What follows is the story of a seeking heart coming home, step by step, question by question, until conviction replaced confusion and purpose replaced uncertainty.

He was Lost and Has Been Found

Years passed, and he still stayed away from church, though Lily never stopped urging him to return. Together, they visited many denominations, searching for a place where they truly belonged. He also began enquiring with Rev. Jose Kuthottungal  about his connections to his church.

During their soul searching conversations, Rev. Jose handed him five books: The Confirmation Manual (old version), Testimony of the New Apostolic Church, the Seminar Book for New Apostolic Ministers, Life After Death, and Invitation to the First Resurrection and the Kingdom of Peace. These books, especially Invitation to the First Resurrection, became a turning point. He read, questioned, argued, debated while Rev. Jose patiently answered.

The more David learned, the more convinced he became that he was on the right path. Then one day, Apostle Jose asked him, “If you are that serious, would you consider leaving your job and joining the Church?”

Job to Journey of a Lifetime

David had rebuilt his career after the accident, risen quickly through the ranks, and had promising opportunities ahead. So his decision to quit the job shocked many.

In the beginning, he was tasked with overseeing the translation and printing department of the church. In the late 80s, the Church in India had over 6,000 congregations. It was a vast network, and ensuring accurate translation into nine languages and timely delivery was no simple task.

Apostle Jose Kuthottungal, who was trained for 14 years to be a Jesuit priest, oversaw the work with remarkable insight. One day, while working, Apostle Jose walked in and told David that he would like to ordain him as a priest. Stunned at first, David was reluctant to accept the priesthood.

Apostle Jose explained that it would be necessary to help work ‘in the mind and spirit of the Apostolate’. And hesitantly, David agreed. In June 1989, he and his family received the sacrament of Holy Sealing and he was ordained as a Priest on the same day in the Bangalore Central congregation.

After Apostle Jose’s early retirement, Apostle Thompson took charge. During a visit, a North American Minister told Priest David, “A priest belongs in the field, and not in the office”. Soon after, he was moved from the administration office into active field ministry. Later in 1992, he was ordained into the ministry of a ‘Shepherd’ and began serving and visiting around 40 congregations in the Bangalore region.

It marked the beginning of almost four decades (37 years) of ministry in the field. By 1996, he was ordained as a District Elder, and his working area extended from south eastern Andhra Pradesh to the northern parts of Tamil Nadu, including the Bangalore region.

Driven by zeal and fresh ideas, he threw himself into the work, supporting his Apostle’s and District Apostle’s vision with unwavering commitment. He began to consolidate every area he was asked to take care of, by uncompromisingly focusing on those whose spiritual eyes had opened to the truth. While the areas of the 30+ Apostles were growing rapidly through sealings and ordinations, the areas under Rev. David Devaraj were either stagnating or shrinking due to the consolidation.

This freedom granted to him did not sit well with many and drew criticism, as some were uneasy and disapproved of the liberty he was given at such a young age. Nevertheless, even as a young Shepherd, he was often invited to attend Chief Apostle services, where many speculated about his rise through the ranks.

What Truly Counts

In November 1996, at a year-end meeting in Hyderabad, District Elder David Devaraj was asked to independently present the statistics of his area, which accounted for about 17,000 souls. However, his recorded figure could only count a measly 825, which he had meticulously confirmed during his visits. Hence, he refused to submit the report, as the recorded figures differed from the numbers he had personally verified.

While his Apostle found it impossible to accept the reduced figure, the District Apostle Helper Ernst Horn and the District Apostle Erwin Wagner accepted the numbers, acknowledging it to be the truth, as deaths, relocations, and long-inactive members had not been previously accounted for.

With membership numbers now reduced and many inactive congregations needing to be closed in his area, it seemed likely that he would return to the field as a priest with a smaller area of responsibility. However, on 5 March 1997, Chief Apostle Richard Fehr ordained him as a Bishop at a Divine Service in Hong Kong.

As a Bishop, his responsibilities expanded to include regions in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

That same year, the Teaching Program in India was launched to help ministers teach in their own languages and bring clarity to doctrine. As bishop, he was appointed to lead it alongside the late District Evangelist John Addison.

A year later, on 29 March 1998, Chief Apostle Richard Fehr ordained him as an Apostle at the Nazrul Mancha Pavilion in Calcutta, India. The road to apostleship had not been easy. But he was determined, put his trust in God through the Apostolate, and continued —anchored in the assurance from the Book of Proverbs 3:5–6:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

Choirs, Countries, and Added Responsibilities

In 2002, Apostle David was tasked with forming the National choir in India. He auditioned over two hundred voices; thirty singers were selected and trained, forming the National NAC Choir. They debuted on 30 January 2005, during the Divine Service with District Apostle Leslie Latorcai in Goa.

That same year, he was also entrusted with the care of the war torn Sri Lanka. The instruction was simple: “Consolidate and strengthen those who remain, just as you have done in India.”

The quiet joys of home and fatherhood were soon getting replaced by the relentless rhythm of travel.  “I was barely in Bangalore more than three days a month,” he recalls. This exposed him to the entire nation. He saw floods, droughts, minefields, and the struggles of everyday life. He grew to understand the very fabric of the Indian subcontinent starting from his early years.

Refining the Remnant, then … Rest?

Around 2004, the collected attendance, offerings, and activity reports from the field revealed gaps due to identical offerings, irregular submissions, and duplicate entries caused by spelling variations. Around the same time, the Canada District church decided to align with the International Church and stop the monetary assistance for the paid ministers in their working area. In India this was phased out over two years which also led to many ministers leaving the church and in some instances even taking the congregational members and buildings with them.

These two instances brought the need for streamlining and restructuring the congregations in India to the forefront. The “Data Upgrade” process that followed began in Kolkata and gradually expanded across India, taking more than five years to verify records from nearly 7,000 congregations. With Apostle David’s significant involvement, this comprehensive review led to the consolidation of active congregations and the closure of those found inactive across India.

District Apostle Mark Woll often prayed with him, “Father, let what is true, remain like gold, and let what is false, melt away like the ice and the snow under the burning sun.” The melting was painful, and the consolidated numbers looked small. One day, then District Apostle Helper Mark Woll sent Apostle David a letter; on one side of the page was the story of the 300 men of Gideon. On the other side was his handwritten note, “Let’s find the 300 men to run 300 strong congregations.” From these strong foundations, the Church would grow again limitlessly. It became a time of transformative consolidation. Apostle David believed and passionately followed these guidelines.

By 2008, the Data Upgrade process revealed thousands of closed church buildings. Apostle David stepped in to manage the assets and Church Building Program as well. By 2009, he had worked tirelessly, teaching, building choirs, consolidating congregations, and overseeing construction for almost two decades.

He had always longed to be independent and self-reliant, exploring various business ventures that could sustain him and allow him to serve voluntarily. However, so far his “blessing bearers” often felt his presence was needed more in spiritual responsibilities, leading him to defer his business pursuits.

In 2009, Apostle David felt it was time to focus on his personal life and return to business. “My children had missed too much of my presence,” he adds. At fifty, he thought he had served his calling and would step away.

And so, he wrote to request an early retirement. He was grateful for the years of service, teaching, and building, yet yearned to return to his family. Apostle David handed the letter to District Apostle Helper Mark Woll during the Chief Apostle visit in Sri Lanka in 2009. Little did he know that this letter would mark not an end, but the beginning of a whole new chapter in his journey.

Stay tuned for part 3!