Christian world is now flooded with music CDs and songs. ‘Praise and Worship’ is one of the most important factors in serving God. Thus, God raised many to compose and sing His praises. Undoubtedly, Pastor Virendar Patil is one of them. God is mightily using him in His Kingdom. Pastor Patil acknowledges that he never wrote a song just for the sake of making CDs; rather it came out of his heart during different situations of his life. His songs, pavitr aatma aa, mera Jeevan ka maksad tu hai, prabhu parmeshwar tu kitna bhala hai, prabhu tera pyar sagar se bhi gahara etc. are proofs of this. The following is an interview of Pastor Virendar Patil by M K Babu, Chief Editor, Praise The Almighty. Excerpts:

How did you come to believing in God?
In 1985, we were living in Mahim, Mumbai and were in a very difficult situation. My mother was dying due to some disease. No doctor or medicine could help us. At that time, some sisters from a Pentecostal church visited us and prayed for my mother. I am the eldest son of my family and was studying in 10th standard. God answered their prayers and healed my mother. That caused the transformation of our whole family. We trusted in the living God.

We are from a Catholic-Hindu background. We attended a Catholic church and also worshipped Hindu gods and goddesses at home. Now, my parents, 3 brothers and one sister are all believers in Christ. My sister and I are in Christian ministry. Others are employed otherwise. My sister is married to Pastor Gurmeet Dhanova in Jalandhar.

How did you have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ?
Actually, my mother was under possession of an evil spirit. She received deliverance from that when Christians prayed for her in the name of Jesus Christ. We come from a broken family and being the eldest son, I always felt insecure. When all help was gone, God loved us and came to heal my mother. I tasted the love of God and accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour and my Lord. His love transformed my life. I found most people self-centered while I had a ‘burning bush’ inside and I said, “God you are the purpose of my life”. (Mera Jeevan ka maksad tu hai).

What was your ambition in life?
I was a good cricketer those days and my dream was to become a cricketer. I used to sing film songs and tried to imitate Muhammad Rafi or Lata Mangeshkar. I am blessed with a sweet voice and tried to sing from childhood. I wanted to use my talents for the glory of God. I started a Bible class at my home for the youth in our neighbourhood. We needed songs to praise God and to worship. I took couple of lines from Psalms in Marathi language and composed songs.

When did you start writing songs?
I started writing songs while I was working as a sales promotion manager in a multi-national company. I never wrote songs just to make CDs. Time to time, God gave me the words and I put it together to praise and worship Him. For example, the song Prabhu Tera pyar was written when I was travelling on a train. I was returning from Pune after an office duty. The train was slowly passing through Khandala. I was standing at the door of the train and enjoying the beauty of nature. High mountains were on both sides. The sun was setting. The birds were going to their nests. Wind was blowing. It was beautiful. Immediately an anointing came on me to praise and worship God and the words came out of my mouth Prabhu Tera Pyar sagar say bhi gahara, I looked at the heights of the mountains and said the love of God is higher than the mountains.

How many songs have you written and which is your first popular song?
VP: I have written more than 100 songs but only 4 albums are released. Prabhu Tera Pyar Sagar se bhi gahara is the first popular one.

Who was your inspiration to write songs and to sing?
There was no one as such. I used to worship in Living Word Church, Bandra. I was “born again” in an English church. And the church had beautiful worship time there. I grew up there worshipping God and I love to worship God.

How did your full-time Christian ministry begin?
While I was working, we received the leading from the Holy Spirit to move to Anand in Gujarat for ministry. We went through many hardships there. We were at the verge of depression questioning whether God really had asked us to come there or not. There were ups and downs in ministry. There was no financial support from anyone. We used to give tuition to the kids in our neighbourhood. We have faced many challenges as it was a pioneering work. The church was composed of floating population and faced a lot of troubles. But we didn’t give up. We ministered there for 13 years. By God’s grace now we have a good church there with our own land and building.

After Anand we moved to Mumbai. Now I am part of a powerful church in Mumbai called Masiha church. I am in the leadership team there. In addition to that I have started a separate church in Marathi.

Is your family with you in the ministry?
Yes. My wife Lata, my daughter Esther, (14 years) and son Jonathan (8 years) old are very much with me. My family is a great help and encouragement in my ministry. My wife is a prayer warrior. She sings well but not yet professionally. Whenever I get inspired to write a song, I share that with my wife we write it and then we sing along with our kids and worship God with that song.

Who composes the music?
I myself compose the tune and the do the rest.

How do you feel in the ministry? Are you encouraged?
Yes. Very much. My main ministry is praise and worship. I love worshipping God. I have travelled in and out India and ministered to many. I have been to UK, Fiji, Australia.

Do you receive any encouragement from other ministers of the Gospel?
People encouraged me from day one. They liked my songs. My songs are my witnesses. I am not professional poet or singer but just a worshipper of God. In the various circumstances through which I had gone I worshipped God through my songs. God gave me good songs to minister to the people and they enjoyed it.

