Short Testimony - Rev. K. Victor Israel Benjamin

I was born on August 7, 1940, at the American Baptist Mission Hospital in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, to Mr. and Mrs. Koppolu Benjamin, who served as a missionary and pastor. As the youngest in the family, I was dedicated to the Lord and raised in a God-centered and disciplined environment. Regular church attendance and active participation, including singing in the English choir at Downie Hall Baptist Church, played a vital role in shaping my spiritual journey.

 After completing my matriculation, I worked in the Malaria Department for three years. During this time, I experienced severe abdominal pain that did not respond to medical treatment. My father reminded me of my dedication to God and encouraged me to fast and pray for three days. On the third day, the pain miraculously disappeared, affirming God's calling on my life.

 I subsequently pursued theological studies at Hindustan Bible Institute (HBI) in Madras from 1964 to 1968. Following my training, I began serving as a pastor at Mount Hermon Baptist Church in Hyderabad from 1969 to 1974. My parents were overjoyed to see me embrace God’s calling. On November 10, 1969, I married Penina Spratt, beginning a blessed partnership in life and ministry.

In 1974, during an IEM convention in Hyderabad led by Founder Rev. Dr. Theodore Williams, I was deeply moved by the message from Matthew 9:37: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Responding to the missionary call, I joined the Indian Evangelical Mission (IEM) in 1975. As a pioneer missionary in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, I labored to reach the lost through mission surveys, mission trips, church planting, and editing the Telugu Outreach Magazine. I also taught at the Outreach Training Institute (OTI) and served as IEM’s first Field and State Secretary. By God’s grace, these efforts bore much fruit in building His kingdom.

In addition to fieldwork, God used me as a Promotional Secretary to strengthen church ministries and mobilize prayer and financial support in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Through it all, my family’s unwavering support sustained me. My wife, Penina, played a vital role, especially when I was away in the mission fields. She not only raised our children but also managed IEM’s Telugu Outreach Magazine postage and other ministry responsibilities. Her dedication allowed me to focus fully on my calling, though it came at a personal cost, as I was unable to attend my parents’ funerals due to missionary commitments.

Among the many testimonies of lives transformed by God’s grace during my ministry, one stands out. In 1977, I met my sister’s son, Philip Solomon, who had run away from home and was working in the film industry in Hyderabad. I counseled him with Ecclesiastes 11:9 and involved him in local IEM work. Later, God called him to serve at IEM headquarters in Bangalore, where he worked and counties to labor faithfully in the Lord’s vineyard.

Over 50 years of ministry, God has enabled me to sow, cultivate, and harvest for His glory. My life and work testify to the faithfulness of a God who calls and equips, and “My hope is anchored in Jesus.”