abel

Satanic Hindu stronghold shattered after exorcism (Abel’s Testimony printed in the Elim Magazine). A Hindu whose mother was delivered from demons by an Elim missionary is now bringing the Gospel back to Britain. In a remarkable story of the Gospel going full circle, Abel Govender traces his roots back to India and South Africa, where an Elim pioneer led his devout Hindu parents to Christ after casting demons out of his mother. Since then, in an amazing turnaround, his entire extended family have also found faith in Jesus, and Abel himself is now a missionary to GB.

In the early 19th century South Africa needed indentured labourers for its growing sugar industry. So Britain, the colonial power at that time, brought in thousands of Indians from Southern India from around 1860 to 1870 to work in the cane fields of Natal. Abel Govender’s grandparents - devout Hindus - were among those immigrants to arrive in Durban, the province’s bustling port that became home to other Asian immigrants. Abel’s parents were born in South Africa in the early 1900’s and became citizens in 1961 under the Nationalist Party Government.

“Apartheid was at its height”, says Abel, “and we were all treated as second class citizens by the white ruling minority. Meaning while, being devout Hindus, my parents practiced their faith with great zeal within the Indian community in which they were confined. My mother had dedicated herself to becoming a priestess in the local Hindu temple and at the age of 13 she offered herself to be possessed by the spirits of her family gods.”

During special prayer days Abel’s mother would become visibly possessed by the spirits of the gods and go into a trance. The members of the Hindu community would come to seek help from her during those ceremonies. Abel’s dad, meanwhile, worked at a sugar mill and was forced to join in these ceremonies - which often infringed on his work time because they went on late into the night and upset his sleeping pattern.

“As children, we observed our parent’ devotion with great fear and trembling”, recalls Abel. “In that environment, I learned quickly that the gods we worshipped were always angry with us and needed sacrifices of animals to appease their anger. As far as I can remember, none of the pictures we had of our gods ever smiled at us. Their faces were always angry. We would also hide under our beds or hold onto our friends or relatives when observing
my mother’s performance in the temple or at our home.” 

After many years, Abel’s father wanted to see his wife freed of these spirits. So he took her to peter Hindu temples to have them exorcised. But to his amazement and worry, he found that none of the other priests were able to help her.

Then, one day, something very unusual happened:
“My dad was on his way back from work when he noticed a white gentleman on the road playing a ukulele and talking to a group of Zulu people. So he decided to stop and listen to this man - a missionary from Bristol, England. He was the late John Francis Rowlands who had early links with the Elim Pentecostal Church. He spoke about Jesus and the love of God and shared about the miracles that Jesus did and how he came to set the sinners free. This message was new to my dad and when the man had finished speaking he went to him and asked if this Jesus could help to set my mum free from the spirits that possessed her. So the missionary was invited to our home the next day.”

Abel’s family were amazed from the moment the man of God came through the door. The spirits that possessed Abel's’ mum reacted violently - manifesting with strange noises and supernatural strength. The children were terrified and fled for cover. But the missionary spoke with a loud and authoritive voice - commanding the demons to leave in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And as he gave the order, the evil spirits began to scream in anguish while leaving one by one. 13 screams later, Abel’s mother fell to the ground as if dead.

“We thought she had died”, says Abel, “But as she lay on the floor, the missionary began to sing and pray, thanking God for victory over the devil. A few minutes later my mother came round and, seeing the missionary in our home, asked my dad in Tamil (their home language), ‘What is this white man doing in our home?’ My dad replied ‘He came to make you better.”

It was a great and wonderful day for both parents, who accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. And a few days later, John baptised the couple in a nearby river and prayed that they would be baptised in the Holy Spirit at the same time. His prayers were answered as Mrs Govender began to pray in tongues, a gift she still uses to enjoy fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

But this dramatic conversion also brought persecution to the family. Their friends and other families in the community shunned them and uncles and aunts accused the family of following a ‘European god.’ Nevertheless, Abel’s family stood firm in their new-found faith and encouraged their nine children to follow Christ too. So the family - of around 100 members - are all born again!

“My mother continued to pray that one of her sons would become a missionary”, says Abel.  “Then at the age of 16 I heard the call of God to preach the Gospel and I surrendered my life to this call. I am thankful that someone from Bristol, England, was willing to travel to South Africa
to preach the Gospel to the Zulus and Indians, and I am a testimony to that man’s missionary vision. Today (on an occasion where Abel was visiting this country) I have come back to my spiritual roots here in the UK to return the favour.”

Several Elim churches have appreciated the ministry of Pastor Abel, who has served in ministry in South Africa for 25 years in Scripture Union, YWAM, Radio Pulpit and at the Christian Chapel of Durban - where he served as pastor for ten years. He is married to Neela who runs a children’s home in Johannesburg, caring for children from dysfunctional families and victims of AIDS. She and Abel have two grown children who are both in the Lord’s service too. Abel visits the UK regularly. NLT member Barry Killick says: “Abel is welcome in my pulpit at any time. He has a powerful anointing on his preaching and ministry.”