Meet Our Pastor

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 Praise the Lord. Glory be to God’s Holy Name.

My name is Siby Jacob. I was born in Paika, near Palai in Kottayam, into a traditional Orthodox Catholic home as the third child.

As a boy I drifted far from God. By nine I was swept into communist party activities and loudly declared there was no God—choices that cost me my pre-degree studies. Later I trained in electronics, and at 22, I left for Bangalore to find work, joining my younger sister, who was a nurse. I arrived with hope, but life there was harder than I imagined.

I took work in a canteen and, because of language barriers, was moved from cashier → tea server → dishwasher. Night after night, with my hands in soapy water among thousands of people, humiliation and loneliness settled into my bones. My body and mind began to break under the stress—allergies, pain, and endless questions: Is there a God who sees me? Is there a hand to hold me?

In the midst of that darkness a Malayali scientist named Thomas noticed me. He listened to my story—my schooling, drama, sports, and electronics—and offered me work in metal erection. I left the canteen, but the canteen owner refused to pay six months’ wages, and suddenly I had nowhere to sleep. I stood at the factory gate one night, watching everyone leave, wondering where I would go. A coworker saw me and took me home—a small mercy in a great desert.

Not long after, my sister called and asked me to be at home. She came with Sister Alice, Sister Dhanuma, and Brother Das to share the Gospel. I had prepared to argue, but near the close of their message, Brother Das prophesied that the Lord was calling me to be an evangelist and apostle. The Holy Spirit came like a warm, unstoppable tide; I fell, I wept, and my heart surrendered. In August 1993 I first received the Lord. My salvation day was 8 November 1993. Three months later, on 9 January, I was baptized, and in March, during a season of fasting and prayer, I was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues. From that moment my life was forever turned toward Jesus.

God led me to Karnataka Bible Institute in April 1995, where I studied for two and a half years. I then served with an IPC congregation in Wilson Garden and Mysore for another two and a half years. I returned to Bangalore in 1997, and by May 1999 I resettled in Gottigere, trusting the Lord for each step.

We walked by faith. I returned with only ₹450 given by Pastor Stephen (Mysore)—money I later spent in Kerala. I used part of a loan to rent a house and entrusted the remaining money to Brother Jimmy to start a roadside socks business, with the agreement that if it prospered, it would help pay our rent. By God’s grace Jimmy’s business flourished, and he paid the rent and interest so our ministry could continue. After marriage we invested ₹20,000 through a brother’s business, which also helped sustain us.

In May 2000 I married Susan. Those years tested our faith: Susan’s health suffered, many believers left, and only four families remained for a season. We faced persecution—stones thrown at our meetings, my wife beaten, threats that forced me to the police three times, attacks of black magic, and attempts on our lives. Yet in every shadow God’s hand was over us; He protected, healed, and carried us.

God has blessed us with three children: Shalom (2001), Leanit (2002), and Sharon (2006). Susan serves faithfully as an evangelist and worship leader. Shalom ministers in English worship, works with an NGO, and serves as a translator; our daughters serve in youth ministry and Sunday school. Recently, by God’s grace, my father came to faith and was baptized. My younger sister and her children now live by faith as well. I humbly ask your prayers for the rest of my birth family who remain in the Catholic tradition.

In 1999 I began pioneering evangelism in Gottigere and the surrounding areas. The beginning was humble and hard—paying the rent for the church hall itself was a struggle—but we continued by faith and God’s steady provision. In 2000 Susan and I began our family, and God blessed us with our three children.

Today the ministry has grown into what we now call the Zion Indian Gospel Outreach Trust, active in several places and engaged in practical, gospel-centered service. We teach village children and provide educational support and school materials so they can keep learning. We reach out to widows and those in need, giving what we can and walking alongside them. By God’s grace our local church family has grown to around 250 members—a living, worshipping body that prays, serves, and reaches others.

In 2003 the Lord also led me to help establish the Heavenly Armies Pastors’ Fellowship together with a few other ministries. Since then we have held hundreds of meetings and seminars for Christian ministers, provided medical and material aid to pastors in need, and supported communities affected by natural calamities. At present around 300 Christian ministers are working with us through this fellowship, lifting one another up in prayer and service.

This is my story: from doubt to devotion, from poverty to a people—all by the grace of the One who finds the lost and heals the broken. I do not claim perfection, only the faithfulness of God who called me, equipped me, and keeps sending me out.

Please pray for continued provision, protection, and a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our family, our church, and all who serve with the Zion Indian Gospel Outreach Trust and Heavenly Armies. May the Lord increase His kingdom and strengthen every servant involved. Glory to God.