First Sabbath Offering for a Chapel in Pathankot, North India Union

Pathankot is a city in the Punjab state of India. It borders Pakistan on the west and is a travel hub for the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

The Reform message arrived here in 2015, and our membership has grown over the years. Through the circulation of our Sabbath Bible Lessons, many precious new souls are eagerly seeking the present truth.

As of 2011, the Pathankot urban area had a population of 159,909 with a literacy rate of 88.71%. It is surrounded by both the Shivalik range (part of the foothills of the Himalayas) and the river Chakki. Famous places near Pathankot include Shahpur Kandi with a hanging rest house for tourists and Ranjit Sagar Dam, which is the highest gravity dam in Asia. Industries in the surrounding area include the production of milk, wheat, rice, textiles, sewing machines, sports goods, sugar, starch, fertilizers, bicycles, scientific instruments, electrical goods, machine tools, and pine oil.

The religions in Pathankot are Hinduism with 88.89%, Sikhism 8.01%, and Christianity 1.73%, followed by Islam and other religions.

Situated in the picturesque foothills of Kangra and Dalhousie, with the river Chakki flowing close by, this city is often used as a rest-stop before heading into the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir, Dalhousie, Chamba, Kangra, Dharamshala, Mcleodganj, Jwalaji, Chintpurni and further into the Himalayas. Many rural students of neighboring states come to Pathankot for education.

Pathankot is well connected by rail and road with the rest of India, and is connected by a vast network of private and public-sector bus services to other cities in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir. Important destinations include Delhi, Manali Chandigarh, Jammu, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and Amritsar.

Therefore, like Capernaum in the time of Jesus, Pathankot serves as a crossroads for travelers—and thus, potentially for evangelism! We have no resources of our own to purchase land and construct a church, so we need the support of our brethren and sisters worldwide to kindly send your generous offerings to build a monument to the Lord in Pathankot, India. “God loveth the cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7), so with this hope we pray to our Lord Jesus to bless each one bountifully.

Your brothers and sisters from the Pathankot Church