FOURSQUARE GOSPEL CHURCH OF SRI LANKA
THE FIRST TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF GROWTH
DENOMINATIONAL ROOTS
The story of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Sri Lanka begins with the life of a woman born in Ontario, Canada in 1890 and the founding of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. Aimee Semple McPherson was a woman anointed by God with a powerful ministry of healing and evangelism. Thousands would attend her crusade meetings at a time in history when women preachers were frowned upon. While preaching in 1922 Aimee came up with the term, "Foursquare Gospel" to describe the Gospel of Jesus the Saviour, Healer, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and Soon Coming King.
As the ministry flourished, many pressed Aimee to start a denomination but she resisted this because her heart and passion were set on evangelism. However, in 1923 a huge dome-shaped church called Angelus Temple was built in Los Angeles for Aimee's meetings. LIFE Bible College was founded and those who had been trained began planting churches in southern California and up the coast of the United States. These churches wanted to unite together as a community of believers and so the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel was established. Today this church family reaches into ……… Nations worldwide and has over ….. million members and adherents.
BEGINNINGS
Richard and Betty Kiser came to Sri Lanka from a Foursquare Church in Indiana, USA, during the mid 1970’s. Their original plan was to live in India and oversee their bookshop in Orissa. However, as they were refused visas to live in India they decided to live in Sri Lanka by securing a guest residence visa. They made friends fairly quickly with Christians and churches as they moved around from church to church. During this time, they met Leslie Keegel a young man who was pioneering a church in Kelaniya and training to be an accountant. The Kisers developed a closer relationship with this young man, who was to have a great impact on the Foursquare Church in Sri Lanka. Several weeks later, while having dinner with the Kisers at their home, Leslie was drawn to this couple’s bookshelf. As he scanned through the titles one book particularly caught his attention because of its odd title, This is That. The woman on the cover – Aimee Semple McPherson – and the talk about a Foursquare Church intrigued the young pastor so he borrowed the book. After reading it from cover to cover five times Leslie said to himself, “One day I must become a part of the Foursquare Church.”
After associating with the Kisers for 4 years 1974 – 1978, Leslie went to Bangalore for training in an Assembly of God Bible College. Just as Leslie was leaving for Bible College Richard Kiser told him that if Leslie would decide to join a Foursquare Bible College someday, he would most gladly recommend him to a Bible College in the Philippines. In September of 1978, God through a vision spoke to Leslie, that He is calling him to be trained in a Foursquare Bible College, and he eventually would establish Foursquare Churches in Sri Lanka. He therefore immediately contacted Richard Kiser and requested him to send him the address of a Foursquare Bible College in the Philippines. Upon receipt of this address Leslie wrote to Rev. Philip Starr who was the General Supervisor of the Foursquare churches in the Philippines. On the recommendation of the Kisers, Foursquare Missions International accepted Leslie as a pastor in training and sent him to the Philippines in May 1979. In the meantime the Kisers were asked to serve as Foursquare Missionaries in Sri Lanka. The Kisers returned to the United States to be ordained at the International Convention in April 1979. Then, after a brief exposure to the successful work in the Philippines, the Kisers returned to Sri Lanka in October 1979 and the Foursquare Ministry was officially started. For the next three and a half years the Kisers led the work establishing three churches and gathering together nineteen workers.
In 1981 Leslie Keegel returned to Sri Lanka from the Philippines with a Bachelor's Degree from the Foursquare Bible College and a new bride, Belen. Although better opportunities were offered, the Keegels began to pioneer in the slums of Colombo. For one week Leslie made prayer walks through this area teeming with Prostitutes, drug addicts and Pickpockets. During the second week he took some Gospel tracts and looked for people to give them to - people who wouldn't get angry at him for giving a tract. At one point a man approached him and said, "Pastor, do you remember me?" Leslie replied that he didn't and so the man explained, "Remember that I came to your house five years ago with my Auntie? I was totally deaf and dumb but you prayed for me and when I went home I was instantly healed. " The man had never returned to Leslie because at the time of the healing he had no interest in becoming a Christian. Now, after hearing that Leslie was planting a church, the man eagerly asked, "Can I be your first member?" After this the two met together daily under a lamppost where Pastor Leslie read the Bible to this illiterate man and they discussed the ways of the Lord. Instead of leaving for a job in the Middle East the man chose to stay, explaining. "It is more important for me to stay and learn the Bible and start the church with you."
