A tribute to Isaac Manogarom

12 June 2020

We are sad to let you know that Isaac Manogarom, our former India Director, died earlier today aged 50 following a short battle with the Covid 19 virus. Our prayers and heartfelt sympathy are with his wife Tara, daughter Sitara, and son Tarun. He is pictured above in 2009 at his home in Chennai with Dr. Neil Anderson, Founder of Freedom In Christ Ministries, during a series of successful conferences that he had organized.

Isaac and Tara were studying at Biola University in the United States in the early 1990s when they first heard the message of Freedom In Christ. Isaac’s Father, Victor Manogarom, had directed the Youth For Christ Ministry in India for many years, and had recently retired. Isaac shared Neil Anderson’s books with his father, and Victor said, “India has got to hear this message.” So Victor came out of retirement and in 1994 they all agreed to go back to India and set up an office for Freedom In Christ Ministries which was established as Freedom Ministries India.

Neil Anderson wrote at the time, "You will be pleased to know that, with the Lord’s leading, Freedom In Christ International Ministries is starting a work in the great land of India beginning in June 1994. India is one of the countries located in the 10/40 window, the least evangelised region of the world. Isaac Manogarom began attending Biola University in La Mirada, California to equip himself for a Christian video ministry he started in India. As he studied, the Lord enlarged his vision and gave him a burden to be involved in a much wider ministry – that of administrating, evangelizing, training and discipling. Having received his BA in Communication, he is now completing his MA in Intercultural Studies at Biola’s School of Intercultural Studies. Concurrently he is training at Freedom In Christ Ministries in La Habra, California. In January 1995 he will become Director of Freedom In Christ India. His wife, Tara, has received her MA in Counselling and will bring her expertise to assist individuals who want to find their freedom in Christ."

The ministry was officially kickstarted when Dr. Neil Anderson was invited to India by the Consultation on National Strategy movement formed by the Hindustan Bible Institute with the goal of planting a church in every village and every colony of every town and city in India. In 2012 Isaac wrote, “The ministry stared with just 4 of us. Today, we have a team of 15 serving the Lord, along with a number of Freedom Ambassadors who are taking the message of freedom to various parts of our country. We have brought out almost all the core books of Dr. Anderson and have The Bondage Breaker, Victory Over The Darkness, and Christ Centered Marriage now in our own language, Tamil."

Isaac was also instrumental in starting Freedom In Christ in Sri Lanka and faithfully taught the freedom message for many years. He stepped back from leading Freedom Ministries India in 2018 in order to devote more time to The Steps Home, the orphanage which he and Tara founded, and which does a fantastic work rescuing young girls and bringing them up with a Christian education. Isaac was also active in Christian publishing and Christian music in India.

Steve Goss, Freedom In Christ's International Director, said, "We are so grateful to Isaac and Tara for their many years of service during which they helped many take hold of their freedom in Christ. It was often a real struggle but they persevered and God always turned up. Isaac was warm-hearted, generous, and bold enough to be vulnerable. We will miss him. 'Well done good and faithful servant.'"