Champion of God’s Compassion
Dr. Paul Dhinakaran is a globally respected evangelist with the calling and commitment to bring healing to the brokenhearted. An anointed preacher, writer, educationalist and televangelist, he has founded several institutions and projects of excellence, which bring hope and comfort of the Lord Jesus Christ to millions of people worldwide every day. An eloquent and electrifying speaker with a prophetic anointing, the Jesus Calls Prayer Festivals he conducts across India attracts huge gatherings ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 at a single evening. He travels across the globe, as does his TV programmes, carrying the love of God to all people, without any discrimination, with just one mission: to turn everyone’s sorrow into joy.
Roots of Transformation
Dr. Paul Dhinakaran discovered the meaning of new life in Jesus Christ by accepting Him as his personal Lord and Savior during his college days. “During my teenage years, I led a wayward life away from God. I had lot of friends around, yet I felt emptiness deep down in my heart that couldn’t be explained. This is when I heard the Lord Jesus speaking prophetically to me through my father” explains Dr. Paul, crediting his mother Mrs. Stella Dhinakaran for her long stint of fasting and praying with tears for his soul to be transformed. Very soon, this began to reflect in all aspects of his life and he began to shape up as a mighty man of God with the Spirit of Excellence in everything he did. There was a rapid speed at which he completed his studies from institutes of repute. He earn ed a BSc degree in Physics with a Gold Medal from Loyola College, Chennai, and then went on to the University of Madras to complete his MBA (1977) and PhD (1979) in management at an early age of 27. His doctoral thesis was focused on the emerging influence of mass media among the youth. “Today I do not have so many friends as I used to have; but I’m blessed with thousands of brothers and sisters around the world” exclaims Dr. Paul, who is the co-founder and chairman of Jesus Calls Ministries, and president and CEO of Jesus Calls International.
Icon of Christian Leadership
Dr. Paul Dhinakaran has been raised by the Holy Spirit as one of the stalwarts in God’s Kingdom today. His yeomen contribution to ministry, education, and social service in the past 35 years has rightly earned him global recognition as an ambassador of Christ at large by spiritual and secular leaders.\”The world is changing, so anyone with leadership responsibilities in God’s Kingdom has to master getting through change, and learn from the holistic experiences God the Holy Spirit is providing, and prayerfully apply those learning to bring real blessings to people\” says Dr. Paul.
Pioneer of the 24/7 Prayer Tower Ministry
The 24×7 Prayer Towers established by Dr. Paul all across India and in 12 other countries have nearly 25,000 people knock the doors of heaven everyday through prayer. Prayer requests are received from people in stressed conditions and free intercessory prayers are offered to them by telephone, mail and in person. Through this service, millions have experienced divine provisions and wellbeing, had broken families rebuilt, and young people have found meaning in life. Nearly 20,000 prayer intercessors have been trained by Dr. Paul to serve people on a full time or voluntary basis. Dr. Paul has established a Prayer Tower in India’s capital city, New Delhi, just opposite the Parliament, to pray for the rulers, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, for God\’s Will to be perfected in the nation. This has been followed by a Prayer Tower in Jerusalem, Israel and in Dallas, USA, to pray for the nations. Dr. Paul provides pastoral care and oversight to this ministry and spends several hours praying for others in need every day.
Advocate of Quality, Values-based Education
Beyond ministry, Dr. Paul Dhinakaran has made significant contributions to education along with his late father Bro. D.G.S. Dhinakaran. In 1986, owing to a divine mandate to start an engineering college, they made the impossible possible: thanks to the grace of God, the Karunya Institute of Technology was born. The vision of Karunya University, which is now ranked among the top private universities in India, is to raise bright young leaders, equipped with the discernment and ability and solve the wider problems of humanity, through innovations in science and technology, yet with the spirit of compassion to help the underserved in society. Under the chancellorship of Dr. Paul Dhinakaran, Karunya continues to make steady progress, achieving a high standard of excellence in teaching, research, job placements for graduates, and partnerships with international universities and corporates. Several scholarships are being offered every year to deserving students from underprivileged backgrounds to enable their education in Karunya University, which offers courses in engineering, technology, biosciences, and management from undergraduate to doctoral (PhD) level. Besides, he has founded the Karunya Christian School and the Evangeline Matriculation School, which serve the people in the community and beyond. So far, nearly 25,000 students have graduated from the Karunya Educational Institutions. The alumni are spread all over the world, blessed in good and responsible positions, most of whom heartily acknowledge the academic training and spiritual nourishment they once received in Karunya which has become the foundation for their future blessings.
