Testimony of Pastor Anil Kochar
Greetings to you in the mighty and glorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you for taking time to visit our website and for showing your love and care towards us and the work that the lord has given us.
My name is Anil Kochar. I was born in a Punjabi Hindu family. My father was a bank manager & my mom was a house wife. I have a brother and a sister. I was born in Delhi and had my youthful and career days nurtured and centered there. I was a T.V announcer on the national channel of India called as DOORDARSHAN (DD) between the period of 1983 – 1989. And it was a period when being in such a profession and media was considered a high profile job. And above all this, I was the only male announcer in India. Along with T.V, I would also go on AIR on the radio from time to time.
After years of busy schedule and accolades of the industry, I came to Bombay (Mumbai) to give a new turn to my career. I came the Hindi film industry famously known as Bollywood, to become an actor, to be precise, a Hero. And with some good efforts I was signed for 5 hindi films as the main lead role. I enjoyed my work. Simultaneously, I also did Direction of several T.V serials and documentaries. I was a story writer for serials too. With all this fame, glory and the twinkle of the tinsel town, I lived a very lavish life.
It all looked as a successful life but I didn’t have inner peace. My mind and my heart was constantly at unrest. There was a kind of emptiness that hovered over me. I was always afraid of mine and my family’s future. The pressure was so unbearable that I would vent out my anger and frustration over my wife, who herself was from the film industry as a very well known dancer choreographer, sometimes to the level of even beating her physically. To make things worse, I blindly also gave in to drinking alcohol. In all this turmoil happening in my life, 5 and half years later to our marriage my wife gave birth to our son. Life looked heavy.
After years of working in tinsel town, and with no peace at heart, I kept on searching for ways to achieve peace & security of mind. I tried everything that either I knew or what others suggested, but all in vain. There were temporary pleasures and a kind of silence but there was no peace and joy. I knew I was missing something. During this time, on 13th February 2004, Evangelist Pastor Benny Hinn came to Bombay for a gospel meeting. A close friend of mine, Madhuri Manjula, told me about him. Until this time, I didn’t anything about Jesus.
The season in the film industry had changed in the due course of time. From the time of manual work it had migrated to digital media. The youth were all over it. That thin lined work for old school people like me. I tried even to take jobs in the other fields but failed to get any. And the lack of work and to keep up with the lavish style bankrupted me. I had no money left with me. By now, I was living a hopeless life. And when my friend told me about the gospel meeting, I was totally drained on the idea that my life could be any better but there was this small push in my heart that told me to go to this meeting. Nevertheless, somehow, with a heavy heart I went to the meeting.
When I went there, it was like it was set for me. I saw people worse than my condition in the millions. I saw the dumb speak, the blind see, the lame walk. They came with sorrow on the stage and left with happy tears in their eyes and a genuine smile on their face. I had never seen or hear anything like this ever in my life.
All of a sudden when I gazed in those happenings, I forgot about my own crisis and condition. The whole crowd was worshiping someone called JESUS. I kept gazing at their faces as if it were lit up. That day I knew about Jesus Christ. I received him in my life that day. after that when I came home, I came home changed. For the first time in my life I was feeling light as a feather. There was an unknown peace, stability and strength in me. There was a joyful smile on my face. I could fell the change in me and it eventually showed in my and my family life. I started reading the bible. I started to spend more time with Jesus. He would encourage me by putting songs in my heart. I read the bible but I would not understand it much. But I continued reading for the very simple reason that it gave me joy.
When I would go on my morning walks, somehow unknowingly I would sing songs. These were not general christian songs that I heard. But the words would appear to be different from what I heard. Later when I checked with Pastors and elders, they told me that these songs are words of Christ. Later the lord encouraged me to make a gospel album out of those songs.I made an audio and a video album with the name “DARO NAHI, PRABHU KETA HAI”.
As I continued seeking the lord, I felt for others too who were in the boots in which once I was in. I felt to share Jesus to them. So I went out in Mumbai trusting the lord to make me meet such people.I could feel Christ coming along. I started to preach the gospel. I prayed for them. And to my surprise at first, I saw people getting healed, getting delivered, getting saved.
This zeal continued for months and years and later the lord told me how He called me to evangelise unto the lost. I kept evangelising and never stopped. In the meantime, I also got several calls from the films and serials fraternity. And I got several jobs in hand. I started getting money which helped me to run my family and also for the evangelism. But the profession took much of my time and the work of evangelism would suffer. This happened for a few years but one day I decided to quit. In the year 2006 I totally left Bollywood and the serial industry. I gave in to the work of the lord in the fullness. I continued to serve the lord. I kept on evangelising wherever the lord lead me. He took me up and down the country of India and helped get thousands healed and saved through my ministry.
In 2012 the lord told me to start a church and to Pastor it. This is when the lord brought to Nallasopara, the place where I am settled now.
But the Lord did not allow my years of skill and talent to be boxed or caged. He brought to me a christian project. I was called by the team of BILLY GRAHAM MINISTRIES. They appointed me to direct their God willed movie and media ministry in India. The project was called “MY HOPE INDIA”. I got an opportunity to invite stalwarts of the film industry like Prem Chopra, Johnny Lever and many others to work in this film. I directed 2 gospel tele-films for them
(1) MIRACLE ON BAKERS STREET
(2) HOPE GIVER
These films were aired in 16 Indian languages and was aired in almost all the channels of that time.
After coming to Nallasopara we started our services in a rented hall but just in a few years the lord gave us a huge worship place of our own. Now we have continuous christian growth programs conducted all along the week. The church is growing and making an impact in the society. Healing and miracles and deliverance have increased with new souls being added everyday. Me, my wife and my son, joyfully serve the lord.
In 2004 I saw the dumb speak, the blind see, the lame walk. 12 years later I still see the dumb speak, the blind see, the lame walk, only this time it was through the one who was hopeless & weak once but now is fully hopeful and strong. I thank God that he made me come to my destiny from Delhi. I thought I was coming to make my life & career on earth. He went ahead and made my life even in heaven. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ. All glory and honor to you.