7 Random Thoughts after a Historic National Conference.

 Seven Random Thoughts After a Historic National Conference of the Malayalee Pentecostal Association (MPA) in the U.K.

📅 21st April 2025

Today is the day after…

• …the day after Easter Sunday.

• Easter Monday is normally a holiday here in Great Britain.

• …the day after… a time of rest, relaxation, and yes even some reflection.

• …the day after an amazing three days of repentance, revival, refreshing, and restoration in the presence of God by the Body of Christ — represented interdenominationaly and nationally by Keralites from God’s own country. 

It’s 4 a.m. in Bristol. What a place! The venue — Trinity Academy — was the perfect choice for a conference of this magnitude. Simply brilliant!

Thanks to my dear friend and brother, Pastor Jinu Mathew  and his outstanding team of volunteers from the Horeb AoG Church that made the conference look like easy peasy.

Everything planned for, every eventuality taken into consideration. Service-oriented and people-friendly bunch of selfless volunteers from his church worked hard and smart to pull off the conference in style.

I was surprised to know that there was no event management company running the show. It was the church working together in unity, synergy and harmony and all of that was in full display! To God be the glory, great things He has done.

As I said in the closing moments of the conference, the spiritual DNA of Rev. V.T. Abraham of the South India Assemblies of God was obvious and clearly standing out loud, as Rev. Binoy Abraham gave exemplary leadership to the 22nd National Conference of MPA at Bristol in the UK from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th April 2025, during the Easter weekend.

Overflow crowds. Packed auditorium. Big screens. LED display boards. Stage decorated with flowers. A full band of musicians standing by on demand — ready to serve. Plenty of food to even the bottomless pits! Blessed times, it was a dream come true for me.

Parking issues and chaos with the traffic was a good problem as I see it! It was worth travelling ten hours from Edinburgh in Scotland to the historic city of Bristol. It felt like all roads were leading to this historic city and to this historic moment.

Church history has been rewritten. Church dynamics have changed. Participants encouraged and challenged to go deeper with God, broader in ministry and higher into God’s purposes. Pastors have left with a renewed vision, changed mindset, hearts ablaze and perspectives tamed to match the new wine and new season of the Holy Spirit.

Seeing young people on fire for God was a healthy change and a welcome development from 2018, when I last preached here. The Bible says, “don’t despise the day of small beginnings.” As a guest speaker that evening in Horeb AoG Church in Bristol back in 2018, I wasn’t disappointed with the small crowd that had gathered to hear me and my friend Pastor Binoy. 

💼 Real Leadership in Action.

Looking back at hindsight, I am so grateful that International Assembly of God (IAG) has come a long way. Pastor Binoy led the movement and simply followed the basics. He led from the front — with unbridled passion and enthusiasm — something which Malayalee Pentecostal leaders are usually not known for, in my opinion. With no hint of false humility, he demonstrated that true humility is pride in God. He dressed well and differently. He drove a good car. He got into business. He was professional in attitude and carried a spirit of excellence — backed by his precious wife and his two boys.

Talking to her at the sidelines of the conference, I realized that the saying: “Behind every successful man is a surprised woman” — is true. I would add: “Behind every faithful Christian leader is a broken, struggling, confused — but confident — wife!” It’s those women whom heaven will salute one day. Their reward will be in eternity, 'cos after 2000 plus years of Christianity in Kerala in South India, attitudes and mindsets to women hasn't changed much. Cultural nuances further complicate the dynamics in our treatment of the opposite sex unfortunately. The Holy Spirit is grieved by many of our male chauvinistic views, and we have much to learn from Western culture, without going into extremes of feminism and the like.

I was glad and my heart rejoiced when I saw some spirit filled women as part of the choir standing on stage. I have been part of debates where we discussed shamefully whether women, our sisters who sing well and are gifted, called and anointed —

should stand on stage or below the stage — How ridiculous Malayalee Pentecostals can be? We have moved since from natural stupidity to Artificial Intelligence!

Moreover, I was impressed by the upgrade in digital technology used during the conference. It is expensive but worth it if we are going to be relevant to a generation immersed in latest gadgets at their fingertips. Harvest TV - Europe was again simply brilliant! (I need to check my Thesaurus for better words.) A dedicated team from London covered every angle, every moment, every prayer, every song, every message, every candid moment and broadcast it live to the ends of the earth for the entire event. Salute to my friend Bibi George Chacko  and his amazing crew of professionals with a servant heart. They were very much unlike the videographers and photographers who literally spoil weddings and functions in my homeland, and then come up with a glossy, creative thick album which is a keeper even if it’s for a hefty price.

Food was always enough even though I didn’t see the 12 baskets extra. I enjoyed extra pappadoms every meal. Fringe benefit of being a pastor! 😆 

Now for some serious stuff — my reflections and lessons learnt before, during and after this historic conference:

1. Everything rises and falls on leadership.

A leader knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.

Slow hand clap to Rev. Binoy Abraham and the Executive Committee of the Conference. Outstanding job. Against all odds, they pulled this off well and yes, in style.

God so loved the world — He sent Jesus, a man, not a committee! Yet the TEAM around him made their dream possible and turned it into a reality. Together Everyone Achieves More!

