Manohar James
Minister of Intercultural Ministry
I am a PK from India. Prior to commencing my PhD studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in 2009, I engaged in numerous ministry activities, including preaching and evangelism since 1990.
I was born and raised in a devout pastor’s family. However, after completing twelfth grade, I briefly distanced myself from home. During this period, following the death of a colleague at a workplace, I experienced a profound spiritual awakening that led me to reconnect with God, my family, and the church. Since that pivotal moment, I have made significant changes to follow Jesus and become involved in His work.
To better equip myself, I attended a seminary in 1993 in southern India. On weekends, I would walk 25-30 kilometers through villages, displaying gospel messages on cardboards around my neck due to my limited proficiency in the local language for preaching. In the summer of 1994, alongside six friends, I embarked on an extensive journey, cycling over 1500 kilometers across Kerala and Tamil Nadu in 42 days, preaching the gospel undeterred by rain or shine. Such was my passion for the Lord and His kingdom even while studying fulltime!
After earning a B.A. in theological studies, I went to Himachal Pradesh in 1996 as a cross-cultural missionary and suffered severe beatings for preaching the gospel. After serving there for a couple of years as a church planter, I went back to seminary for M. Div. and M. Th. (Religion and Philosophy) degrees. I then became a professor and head of a seminary in India for 10 years before moving to USA for my doctoral studies.
While studying at Asbury, my wife Jasmine and I established Serving Alongside International (www.servingalongside.org), an organization dedicated to educating pastors in rural India who lack theological knowledge. To date, our field staff and I have trained more than 7,500 pastors across eleven states in India.
I was ordained by Trinity Church in India in 2003 and by the International Fellowship of Bible Churches in the USA in 2016. Upon completing my studies at Asbury in 2016, I received an invitation from Rev. Nic Gibson and High Point to become part of the Church community. My responsibilities included assisting with intercultural outreach programs, delivering sermons, providing counseling, and mentoring individuals. My family and I have a deep appreciation for High Point, which is a missional church committed to teaching God's Word without compromising its truth. I also travel to India three times a year to support and train underrepresented pastors.
Jasmine and I have been married for 23 years. After 11 years of marriage, God blessed us with two children: Jason, age 12 and Jonathan, age 6, who attend High Point Christian School.