God's hand was on the ministry and many miracles took place. On one occasion Leslie's friend woke him as the pastor slept on a Saturday morning. "Can you come to pray for a child who is dying?" After walking and riding the buses to where the child was, the two came to a house full of people. Not knowing what was happening, Pastor Leslie walked over to the child, picked it up and began to pray for it. The child then sneezed and started crying. Leslie was upset that he had made the child cry and started to apologize to the parents. The wide-eyed parents exclaimed, "What are you talking about? The Child was dead!”
When the Kisers returned to the U.S.A. in March 1981. Leslie Keegel was appointed as the National President of the fledgling Foursquare Gospel Church in Sri Lanka.
ESTABLISHING A HEADQUARTERS
Even though many people came to the Lord and were baptized during the Keegel's church planted in the Colombo slums, few remained in the church. As a result the average congregation was only about eight people and the pastors monthly salary from the church was only forty-five rupees. Although sometimes depressed and tempted to return to secular employment, Leslie remained faithful to his calling. As his house lease was about to expire, the pastor prayed and began to sense that God was calling him to a ministry in Nugegoda. Shortly afterwards an old classmate invited him to come to his home and begin a Bible Study - in Nugegoda. Knowing that Leslie was becoming desperate for a place to move, the friend told of a house and piece of property that was available for lease. So, on September I, 1985 they went to see the property in Nugegoda. Immediately Pastor Leslie liked the property and felt that this was the place to be; the owner said, "Why don't you give us three hundred thousand rupees and we can have a long lease?" But Pastor Leslie replied that he wasn’t interested in leasing, he wanted to buy it ! The landlord offered a price of 2.5 million and Leslie countered with 1.2 million. No agreement was made but three days later the owner called for another meeting. This time the two agreed to a price of 1.7 million rupees and entered into a sale agreement, which was to he paid by September 30.
Once at home Pastor Leslie realized what he had done -- that he had only one thousand rupees in his account -- and he began to think that he was an absolute fool. Under pressure from the deadline at the end of the month he began to fast and pray, "God, you have told me not to ask for money but to rely on you. I feel that you want this for us and so I'm trusting you to provide for us." Four days later Pastor Leslie was exhausted after a late night deliverance session and feeling terribly hungry from his fast, so he had some dinner and went to bed. The next morning during breakfast a knock came at the door and the pastor became annoyed. "'These people, even on my day off they don't want to let me be." He told Latha - the woman staying with them - to answer the door and to send the person away. But when Latha answered the door a tall foreigner stood there. She shut the door and hurried back to pastor Leslie, "Pastor, Pastor, a very tall white man has come. He says he knows you and wants to talk with you." When Leslie came to the door he was shocked to see Paul Kisser, a Foursquare Pastor who is now the President of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.
Paul Risser explained that God had spoken to him the previous Friday and so he had booked a flight to come to Sri Lanka after his Sunday service. "Then he asked to see the church and pulled back a curtain only to find a bedroom. 'This can't be," he said. "God told me that you're going to have a growing ministry and that you're going to need a place to meet. Have you seen a place?" Before long they were down in Nugegoda having a look at the piece of property that Leslie had made the sale agreement on. Paul Risser began talking to the owner and punching numbers on his calculator. He came to Leslie smiling, "You know what? I have exactly what you need. But the landlord said that you were to pay before the end of the month. How were you going to do that?" When Leslie explained that he was just trusting God, Paul said that this must he the answer to his prayers. He explained that his church was undergoing a building project and that the Lord had told them to give a tithe of the building fund money for establishing a headquarters Church in another Country. The amount of the tithe was exactly wht was needed to purchase this property in Nugegoda; which is now the National headquarters, LIFE Bible Institute and Living Way Church.
