Animist Priest Redeemed
Sanyasi gave his life to Christ and immediately experienced a profound and lasting peace.
A New Song Among the Mountains
Deep in the mountains of Eastern India, a forest-dwelling tribe of 300,000 people follows the traditions of Animism, worshipping tribal deities and spirits. Among them was Sanyasi, a tribal priest.
From a young age, Sanyasi studied the art of magic and rituals, learning how to appease vengeful gods through animal sacrifices. He believed that if the gods were not satisfied, crops would fail and illness would spread among the people. He faithfully followed every ritual, yet he never found peace. Even as the village healer, he could not protect his own family — two of his loved ones died in just two months.
An Unexpected Visitor
Shortly after these tragic losses, an evangelist arrived in Sanyasi’s village.
“It took six hours to reach the village,” the evangelist recalled, “and when I arrived, the Lord led me straight to Sanyasi. I told him about a God who gives peace to our souls and healing to our bodies.”
At first, Sanyasi resisted. He clung tightly to his traditional beliefs. But after several encounters with the evangelist, something changed.
“The Truth of the Word of God began to penetrate my soul,” Sanyasi said. “I decided to follow the trail shown in the living Word of God.”
The moment he gave his life to Christ, he experienced a profound and lasting peace. His family no longer suffered from constant sickness. He knew he had to share this transformation with others.
From Priest to Preacher
The desire to spread the Gospel consumed Sanyasi. He journeyed from mountain to mountain, testifying about Jesus. Though some villages chased him away, others gathered to hear this ‘new teaching.’ Families began asking him to pray for them.
His faithfulness caught the attention of a local pastor, who invited him to receive Bible training during the day while continuing his village evangelism in the evenings.
Within two years, Sanyasi planted three churches. Today, he pastors even more. Since the congregations are hours apart, he holds services on different days of the week, traveling tirelessly to reach each one.
But his mission is not complete.
“I climb the challenging mountains with the song of the Gospel in my heart and the name of Jesus on my lips,” he says.
His greatest desire is to see every village saturated with the Gospel, knowing that when Jesus is birthed in their hearts, transformation will follow.
A New Song of Salvation
“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.”
—Psalm 96:1 – 2
Sanyasi carries this new song deep within his soul. Every day, he proclaims the Good News of salvation — because to do anything less would not be enough.