Would you mention any Christian minister’s name – someone who really encouraged you in this ministry?
My pastor Sameer Deokuliar is like an elder brother to me. He encouraged me all the time. He marketed my products very well in and outside India. He has been always an encouragement and gave advice and corrected me. He influenced me in every area of my life. Our association is long for more than twenty years now.

What was inspiration behind the song Pavitra atma aa?
There was an aunty in our church in Mumbai. She didn’t know Hindi very well. She was getting this song, she shared it with me and then we put it together.

Which is your most favourite song?
Mera char bachhe hain sabhi achhe hai. (I have four children; all of them are good).

Nevertheless, I would say, Mera Jeevan ka maksad tu hai. That song came out of my life when we were going through very difficult times in Anand. Troubles were forcing us to ask questions to God. We were crying out to God asking whether we took a right decision moving to Anand. Did we hear rightly? Shall we go back to Mumbai or stay back in Anand. When God gave this song, we were led to a determination to stay in Anand, come life or death. Mein jeeyun ya maroon voh tere liye hai.

What is your vision for the future?
Right now I am into teaching. I teach different churches on worship and song writing. There are many aspects to worship. People make a lot of noise but I believe there should be God’s anointing on our worship. Unfortunately, people worship as tempo rises; so the worship goes down when the tempo slows down. That is not worship. There is a flow, there is leading and anointing from the Holy Spirit.

There is the exercising of the gifts of the Holy Spirit during worship. Dreaded diseases like cancer is healed during worship services. During the previous years I spent time in worship and God taught me different aspects of worship. I want to teach this so that the church will benefit.

How is this training program conducted?
It is a module of 7 days six hours a day.

Will you be available for north India to teach this?
Yes. Sure. My motto is any time, anywhere, anything for the Lord.

Did you write any book?
Not yet. I want to write and I will write. Indian Christians’ worship is mostly now into western style. We are missing the Indian touch in our worship. I have nothing against western worship. We are Indians and we must be Indians in praise and worship too. I would like to touch the Indian churches to transform it into real worshipping congregations.

Do you have any disappointment in the ministry?
Let me be frank with you. I am disappointed on the piracy of our CDs. The people who claim to be Christians are doing this piracy. All singers and worshippers have this disappointment. We have left our jobs and our daily bread comes from this ministry. We are not working for a salary. People invite us to minister and ask how much we charge. I say, I don’t charge for my ministry. It is not a business for me. I want to say, if you want to do business, leave ministry and do business. If people do this piracy and copying CDs at home how can we survive? We are not sponsored by anyone to release these albums and we don’t ask for money from anyone.

What have you to say about contemporary songs written for the sake of making CDs?
Well, suppose a Hindu prays for a sick man in the name of Jesus. God might heal him. Whoever makes CDs with whatever motive, as Paul says, the gospel is being preached. That is what is important. Nevertheless, I will encourage every writer to spend time pondering the Word, receive the anointing from the Holy Spirit and write those songs that bless the people. If your life and the Scriptures match, then that will really bless the people. That is my own desire and experience.

It is easy for the church to recognize a preacher or teacher but normally a worship leader doesn’t get that kind of recognition. Do you think so?
Yes. I would say worship is a vital part of the church. A church weak in worship is a weak church. In the Old Testament the centre stage was praise and worship, not preaching. In the NT worship is taking the centre stage, of which I am very happy. I think that as worship increases the Holy Spirit sends the revival. A worship leader is like an ox that ploughs the ground so that seeds can be sown in a good field. When then a preacher can preach the Word.

The church in India is ready to support a church planter. But people think twice to spend their money on a worship leader. Do you think so?
Yes. I have the same experience. Nobody comes forward to support me to release a CD or to conduct a ministry. It is unfortunate. Our churches must grow to that level to recognize and support a worship leader.

There are a lot of talented song writers and singers in India. They are not able to bring out their albums due to lack of funds. I have great compassion for them. It is the goal of my life to financially help those people to bring out their albums when God makes me capable for that.

What do you have to say about the revival in India?
I believe there is revival in India. People are mistakenly waiting for revival. The amazing work of God you see throughout India is evident that revival is in India. God in His wisdom is not showing any fireworks here as He did in other nations; but the work is going on. It is ‘underground’ revival. The hunger for the Word is growing and the power of salvation is saving the people of India.

How is the response to you from the ‘mainline’ churches?
I am very much encouraged by all the denominational, Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. They invite me to minister. The knowledge in the Word and spirituality must go hand in hand. It should not be a pop-up in the name of spirituality. The mainline churches are rich in the Word and it is wonderful to see them receive a spiritual touch in their lives.

What is your message to contemporary worship leaders?
Let God be God and you be you. You are called to worship God. It is not your performance