INCORPORATION
Many had suggested that the Foursquare work in Sri Lanka should go on for at least ten years before trying to be incorporated as a denomination in Sri Lanka. However, the National President, Leslie Keegel, had strong conviction that the church should be incorporated as soon as possible. This was considered impossible by some who had declared that without a great deal of money and influence that incorporation would never happen. The first lawyer who looked at the papers saw the name of the church and laughed, "Foursquare! You are making a monkey out of the Gospel. This will never work here. Parliament will have a good laugh and throw the application away."
In spite of this opposition Leslie pressed on. Gathering copies of incorporation papers from the other churches he managed to collect enough information to come up with something that would be both Sri Lankan and Foursquare. He took his work to a lawyer who looked over the papers and said, "This is perfect, you have the legal terms and you have all of the information. I don't have to do anything." Then he charged Leslie, six hundred rupees and sent him on his way.
Next a government minister was needed to process the incorporation papers. The first minister who was approached said that he would have to consult his bishop before he would do this. Pastor Leslie countered that he didn't consult the bishop before voting for this minister. Still the man wouldn't budge and Leslie knew that the bishop would never approve -- so he walked off. At a Bible study this matter was brought up by Pastor Leslie as a prayer need. A lady at the study told him to come with her the next day and she would take him to a minister. The minister turned out to be a Muslim man, who looked at the papers and exclaimed, "So, you think we are heathen!" Leslie didn't know what to say so he began to explain that this term wasn't meant to put anyone down, that it was just terminology used by the Americans. The minister laughed and said, "Don't worry Reverend, I was just joking. Don't call me to remind me about this matter. Give me your number and I'll call you when it is done. "Within a few months this man had completed the work and only charged the church three hundred rupees - and this money went towards the state fee for printing the papers. The minister said that he didn't want any gifts, any favours or any money. Pastor Leslie was so happy that God had led him to an honest man. The Holy Spirit moved in his heart prompted Leslie to prophesy that the minister would get a promotion. Although the minister felt that he was too young to get a promotion, four months later he was made the Deputy Minister of Finance. As a result of God opening these doors, the Foursquare Gospel Church in Sri Lanka was incorporated in 1986.
LIFE BIBLE INSTITUTE
After the Nugegoda property was purchased in 1985, a vision began to grow for a training institute that would prepare workers to go out and plant churches. About that time a gift of five hundred dollars came from Paul Risser's church, which was partially used to buy chairs for students to sit on. The remainder of the money was set aside to support the students who would come. On March 15, 1986 LIFE Bible Institute was opened with six students. Leslie, Belen Keegel along with George Niranjan were the first teachers. All of the six original students are now in leadership positions as Supervisors or Board Members with the Foursquare Gospel Church of Sri Lanka.
As the Bible Institute grew, Foursquare Missions International sponsored the building of a facility, which is now the first floor of the present Institute building. The second floor was sponsored by Pastor Jack Hayford during his visit to Sri Lanka in 1989. By 1990 the current building was completed. In 1996 the Institute was accredited with the Asian Theological Association.
LIFE Bible Institute has trained more than 250 students and an amazing percentage - about 95 % - are active in Christian ministry. The majority are working in Foursquare Churches but some have also been trained for work in other churches and denominations. The students are told that they must be willing to "go anywhere" when they are finished their training and by the time the one or two years program is finished they have a target area in mind. Most of these target areas are places where no evangelical churches are in existence. Finances for the Institute continue to operate on the "faith" principle - trusting God to provide.
PHENOMENAL GROWTH
During a church history research in 1989, Ranjith De Silva (former principal of Lanka Bible College) stated that the Foursquare Gospel Church was the fastest growing church in Sri Lanka. In fact, in the history of Sri Lanka no church has ever experienced the rapid rate of growth that this church has. Within twenty-five years it has grown to include: 205 pastors and workers; 432 meeting places; 8.861 members; and churches within 24 of the 25 districts of the nation.
