HE was known as the miracle child born to well-known evangelist Dr. Victor Manogarom and his wife Chella Manogarom when they were both in their forties. He was called Isaac - meaning 'laughter' and that's what he brought into their lives. Life went well for Isaac - doting parents, a wide, extended family circle and all the security and well-being that was his for the taking. At 8, he found himself at crossroads. Having failed to clear the SSLC examination thrice in a row, he knew that things were not as comfortable and secure as they used to be. Life suddenly seemed empty, purposeless and unfocused. It seemed ironical that he had no one to turn to with his problems, when scores of disillusioned youth sought guidance and counsel from his dad. Unknown to his parents, Isaac was grappling with secret sins that seemed to plague him and for a brief period, Isaac found himself leading a double life before God and his parents. But the victory of a praying mother was a reality in his life. Establishing 'Enlightening Video Enterprises', a booming Christian music enterprise at the age of 17, was the first step in deliverance. Coming face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ, Isaac was confronted with the Truth which indeed set him free. Today, Isaac Manogarom is 35 years old, a liberated follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, enjoying freedom in Christ. “I know I have a purpose in life. I am determined to give the best that I have for the Lord. My biggest goal is to encourage people and tell them to live life the fullest,” Isaac Manogarom, Executive Director Freedom Ministries India and Founder Director Sitara Music, told The Christian Messenger. Excerpts from the interview.

Sitara Music, Freedom Ministries and Lighthouse Bookshop. Which one of these started first?

Freedom Ministries was the firstborn. In November, 1994, as soon as my father returned from the US, Freedom Ministries India, an affiliate of Freedom in Christ Ministries, USA, was started. Now, the beginning of Freedom Ministries in India has a background. After 40 years of active ministry as a Christian worker with Youth for Christ International, my father who was then 70 and retired, was still being used by God to widely proclaim His Word. Even though thousands of young people had turned to the Lord through his ministry, he felt an aching need to somethig more. A deep compulsion to reach out and minister to the hurting people around him, especially Christian leaders and workers. Around that time, I passed on to my dad a copy of Neil Anderson's book 'Victory over Darkness'. Dad's life changed. He quizzed Neil over some points in the book. The book's message was 'grace and forgiveness'. It said that we are not sinners but saints saved by the grace of God. The concept of sainthood revolutionised my father's thinking. He wanted to share this message with his own people and Freedom Ministries in India was born. 

You are young and dynamic, and at 35 you are spearheading three Christian organisations. How good were you in academia?

Surprisingly not good at all. It took me several attempts to graduate from high school and a brief attempt at studying philosophy at college was dissatisfying. It was at this point in my life, when I was like a complete failure, that Dr. Bobby Gupta (Bobby annan to me) gently pointed me to Biola University in California. I must mention that at the age of 19, I fell in love with Tara Jeyachandran and married her at 21.

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Did going away to the US and joining a Christian university help?

Oh, it did. The US gave us a new perspective on life. Tara and I learned how to live by faith. At Biola, I majored in communications course while Tara specialised in counselling in another university. Though money was always in short supply, miracles were in abundance. God supplied all of our needs. America taught us to walk with God, exercise our faith in Him and always plan and think BIG for Him. Though it was a rude awakening, our life there helped shape us to be the people God wanted us to be.

What are the activities of Freedom Ministries? How are its needs met?

After my dad died in 1999, the mantle of leading Freedom Ministries, India, fell on me. We have a board of trustees, drawn from different parts of our country, faithful men and women of God who give us their time and expertise. We receive no foreign aid for the running of the ministry and are experiencing what 'tent-making' is all about as  Sitara Music supports Freedom Ministries. We organise around six to eight seminars through the year in different parts of the country and since these seminars are specialised, we host only 100 to 150 persons per seminar.

What are the memories of your dad?

I always remember dad as a loving, caring and indulgent father. But he was also a very busy evangelist. When I was growing up and needed his presence the most, he seemed to be away a lot. But his last five years of his life drew us both very close to each other and meant a lot to me. He took time to be with us, especially me. I will always cherish those years when he was physically available to me as dad. He left behind for me a legacy which to me is the greatest asset. He believed in building people and in investing in their lives and not in buildings.  He has left behind a host of people in the world who I consider family. To mention a few, Ajith Fernando, Ken Gnanakan, Sunder Krishnan, Ravi Zacharias, Ramesh Richard, Bobby Gupta and Mano Daniel were some of his spiritual sons. They have surpassed dad in many ways, but he showed me what it is to mentor people and watch them flex their wings and fly high.  The true mark of a leader. Towards the end of his life, dad rediscovered a powerful truth that his identity was in Christ, and that he was a saint in God really touched him. He wanted to share this message with as many people as possible. 

Tell us something about Sitara Music. Would you say it's the market leader in India?

Sitara Music is named after our daughter. Tara and I longed and prayed for children. Though she came to us in 1996, Sitara Music started in 1995. We actually started our music enterprise by partnering with Bethesda Communications and went solo only in 1996. It is with a sense of humility that I report that a few years ago Sitara Music was number 5 in its business ranking. Today, we are No.1 in terms of reach, quality and volumes. It is sheer grace of God and a dedicated team who's behind us.

A final word...

In the days of my youth, I nurtured many secret sins. God delivered me through the book 'Bondage Breaker'. I understood that deliverance is a process and no matter how many times I fall, the Saviour picks me up and cleanses the mess. Now, I want to be the best in what God has called me to. I know God has a purpose for my life that He will fulfil, because I was born to my parents 22 years after their marriage.
Like Isaac born to Abraham and Sarah. My vision is to encourage people, show them how to live a better life and lead them to find their freedom in Christ. Freedom is instantaneous but maintaining the freedom is a lifetime pursuit.

(This article appeared in the September 2004 issue of The Christian Messenger newspaper.)

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