Pastor Nelson Pervaz is not your run-about Christian Pakistani evangelist, rather he and his brother Tariq Pervaz have developed an astonishingly far reaching SKYPE ministry.
Nelson is in Melbourne Australia while Tariq resides in Faisalabad Pakistan who is the IT facilitator for the mighty messages of Jesus which Nelson preachers.
Tariq and his son Adam Tariq has SKYPE distributed to congregations in Faisalabad, Lahore, Sargodha, Karachi and many other cities and towns throughout Pakistan. If there is no internet in some places, then phone lines are utilised. Some of these congregations are 300, others 200, others 150 and so on.
More still he preachers to Pakistani two congregations on Thailand, two in the UAE, along with congregations in Germany, London and some times into Belgium. There have been other places too, such as the Middle East which proved dangerous for those who tuned in.
Pastor Nelson functions his SKYPE broadcasts to coincide with 5.00-6.00pm Pakistani time so that means he is up late at night, and fired up for Jesus!
And a remarkable evangelist Nelson is, as he presents an undiluted message of Salvation in Christ through the blood of Jesus!
He preachers with a punch, with plenty of sub-continent energetic physical expressions, including solemn times of weeping, such is his love for Jesus.
He prays for his persecuted brothers and sisters with the tears of the martyrs and urges them to hold fast to the gospel.
More than this, with Tariq at the helm of this ministry in Pakistani, it includes a significant food distribution service throughout the nation. This a mammoth undertaking, as this entire ministry is funded through giftings.
Background
My first contact with Pastor Nelson Pervaz was at the CRE congress in 2004 where the Well-Being Australia "Art Ministry" had a stall. I was in this stall painting and when Nelson came by, I noticed he was Pakistani and immediately established a conversation about both hockey and cricket.
Hockey is Pakistan's national sport although cricket takes the lions share of public interest and be as it may, both these sports I have some significant affinity as did Nelson.
I have written 5 books on hockey and wrote hockey for The Australian for 24 years to 1994 at Olympics, World Cups and Champion's Trophies. I served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years to November 2000 and as if by divine providence Nelson and I became firm friends.
Immediately I set to work on a painting for Nelson Pervaz to use for his evangelism and it was hands holding a hockey stick and ball with the afternoon sun creating a shadow of the Cross.
Developments
Nelson Pervaz first ministry trip to Australia was in 1996-97 where he sowed the seeds of this ministry and after this initial Sydney meeting seven years later and met again in 2007 at the Sydney Airport Mercure at one of our Well-Being Australia Around the Tables mission meetings.
It was this time Nelson's dream was moving towards fruition. He relocated to Melbourne and from there he slowly but surely focused his attention to setting up the SKYPE ministry with the able assistances of Tariq and son Adam Tariq.
Today, this is a functioning mission movement into the sub-continent, Europe and the Pakistini diaspora. Should this ministry interest you please contact Pastor Nelson Pervaz, particularly their welfare wing providing food, clothing and shelter - nelsonpervaz@yahoo.com
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html