By the time Leslie Keegel took over as the National President of the church there were 3 Foursquare Gospel Churches in Sri Lanka. In 1983, in the midst of a tense political atmosphere and rioting, Foursquare grew from 3 to 10 churches. Each year from 1983 to 1990 the number of churches doubled. This growth then stabilized for a few years as attention was focused on expanding the leadership base and solving some internal problems. In 1996, following a time of self-evaluation, fasting and prayer the growth picked up again.
One of the keys to the growth of the church has been the strategy of planting house churches. This strategy enables churches to be planted quickly because they are not dependent on finding or funding a traditional church building. The churches are also able to meet in communities that may be resistant to a church building in their midst. Another key to growth has been God's grace in confirming the word with signs following. Each district and many of the churches have been opened as the result of someone being healed or delivered of a demon. In fact, sixty percent of the churches planted have been initiated by lay people who have often witnessed or experienced a miracle themselves. It is only later that a pastor is called to develop the work.
Because the Foursquare Gospel Church is only twenty-five years old and has grown so fast, most of the pastors and workers are quite young. Of the 205 pastors and workers, only about 15 are over forty years of age. The vast majority are in their twenties and thirties. Some may think that Foursquare must have taken many workers from other churches in order to provide leadership for so many new churches. However, about 97% of the pastors and workers are first generation Christians who have been saved and trained within the Foursquare denomination.
Although the majority of Foursquare Gospel churches in Sri Lanka serve people living in rural areas and tea plantations, ministry to a new section of society began to develop in 1989. During a flight the previous year Pastor Leslie Keegel had a dream in which three men came to talk to him. The men were well-dressed businessmen who asked, "Why haven't you come to us? Why have you only gone to the poor? We need the Gospel as well." Then in November 1989 Pastor Jack Hayford came to Sri Lanka and blessed many at a teaching seminar. One effect of this time was that the recently established Foursquare work gained credibility by being associated with such a prominent Foursquare leader. As Pastor Jack was about to leave Sri Lanka he prophesied over Leslie Keegel saying. "What does the number twelve mean to you?" Leslie replied that it was exactly 12 years since he had been called by God into ministry. Pastor Jack continued, "After twelve years you will pass a milestone in your ministry and from this point on you will see a continual rise in fruitfulness and blessing. The Foursquare movement is going to take a turn and things are going to explode in growth." The next Sunday the English congregation of eight in Nugegoda grew to forty. This congregation has now grown to become the Living Way Church -- a church which ministers to many in the business community. Because of the growth of this church and the generosity of its members, the bulk of the Foursquare work in Sri Lanka is now being raised within the nation.
DISTRICT EXPANSION
Nuwara Eliya: In 1989,the original worker who was to be sent to Nuwara Eliya died before he was able to go. The need was desperate and so Leslie Keegel challenged for someone who would volunteer to go, at the Thanksgiving Service of the worker who died. Brother Jasonraj came forward. He went and started a ministry and brought Ganeshalingam, later the ministry grew under Ganeshalingam’s Leadership.
Kalutara: In 1988 a sister from Kalutara who was present at a meeting held at Torrington opened her house at "Lomand Estate" and the first Foursquare church in this area was planted. This work was built up by the students from our Bible School. In 1991 Rev. Kumarawansa was appointed Supervisor. Now Paster Anjelo Pinto oversees the area.
Matale: The work started at Wattagoda Estate in 1984 by Bro. Rajamony and was later passed on to Chandranathan, who also served as Supervisor. There are 2 workers and 6 ministries now.
Trincomalee : In November 1979 Richard Kiser went to this district with the help of pastor Freeman they planted a church at Anpuvalipuram. Later Rev. D.G. Somasundram -- who was led to the Lord through the ministry of Bro. Bertram Carinader -- founded a church at Sampur area. In 1981 this work continued through Rev. T. I. Inpanathan. In 1983 Rev. Leslie held crusades and through that ministry the Palathoppur church came into being. From Palathoppur a family went over to live in Kantalai and we were able to start the Kantalai church. In Trincomalee churches were established in Trincomalee Town, Aubuidipruran, Sangamaim and China Bay. Rev. D.G. Somasundram is now serving as Regional Supervisor of the Eastern Region while Rev. T. I. Inpanathran has established himself as a full time.worker at the LIFE Bible Institute. Workers from this Province who graduated from Bible School are working in various parts of the Island.
