1998
A Beginning of Faith
Three people. One calling. El-Shaddai Assembly begins in Mayiladuthurai.
Who We Are
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
2 Corinthians 3:17
Our Mission
To preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, to free those who are bound, and to prepare a multitude awaiting the coming of the Lord.
Our Story
From Three People to a Growing Church Family
A story of faith, unlikely beginnings and lives carried forward by the Gospel.
↓1998The beginning
3People at first
5Church locations
1,000+People today
A Beginning of Faith
The story of El-Shaddai Assembly began with a calling—and a decision to answer it in faith.
Rev. P. Surendran Benjamin received a vision from the Lord and, in obedience to His voice, stepped out in faith to begin the Gospel work in Mayiladuthurai On 11 September 1998, he started the gospel work in Mayiladuthurai. There was no established congregation, no campus and no visible certainty of what would follow. The first gathering was simply three people.
Yet the measure of that beginning was never its size. It was the willingness to obey, to pray and to trust that God could build something lasting from what appeared small. That conviction became the foundation on which every later chapter would stand.
From Children to Communities
The ministry did not begin with a building. It began by making room for children.
Children’s ministry created relationships with homes in Aanathandavapuram. As children came, families opened their doors; as families gathered, care cells began to form. What started as ministry to the youngest members of the community became a way of serving and sharing Christ with whole households.
Some who were reached through this ministry later committed their lives to God, attended Bible college and entered full-time ministry. Prayer, pastoral care and the Gospel moved naturally from children to parents, and from families into the wider community.
Historical Granary Photograph
The Church Now
Aanathandavapuram · 1999–2000
What Had Been Left Desolate Became a Place of Worship
In 1999, an abandoned old granary was acquired. By ordinary expectations, it was not the beginning of a church. It was a place that had been left abandoned and had been deemed unbuildable.
Through prayer, work and God’s provision, the granary was transformed. In 2000 it became the first church—a visible reminder that what appears unusable can be renewed and given a holy purpose.
Our Journey
What began with three people has grown into one church family across five locations. These milestones offer a concise view of the journey.
1999–2000
Aanathandavapuram
Children’s ministry grows leading to carecell, and the first church is established.
2000
Panangattangudi
A family gathering becomes a Saturday prayer meeting and eventually an established church.
2000
Konulam Pallam
The ministry expands into Konulam Pallam and another congregation is established.
2008
Mayiladuthurai
On 27 March 2008, Mayiladuthurai becomes the main ministry base.
2013
Thiruchitrambalam
The fifth branch is established at Thiruchitrambalam
2026
A New Chapter
Mayiladuthurai church begins its 5:00 AM First Service in January.
Today
One Church Family, Five Locations
More than 1,000 people across five locations, while the original mission continues: reaching people with the Gospel, building them in Christ and raising ministers to carry the Gospel further.
Our Founder
Rev. P. Surendran Benjamin
A personal encounter with God became the turning point of a life that would later be committed to sharing the Gospel and raising others for ministry.
Rev. P. Surendran Benjamin was raised in a devout traditional Christian family. His grandfather served as a reverend in the Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church and was martyred. His parents, Pauldoss Gnanavaram and Shantha Pauldoss, had three daughters before praying for a son and dedicating him to God's service.
During the first year of his M.Sc. studies at the TELC college in Porayar, he personally sought God for deliverance from sin and experienced salvation, which became a turning point in his life.
His early ministry began through missionary work and was shaped by the guidance of Pastor T. Selvaraj of Bethesda, Mayiladuthurai; Rev. Charles Aaron of Rose of Sharon; and Pastor Sam Sundaram of ACA, Purasaiwalkam.
In 1999, he married Dr. Lizy Sonia Benjamin, and they have been blessed with two children.
Our Vision
One clear purpose expressed through three continuing commitments.
Reach
Reach people and communities with the life-giving Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Ready
Build people in Christ and prepare a faithful multitude for the coming of the Lord.
Raise
Raise ministers who will serve others and carry the Gospel still further.
Reach people. Build them in Christ. Raise them in faith. Send them with the Gospel.
One Church Family.
Five Locations.
The Story Is Still Being Written
What began with three people in 1998 continues today through lives reached, families strengthened, ministers raised and communities touched by the Gospel.