Church of God, Dombivli (E) is a symbol of Blessing. It is the cradle of Love. It is abode of an uplifting spiritual experience. A church stands for Holiness and Separation, which has lead to a continuous outpouring of blessings by His Holy Spirit. Even when the deep waves of doubt tried to destabilize the congregation, the Almighty God did not allow the church to weaken and the church stood strong in Unity and Love.
The ministry that was established in Mumbra in 1969 has since grown into a large congregation known as Church of God, Dombivli (E).
God only choose those who stood for the unfeigned Faith and Holiness. Even when the faithful, who have intense and unshakable belief, face trials and tribulations, God Almighty will always be there, by their side, watching over them.
1969 Aug
Bro. K. Abraham. Bro O. Daniel, Bro. K. John and Bro. Mathai Samuel were formerly members of V.T (now C.S.T) church. In spite of enduring days of hard work, this merry band of men from Mumbra preserved their enthusiasm and inspiration, as they were guided by the Vision they had from God. This Vision of stating a new Ministry in Mumbra got much a needed impetus when it was shared with the then Missionary Rev. William Pospisil. God choose these four members to be founder member of Mumbra.
On 05th Aug 1969, when all the groundwork was laid, the efforts paid off, as our Church was established in Mumbra at Bro. K. Abraham’s residence at Mumbra. Missionary Rev William Pospisail officially inaugurated the new unit of Church Of God, at Mumbra in the presence of Late Rev. Mathai P. Mathai.
The Church continued to blossom, as Bro. George Varghese & family, Bro. Benjamin & family, Bro P.C. Alexander & family, Bro O.C. Abraham & family, amongst many others, joined our Church and strengthened our Ministry. Over the years, as the numbers grew, yet owing to the limitation of space, the venue was constantly shifted, first at Bro. K. Abraham’s residence, then at Bro. O. Daniel’s residence, then shifted to Vikroli, later to Bro. P.C. Alexander’s residence, finally settling at Mumbra Urdu School.
A few years down the line, some of the founding members moved away as their aims and priorities changed, but the Late Bro P.C. Alexander stood firm as our anchor, and ensured the continuity of our Ministry. Pastor K.T. Samuel was the first Pastor to minister in our Church. Initially, due to the unavailability of sufficient resources, the sessions were conducted in an Urdu school in Mumbra. In 1983 however, the venue was shifted to Johandhale School, Dombivli (W). With that, an era finally came to an end; however, it was also a new beginning, because it was time for more believers to join the fold. The new location also eased the commute, and gradually, the community grew…
But after this success, woe befell our Church… The growing numbers of believers led to unwanted attention, within and outside the Community. But after enduring many a hardship, our Church bounced right back, and we expanded to two more units, in Dombivli East and Dombivli West, in the year 1985. The waves of the sea lash on the rocks by the shore, cutting through the rocks and breaking them down…but the rocks are also softened and rounded by the very same waves, and as we can all see, it only makes the rocks appear more beautiful.
After years of hard work and toil, the church was able to acquire it own worship place and parsonage. The new worship centre was dedicated on 19th Oct 2003. And now we have hundreds of believers who are a part of our Congregation, worshipping in Truth and Spirit, and we are ably supported by the Youth and Sunday School Department.
We are now well and truly, one of the leading Churches in Mumbai, and we humbly pray that we continue this growth, in numbers and Faith….