2. Finances should never be a problem in a Christian event anywhere in the world.

Our Master taught us that we can feed the multitudes when we give our five loaves and two fishes into the Master’s hands. Little is much when God is in it and we can always trust Him to multiply the little into enough and more according to Ephesians 3:20. 

Twice during the conference in praying publicly I declared: 

“If it’s God’s will, it’s His bill.”

When God guides, He provides.

With the vision comes the provision.

God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.

This conference will be debt-free in Jesus’ name. Amen. Online Donations are still welcome. Church contributions and personal gifts are expected from across the UK and beyond, because this conference was all about Jesus and about impacting the next generation. Give generously and cheerfully, like God. Every little helps, but I command the rich among us to make a significant contribution so that we have not only enough to take care of all expenses but a surplus to be used for booking the venue for next year.

3. The focus on the youth and the next generation was quite evident.

They were all over the place — volunteering to welcome participants as they drove into the venue and started registrations. They served in various capacities:

• Parking assistants

• Greeters

• Registration Desk in charge

• Choir members

• Worship Leaders

• Musicians

• Youth leaders

• Audio visual technicians

• Talent test coordinators and judges

• Stalls in charge

• Caterers

• Cleaners

Servant leaders were serving food, water, payasam and pappadam with a smile throughout the three days! It was a Kairos moment, a God ordained destiny moment.

As for the next generation, they unashamedly came down the aisles and stood near the stage to be prayed over, as ministers laid hands on them. They worshipped undignified. They received the preaching hungrily and absorbed every revelation like a sponge. Powerful dynamic moments where the dunamis power of God hit the building, and many of the young people were filled with God’s Holy Spirit. And yes — they will not be perfect but will be “Holy Forever” since they were deeply impacted by God’s word. We can enter God’s presence the way we are, but we can never leave His presence unchanged.

Real life starts today — as we are back on the road, on the streets, in our high schools, colleges and universities. I hope some of you will be asked “What’s different about you? Where have you been during the Easter weekend?” And I hope you will be bold enough to say: “No, not Spain, not Paris, but in good old Bristol — where Heaven invaded Earth and under an open Heaven we worshipped, praised, sang, danced and wept in the presence of our Saviour.” The next generation is reachable, released, ready and reliable. They are now accepted and accommodated by the church at large. They are accepted in the beloved. Young people are our hope. A bit indifferent — but they’re worth it!

4. New kids on the block (like me) can come up into the leadership team at MPA.

You don’t have to be a Karanavar and seasoned minister to be in leadership. As long as you are not a novice and immature, you are welcome to be a part of the team and perfection is not expected. If you are passionate to see God’s Kingdom expand, we welcome you to hop on board to make a difference — not to warm up a chair.

5. Stay focussed on the Great Commission; Jesus’ Last Command is our First Concern.

Even when the religious hierarchy and self-proclaimed archbishops of the day ignore, insult and work against you — if you stay focused and continue confidently trusting God, He will lift you up. It stays in the old book: “Them that honour me, I will honour.” And God will give them front row seats, as they watch you live from their man-caves (denominational headquarters). So much for the Pharisees (far you see!) and the Sadducees (sad you see!)

6. You don’t need celebrity preachers.

You need only Spirit-filled messengers who are trained in the School of the Spirit and who walk by revelation. I was honestly surprised — shocked actually — when I saw the guest list and speaker profiles in the initial flyer advertised on Facebook. No big names. No fancy titles. No Rev. Dr. (Rava Dosa!) Both Pastor B. Monachan (Kayamkulam) and Pastor Gladson Varghese (Dubai) set the stage on fire, and the fire from heaven fell on the congregation. Pastor Sam Robinson and Dr. Blesson Memana Abraham  brought heaven down to earth and worshipped — not just led worship! There’s a big difference. Hats off to the team of worshippers.

7. Lastly… I’m a foodie and I give 8 out of 10 for the caterers.

They could have changed the menu on the second day. I was reminded of my Bible school days in Colaba in South Mumbai back in 1994–1995, when we used to sing: “Aloo... Aloo... Aloo in the morning, Aloo in the noon time, Aloo, Aloo, Aloo when the sun goes down…” Then the firecrackers at night were memorable! Fried rice and chicken curry with lime pickle, salad and pappadoms were amazing, but after two days of the same thing — even though I feasted on it — I began praying: “God, please give the catering team wisdom to try something different.” And boy, they did. We ended the conference with a purely non-vegetarian lunch — ‘Kerala meals’ with payasam and pappadam. 

Then followed selfies, smiles, handshakes and tight hugs. We as Christians don’t say goodbye.

God be with you all till we meet again for the 23rd National Conference of the MPA at Southampton in England, from 3–5 April 2026.

See you next Easter.

Till then:

Keep the faith,

Keep pushing the limits,

Keep pushing the boundaries,

Keep praying in the Spirit,

Stay strong, 💪 

Stay pure and holy daily,

Stay loyal to your local church,

Stay in sync with heaven.

The best is yet to come!

God bless you as only He can.

God bless you always, and in all ways!

– Rev. Anil Alexander

 (Scotland area representative for MPA 2025–2027)

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