Rev.Dr.J.Krupanandam is the Founder-President of 'SOW' Ministries and Daivashakthi Helping Hands. He was born in 1941 in a remote village Tuni, in East Godavari District in the state of Andhra Pradesh in South India in a heathen family. But he was named as Krupanandam because of a Christian teacher who happened to reside next door. However people used to call him Chinna rao. In fact he was admitted in the school with the name ‘Chinnarao’ only. It so happened one day when the teacher called him by that name ‘chinnarao’ he didn’t respond. He just kept quiet. There was another boy with the name in his class. So he said that he didn’t know ‘which’ chinnarao he was actually calling. Then itself he told him that he was to be called ‘Krupanandam’ there after and not ‘chinnarao’. That’s how his name in the school register had also been changed as ‘Krupanandam’. He grew up a brat and so notorious that the parents in the neighborhood used to restrict their children from mingling with him. Almost same trend continued when he joined high school. Used to compose songs on contemporary cine tunes and become expert in doing all other pranks. Sometimes keeping dead-snakes in the desks of girls. He was a terror to all the girl-students. He was even once suspended for 14 days for eve teasing. Despite all this foolery, he was in the school NCC (National Cadet Corps) an army outfit at school level and there used to the covert support from Christian teachers, though there was some overt antagonism from the Brahmin (Highest caste in India) teachers. Being a resident amidst Christian folks he started attending church and Sunday school too. But while he was in 8th class and 9th classes he was attracted by Atheism. He continued as atheist and he used to sit with his books the day before the exams but rest of the days he used to enjoy immensely going to movies and visiting local fairs etc., He used to convince his mother as to how much it was imminent to go to that particular movie. By saying a thousand and one excuses, he started even smoking while in school days. During the holidays he used to work in the ice-parlors (shops) and did all sorts of menial jobs just to earn that much that could suffice his need. Even he did gardening in the Christian mission compound, which was very near to his house. His school fees and the books were provided by the local CBM missionaries one Miss carry and one miss down from Canada. Almost in those years he passed S.S.L.C. (Secondary School Leaving Certificate), a certificate awarded on completion of secondary education in India. Later in 1962 he joined Indian Army (Madras Engineering and group). And there he used squander money in drinking and gambling. He was sent to the J&K border, Tibetan border and Pakistan borders. Liquor was supplied freely. So there was no end to his vile and wild life. While he was at Pakistan border, he got admitted into militiary hospital and there taking the doctors into confidence he could manage to take discharge from the army itself. There upon he returned to Tuni (his native place) and from there he proceeded to one place by name SILERU, where he joined in a Hydro-Electric Power Project in different ministerial capacities. Same wild life continued.
His attachment with the Christian folk all along didn’t leave him high and dry. Once he went to a neighboring house where his mother is in a prayer meeting. He saw two pastors there and then he attacked the two Pastors and jumped over them and stretched his hand over the pastor’s neck to catch the shirt’s filt. His mother stopped him with much difficult. The reason was his antagonism towards Christianity and his conviction about the new- found atheism. Still enigmatic was the fact that the two Pastors prayed for him with fasting. One Sunday he attended the church on his mother’s compulsion. After the closing of the prayer while the people were coming out of the church, he then addressed to the public- “is there anybody to speak with me and answer my questions?” There, one lady said to be wife of an Executive Engineer invited him to her house. Since that day he is visiting her house daily as she is counseling him with Word of God. In the same month i.e. on 21-6-1966 he was invited by the above said lady for a women's prayer meet. After the sermon was finished in the meeting the entire congregation knelt for prayer. He too knelt with all. Suddenly he started crying inadvertently, banging against his bosom. God even had blessed him with a glorious vision; he saw his Savior, and the feeling he could never explain, with inexplicable joy bubbling out from his heart. That glorious night passed with prayers and visions. Next morning i.e. 22.06.1966, he had burnt the playing cards that were with him, threw away the detective fiction and gave up smoking and said bye-bye to all sinful life and he went to the women gathering in the church. A lady started opening prayer and he started praising Lord and all of a sudden he was filled with the Holy Spirit and went on uttering tongues for almost three hours from 3Pm to 6Pm. He accepted Jesus as his personal savior and he then sought apology from the Pastor and started following him in the ministry like a true Disciple. And in the same year (1966), Almighty God was very gracious towards this way-ward child, and henced him with a clear vision as to what and how he should do. Prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 41:9-10 came up for him when prayed for His revelation as to what he should do and after that he plunged into His evangelical work in the self-same project area and in the neighborhood.
