Rev.Nelson is the Senior Pastor for Gethsemane Evangelical Church and was converted through the ministry of Dr.Billy Graham through his book, Secret of Happiness in 1972. Rev.Nelson was working as an Auditor for an Accounting Firm in India during which he was called to full time ministry. Obedient to God's call, he resigned his job as an Auditor and pursued his career in Theology at South Wales Bi
ble College. Upon his return to India on 31 July 1982 and after waiting upon God for clear guidance for the ministry, the Lord guided him to start a church with 5 people. The place of their worship was in a little store where they sell rice on the weekdays and on the weekends leased the property for church services. The church started with 5 people, Rev.Nelson, his wife and their three little daughters. Rev.Nelson is blessed with a wonderful wife, Hema Nelson who has tremendous passion for the poor and needy and does ministry amongst orphans, widows and the poor. Nelson & Hema Nelson are blessed with three daughters, Sinai Joel Dadepogu, Zion Spurgeon Ponukumati, Olives Kanthi Rapaka who served with the Nelson's before they got married and left India to be with their husbands in the United States. Their Sons-in-law are Joel Sudhir Dadepogu, John Spurgeon Ponukumati and Kanthi Paul Rapaka. God has blessed the Nelson's with five beautiful grandchildren- Nathan Paul Rapaka, Ashley Namrata Rapaka, Navya Anne Dadepogu and Jordan Krupali Spurgeon Ponukumati. Nelson struggled to overcome the hurdles with the help of his very supportive wife, his three daughters and few faithful church members. The Lord started blessing the ministry and we did not have room enough to store the blessings. The little rice store was filled up with people. Every Sunday morning Hema went street to street in their little suburb to invite people to the church on Sunday mornings. There was no more room to accommodate new members in the church. The Nelson's then accommodated the growing members in the corridor of their home which looked like a church hall. This too got filled up. Nelson's had a piece of land which was their only property then, they had to sell it to buy land for church construction in the same area where the Lord ordained to build the church upon the solid Rock- the Lord Jesus Christ. Hema Nelson who was then a Bank Official working for State Bank of India had a mortgage loan approved to build a home for themselves and the Nelson's had to sacrifice their home which was built as a large living room and was given to the church for Sunday Services. Friends, it was a journey of tears, persecution, ridicule and suffering. Amidst all that the Nelson's held on to their promise from the word of God. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it (I Thessalonians 5:24)
The Lord proved time and again that He is a faithful God. The seeds of the gospel were sown night and day. Rev.Nelson and Hema have worked hard as a wonderful team to carry on their vision of reaching the city with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to plant as many churches as possible. The congregation of five people has now grown to over three thousand people in 25years. Gethsemane Ministries is going to celebrate 30th Glorious Anniversary.
