Dr. Chris Gnanakan
Revd. Dr. Chris Gnanakan, DMin, PhD. is the Director of Training for Outreach To Asia Nationals. OTAN serves in over nine countries in Asia where traditional missions is ‘restricted’, by equipping and empowering national, pastoral leaders to fulfil the great commission. Chris, a native of Bangalore, worked as an electrician in MICO factory for 3 years before theological studies at the Word of Life Bible Institute and School of Youth Mission (New York). He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from Tennessee Temple University and went on to do a Master’s in Divinity at Temple Baptist Seminary that he completed at the Asia Graduate School of Theology.
Chris was a youth pastor and ordained at Emmanuel Baptist Church. In 1990 he founded Banaswadi Bible Church where he was the pastor-teacher for over 10 years. He is known as a Youth, Bible & Mission conference speaker and for his radio broadcast with FEBA (Transforming Truth) and TWR (Thru the Bible). His passion is for evangelism, whole-life discipleship, mentoring, training leaders & empowering the Church in Mission.
Chris lectures on and produces curriculum for ‘Biblical Mandate for Evangelism’ at the Haggai Institute for Leadership Development (since 1999 at Maui & Singapore). As an evangelical, he has served as a consultant with the Commission on World Mission & Evangelism on-site London, Switzerland, Athens, Germany, Ghana, Kenya, Chile and with Urban Missions in Thailand, Hong Kong, Philippines and China.
During his stay and PhD research in the UK, Chris was a Teaching Assistance at the University of Leeds in the department of Theology & Religious Studies and also served as a minister at the South Parade Baptist Church, where he developed outreach & care cells. Chris teaches ‘Clinical Pastoral Education’ at the Bangalore Baptist Hospital. He is chairman for the Christian Forum for Child Development & Samaritan Purse’s regional Prescription for Hope program
Since 1995, Chris joined SAIACS as Professor and HoD of Pastoral Theology & Counseling and Dean of Chapel. Here, for 13 years, he trained leaders for ministry and mission in India’s globalising context and is passionate doing ”Evangelism through Local Churches”. He is now appointed to serve as the Director of Training for OTAN (Outreach To Asia Nationals) from June 2009.
Chris is happily married to Dorothy, an IT software educator, and they have two daughters Alethea and Charis. Chris enjoys memorising poems on the Bible and football.
Mission-minded churches attempt great things for God and expect great
things from God. There are members who are good at making comments and
criticism about what is and should be happening. As a result there is
undue concern for self maintenance (cleaning nets), rather than obeying
God’s voice or meeting people’s needs. Obedience always leads to
blessing; delayed obedience is disobedience. Faith missions is simply
taking God at his word. Attempt something so great, that it’s doomed to
fail except God be in it!
Life is not a playground, it’s a battlefield! Many Christians are victims of life’s trials and temptations instead of being victorious over them. From the well-know story of Caleb (Jos.14: 6-15) there are at least three characteristics in him that can challenge believers today to be more than conquerors through Christ. God continues to search for Christians who like Caleb don’t settle for molehills but claim their mountains for God. May God enable us to find a cause, make a claim and be more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus who loving calls us to fulfill His purposes (Rom.8:31-39). 
What is striking and humbling is that Peter could have refused to hear Jesus’ words or at any point said, ‘No’ to his: ‘let me use your boat’, ‘launch out deeper’ or ‘follow me to be a fisher of men’. At that particular point, Peter would have missed out, not just on the catch of fish, but in experiencing the miracle and more so the blessing of being called and sent in Missio Dei! Peter goes deeper, risking the loss of his reputation and career only to gain an experience of God in Christ. He discovers Christ is no ordinary teacher-preacher or miracle-worker, but God’s agent and his ‘Lord’. Jesus is Liberator from guilt and sin; Lord of Peter’s daily work and the true Leader of our missionary endeavors. He finds ‘in Christ’, God’s grace is greater than all our sin, Truth that sets us free and Love that casts out all fears.
Who we are before God is much more important than what we do for Him. From this message to Zerubabbel we can deduce the kind of people God is looking for. At least three qualities stand out: First God uses those who are humble. Not the pushy type or those who seek the spot light but are ‘lampstands’ filled with God’s gentle spirit. Second, God can use only those who are available: like these olive trees, people who are ‘there’ and ready to feed and serve others. Finally, God delights to anoint and use people who are reliable, who like Joshua and Zerubabbel stand continuously in the presence by the Lord. Humble, available and reliable. Are you someone God can use? 
Blogs by this Author
Finding God’s Will - Who Said It’s Lost!
- By Dr. Chris Gnanakan
- Published 02/17/2011
Christians are often forced to make critical decisions in life, and the question that should first come to our mind is: ‘what is God’s will regarding this?’ Although we know it is im...
Do 1 Thing This New Year – ‘Press On’
- By Dr. Chris Gnanakan
- Published 01/7/2011
Everybody likes ‘new beginnings’, fresh starts! Having said that, I also believe in continuity and faith-fulness to the task at hand or, in the way I sign off my letters – ‘Pre...
NOW!. . . It’s TIME 4 BBC Mission Conference
- By Dr. Chris Gnanakan
- Published 11/6/2010
Remember the time you waited for that important letter to come, a critical phone call or urgent appointment? Then, at last, it did and you heaved: ‘It’s about time!’ Does God have su...
What Really Matters Is . . . . The Gospel!
- By Dr. Chris Gnanakan
- Published 10/3/2010
‘Sorry to hear about what happened!’ When I hear this, I think of Paul writing to the Philippians. Two years in jail, a long sea voyage as prisoner, now two years in bonds again! This pion...
The LOST Son
- By Dr. Chris Gnanakan
- Published 09/4/2010
Christians are familiar with what has become the most famous short story all in the Bible. It was narrated by none other than Jesus himself and is commonly called ‘the parable of the Prodigal So...