The green memories of his earlier days, when he took baptism and entered the band of these Gospel workers, are fondly remembered. To be precise first he stepped out of his house with his bag and baggage on a high-way lorry/truck and landed in a place called Silere, hills with dense forests, he was having paltry two annas (16 annas make a rupees in Indian currency) which he gave away to the porter, who left his bag and baggage on the bank of a rivulet. Believe it or not, he stood on the bank and called out, 'could anyone allow me to stay with them' not knowing whether anyone would ever reply in that forest. Wonder! A reply came from a woman who said 'come and stay with us'. Kept his baggage in their house and proceeded to a place 2Km away to conduct a prayer meeting. Had meal with them. Strange place and strange people, no congregation to support a lone stranger; Days passed without food. Occasional picks of fresh tropical fruits, some times over-ripened ones, and water from those hill streams. With much difficulty he could gather some ten people for the worship. In these hard days his house-owners, all of the members, were attacked with malaria. He prayed and God heard those prayers and raised all of them. That made the family to step into His saving grace. His house owner, now saved one, took him to two more villages. There they met a family, which suffered witchcraft. The head of the family was a chief of a cluster of hamlets. That night the evil spirit tormented him. Only to be bound in Seoul by the Lord. When the head of the family was healed entire village came down and many wondered at God's power and many even believed in Jesus. Another village chief, same way saved after he was freed from the witch-craft. In another village in a family, all the four earlier girls died while the last one was almost on deathbed. God saved that girl and through her recovery, her parents too accepted Jesus. All these days his food was raw corn, fresh fruits, occasional dry fruits, and a stream-water. No stove or anything was there with him, him to cook the rice that was brought into the weekly worship by the believers. Henced to roast on dry pan and used to eat those Rice, oranges, sapota (tropical fruit), and raw corn, coupled with water. Another village there they had chicken-meal, the father of the chief had had dysentery, our Lord raised him too. Many heckled at him when he prayed, despite the chief's rebukes. There God led him into Paul's (Publius) experience which we find in Acts 28:7 at the island Malta. Return journey in another route. Food same. In one village a Christian family hosted him a meal. On his way back he had to drink water from a pond, full of insects, which laid him down with Malaria, which lasted for Six months. No medicine but by His clemency he became normal.
Since 1971, when he shifted to Srikakulam lead by God, He has been in the ministry, 'Sowing' the self same seeds of Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has almost covered the entire district on bicycle proclaiming the word of God with some other fellow pastors. Many Pastors and evangelists were raised under his leadership. In the last 10years i.e. from 1994 he baptized more than 750 believers. God has led him to start this 'SOW Ministries'. By God's abundant grace, his wife and two sons are the few Co-workers he has. Both of his sons, did their graduation, joined him in the ministry. They had Bible training also, and so they are assisting him. The present membership stands at a staggering 2500. All along reinvesting what little or great thing they are blessed with in the ministry. He started an orphanage 'Divine Mercy Children Home (D.M.C.Home)', under the banner 'DAIVASHAKTHI HELPING HANDS'. A humble one though, running the home independently from the meager income of the Church. Last, but not the least he have been running a magazine "Nija Daivashakthi" meaning "True God's Power”, a name God gave and erected small churches with the name "Daivashakthi Prardhana Mandhiram (God's Power Prayer Hall)".
In all these 40 years of his ministry, God is there with him, led him, taught him, encouraged him, helped him, blessed him and honoured him. He believe that God will continue to do the same for the rest of his life. Recently, based on his 40 years of fruitful ministry IICM an international organisation honoured him with Doctor of Divinity. All these they could do with the help of the generous offerings they receive from the Congregation. They need more support and much more Prayer support too for furthering this Ministry.
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