Badulla District : In 1983 Rev. G. Jesurasa opened a ministry here. Several who were lame and a maniac received divine healing. Currently there are 44 meetings places with 16 workers and 3 volunteers with Rev. Rajalingam serving as the Regional Supervisor. From this area 5 workers have been sent to other districts.
Colombo : In 1981 this work began as a church planted in Mattakuliya by Pastor Leslie Keegel. Rev. Joseph Peter was healed of dumbness under his ministry and is now pastoring the Athurugiriya Church as serving as the Supervisor of the Colombo district.
Batticaloa District ; In 1982, with only 100 rupees in hand, Rev. S.G. Niranjan and Rev. K. Lazarus went to open the church in a place called Kallar. Here they were led by the Lord to a widow who fed them and gave them refuge in her home for 6 months. The people who were introduced to them by this widow were led to the Lord as their needs were met through prayer. One brother named Tharmaling was delivered from evil spirits and many were healed of sickness. These miracles laid the foundation for the ministries. In 3 years 15 churches were planted. Fifteen workers were also trained who are now working in various parts of the Island. Rev. Niranjan served in Trincomalee for a short while and is now serving as General Supervisor at the National Head office. Rev. Lazarus moved from Kallar to Jaffna and established a church there. We now have churches in all 5 districts of the Northern Province.
Ratnapura District : K. Ramalingam became a Christian after his bedridden mother was healed. He later went from Matale to Eheliyagoda in 1989 and established the church there. Through his ministry two barren women were prayed for and conceived. As a result of this miracle the name of the Lord was blessed and a solid church was planted. Now there are 4 workers.
Puttalam District : This work was started through Antony Jayasooriya, who had been a teacher at Nikaweratiya as well as a sorcerer. At present this church is meeting at Serukale. Now there are four workers and six meeting places.
Pollonaruwa: In 1994 it was through Pas. S. C. Yogarajah who worked in Valaichenai that this work at Welikanda was started. An independant worker before his death was enrolled to our church as a worker. He died one month after becoming a worker and it was through the funeral message many accepted the Lord and a firm ministry was established. Two of our workers are continuing the work there.
Kurunegala District : In September 1993 Rev. Anthony Jayasooriya was able to hold a meeting in a house of a sister-Rachael and through this was able to plant the Nikaweratiya Church. Now Pastor Lazarus Fernando is pastoring this Church.
Kegalle Distrct : In November 1994 Bro. Rajamani and Bro. Angelo Pinto held a meeting in a house in Bulathkohupitiya and through this meeting a house church was planted with Bro. Angelo serving as a pastor. In 1985 this house church was able to plant churches at Adrapola and Kelani Estate. In 1987 a house church was planted at Gangaweraliya. In 1988 a church was planted at Ruwanwella, Sunny Crest Estate in Mahagantmana area. In 1989 churches were planted in Karawanella, Dewalakanda Estate. Lewella Estate and Wahareka Estate. In all these churches God has shown many signs and wonders - healing many sicknesses and delivering from the hands of the Kattadiyas and Poosalies.
Vavuniya District : This work began in 1995. In Sithamparapuram. Pastor Segar started by distributing
handbills. One elderly couple that he ministered to were saved and through them he was able to visit this area. A church was planted one and a half years later. Now there arc twelve meeting places, five workers and six workers in training.
Kilinochchi District : In 1995 Pastor Leslie Keegel challenged workers to pioneer this area. In response a man from Colombo named Sarawanabawa went to the area and began witnessing. Now there are five meeting places and three full time workers.
Mullaitivu District : In 1995 a similar challenge led a young woman named Gnanamma to leave Trincomalee with her brother and started the ministry in this district. Even though there had been many difficulties there now there are five meeting places and three full time workers.