Supporting National Causes
Dr. Paul was appointed by the Government of India as a member of National Monitoring Committee for Minority Education, and as a Governing Council member of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which is India\’s flagship program for achieving universalization of elementary education. Dr. Paul also served as a syndicate member of the Tamilnadu state-run Bharathiar University for two consecutive terms, under which Karunya was initially affiliated as a college before becoming a university recognized under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956.
Innovator of Media Ministry
Even during the days when TV sets were not commonplace in many Indian homes, Dr. Paul Dhinakaran along with his late father pioneered the launch of Christian TV programs of high quality. As a believer of using modern technology for the glory of God and blessings of people, Dr. Paul has ushered the growth of a vibrant TV ministry in Jesus Calls, which produces hundreds of programs every week. His messages transmitted through the radio broadcasts and public television programs in 12 languages continue to evoke tremendous responses across the world. Dr. Paul and family have also released several audio and video albums, which carry the compassion of Christ to places where they cannot personally minister.
A Friend of the Poor and Needy
Dr. Paul Dhinakaran has established a third front in his mission of service to the people through his SEESHA humanitarian outreach, which is expanded as Samiti for Education Environment Social and Health Action. Seesha has thousands of volunteers all across the nation to support its mission to care for the children whose parents are poor and illiterate and have minimum sustenance provisions in their life, as well as widows, physically and mentally challenged children, those needing health care, the poor who had lost their homes through natural disasters and poor women who have no source of income. Seesha provides more than 20,000 School Kits and 100,000 new clothes to the poor children every year all across the country. It runs hospitals for the poor, which provides surgeries, dental care, physical therapy and medical care. It runs tuition centres all across the nation for the poor children in enabling them to do well in the school final exam. Seesha provides for the children with aptitude to enter into an Engineering education at the Karunya University giving life to those little ones to be empowered to become a thousand.
Prophet to the Nations
Thanks to the gifts of grace, the Lord uses Dr. Paul Dhinakaran to discern the unique needs of nations and prophecy to them for their blessing. Every year, the Holy Spirit reveals to Dr. Paul as to what would happen to the nations of the world including political, social and technological happenings. These revelations are broadcast live as well as recorded on DVDs, documented as shared during the beginning of every year. Closely observed, these prophecies come to pass as the Lord revealed through Dr. Paul to the glory of God. Dr. Paul has also founded the Ambassadors Network to raise prophetic ambassadors for Christ who will function across the globe.
A Blessed Family
Dr. Paul Dhinakaran was born to (Late) Dr. D.G.S. Dhinakaran and Mrs. Stella Dhinakaran on the 4th September 1962. He had a loving younger sister, Ms. Angel, whom the family lost in a gruesome car accident during an important ministry-related trip in 1986. This unspeakable loss shattered Brother Paul and his parents into pieces. However, the Holy Spirit consoled them and they continued to stand for the Lord’s ministry. In 1989, Dr. Paul married Evangeline at a grand ceremony held in the midst of several men of God, state leaders, public supporters of the ministry, and bishops. Mrs. Evangeline Paul Dhinakaran continues to stand as a rock of support to his ministry. They have been blessed with three gifted children, their son, Samuel, and daughters Sharon and Sweety, all of whom are actively involved in the ministry. Since the home call of Brother Dhinakaran in 2008, Dr. Paul continues to support his mother Mrs. Stella Dhinakaran in her well-acknowledged preaching, praying and writing ministries. Dr. Paul and his family make up their residence in Dallas, Texas and in Chennai, India while traveling frequently to other countries as per the ministry demands. Everyone in his family describe Dr. Paul as “an illustrious son, a loving father, and a caring husband”. He reveals the secret for this blessing: “Truly, Christ is the head of our home and our family has been built through prayer and prayer alone.”
Recognition and Future
Giving every honour to his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for these experiences, Dr. Paul Dhinakaran drives the growth of Jesus Calls, Karunya, and Seesha, and seeks to serve His Eternal Master in every way he can, and continue to be a channel of God’s abundant blessings to one and all. His work at Jesus Calls is what Christian ministry in today’s social media-driven 21st century is all about: raising next generation leaders filled with a prophetic insight to be blessed by God and bring blessing to others wherever they live. Dr. Paul Dhinakaran is recipient of Dr. Ruth Mizell Award for “Christian Statesmanship”, USA and the Canada Christian College has conferred on him a honorary ‘Doctor of Divinity’. The motto of his life is “Come, Let’s Give Life”.
