The New Zealand District and the Asia-Pacific Region are grieving the sudden death of Pastor Vipul Kharat January 24. He was on holiday in his hometown of Buldana, India, when he suffered severe back pain. His brother, Moses, a medical doctor, rushed him to the hospital, but Vipul suffered a second heart attack and passed away almost instantly. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne, and his 12-year-old son, Sameer.

Born on 30 November 1963 in Buldhana, Vipul was a third generation Nazarene. His grandfather, Waman H. Kharat, was ordained by former General Superintendent J. B. Chapman in November 1937, becoming one of the first ordained elders in the Church of the Nazarene in India. Vipul was a younger son of former District Superintendent and Bible Training School principal D. M. and Vishranti Kharat.

Vipul has pastored All Nations Church of the Nazarene in Auckland, New Zealand, for the past 23 years. When he arrived as a newly married 28-year-old pastor, it was a small, elderly, mostly caucasian congregation. During the years that followed, the church was transformed into a vibrant, multicultural congregation, which in turn has given birth to several other language-driven congregations.

Pastor Vipul was a dynamic preacher with a great love for people. He touched the lives of all classes of society, from homeless people to scientists with PhDs. He was in demand as a speaker and teacher, especially in the area of contextualisation and how to reach people of other faiths with the transforming grace of God. Vipul was a graduate of the Nazarene Theological College in Brisbane, Australia.

The All Nations church will be open for viewing January 29 from 11 a.m., followed by a family service at 7 p.m. The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. January 30 at Life Church, 60 Rockfield Road, Penrose. After the service, there will be tea and light refreshments. 

Prayer is requested for the Kharat family, the All Nations church family, and all of those impacted by Vipul’s sudden passing.

--Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region