How a Beach Community was Changed by Christ

For generations, Rohan’s family knew nothing but salty air before dawn, calloused hands, and fishing lines. Hauling nets and selling fish at the marketplace of their Sri Lankan town was their livelihood — providing enough to sustain them, but not to lift them out of poverty. After a fight landed him behind bars, an inmate shared the Gospel with Rohan. Inside those prison walls, he accepted Jesus into his heart and became a new creation in Christ.

“When I came home, my family members noticed that my life looked very different, and they too accepted Jesus as their personal savior,” Rohan shared. With fresh faith and excitement, they searched for a church home but were met with unexpected resistance.

Despite being repeatedly rejected by man, Rohan and his family endured, taking God as His word that they are accepted and secure in Christ alone. “We didn’t want to leave Jesus because we knew His love for us was unchanging,” he said. They resorted to worshiping God on Sundays the only way they knew how: by spending the day at the beach praying, singing, and cooking their catch to share with 40 other members of their community. There was a palpable sense of belonging and contagious joy felt by all who came.

Pastored by Rohan, their gathering drew attention, and more people began to follow Christ and join their beach church. Amid this growth, God used a visiting pastor to pour into Rohan and their church, which was now meeting in a shed on a gifted piece of land. The pastor embraced Rohan in a way that he had never experienced from someone outside his community and became a spiritual mentor to him. He equipped Rohan and other young men with education, Bible teaching, and ministry guidance to help them steward their church community and families.

ICM recently became connected with their ministry, and thanks to our generous donors, construction is now underway for a permanent church building. “We all sold our boats and gave up fishing completely for full-time ministry,” Rohan said. “We praise God for how he has moved by saving souls, growing our church, and blessing us with a lovely new church home.”