“Why would you start another Assemblies of God church here in Chennai?” That question challenged Pastor David Mohan in 1973. He started New Life Assembly of God in his apartment with only seven members. Today we stand before a testament to his faith. New Life Assembly of God has become an evangelical megachurch.
This church faced numerous challenges. Cyclones, fires, and floods threatened to destroy it. Senior pastoral leader Chadwick Mohan said, “Three times we went down to nothing and had to start again”. These disasters could take their building. However, these disasters could not take their people.
In 1986, God provided a building at Little Mount. By the 20-year mark, about 2,000 people attended Sunday worship. They walked or used public transport. Most were poor and didn’t own a car.
New Life Assembly of God experimented with new approaches. They learned to empower the laity for ministry. The church adopted the G-12 cell model. They sought innovation but shaped it for their context. New Life Assembly of God is a church that keeps learning.
Chennai grew into a commercial hub. More professionals arrived needing English services. In 1999, New Life launched an English Sunday service led by Chadwick Mohan. This service reached new people for Christ. Initially, the English services were a mix of young adults, students, IT professionals, and expats. The English worship style was more contemporary.
One Tamil worshiper felt uncomfortable at his granddaughter’s dedication. The lights and sounds made it feel unholy to him. The church adjusted to serve different language and social groups. Translation issues also arose. The BILD materials worked well with the English congregation. Cultural translations for the Tamil people proved tough.
Today, Chadwick Mohan oversees the English services. These services draw about 4,500 people weekly across two campuses. Pastor David Mohan still oversees the Tamil services. The Tamil services draw 30,000 to 35,000 people. The Little Mount campus hosts multiple services in Tamil, English, and other languages.
New Life Assembly of God has over 8,000 member churches. The church headquarters seats 4,500. Still, it sees over 40,000 weekly attendees. In 2011, New Life Assembly of God hosted the World AG Conference in Chennai. Representatives came from 74 nations.
Rev D Mohan served as Chairman of the World Assemblies of God. In November 2023 NLAG celebrated its 50th year as the new life family. The church’s core belief is that the Church is the family of God. Here individuals and families unite as His community.
New Life Assembly of God began as a small house church. Now it is a large apostolic network of churches. The church is always evolving. It explores new approaches to reach more people. New Life seeks to build more apostolic teams. This church remains a beacon of faith. It shows relentless prayer can transform lives.