 200 orphans and destitute children rely on the orphanage.
"We give free nutritious food, clothing, and education," he said. "Above all, we give spiritual nurturing."</p>
