Our History

Divine Footprint

The Story of New Life Fellowship

From a small gathering in Mangalore in 1983 to a movement spanning South India, the Middle East and the world.

NLF beginnings — Mangalore 1983
1983
The Beginning — Mangalore

A Vision Born
in Obedience

In 1983, the Lord Jesus Christ laid a burden upon the heart of the late Pastor V.M. Samuel and his wife Somey to leave Mumbai and pioneer a church in Mangalore, Karnataka. What began in a small, faithful way would soon grow into one of the most significant church planting movements in South India.

God gave the late Pastor V.M. Samuel a vision that was both bold and clear — to plant churches throughout Karnataka, one of the most unreached states in South India. He obeyed, and history was made.

1987
Bangalore and Beyond

A Movement
Takes Root

In 1987, the late Pastor V.M. Samuel and Somey entrusted the churches in Mangalore to Pastor Donald and Winnie Menezes and shifted base to Bangalore to lead the church planting movement of the New Life Fellowship.

From Bangalore, the vision expanded beyond Karnataka — reaching into South India, the Middle East and the nations. Under his faithful leadership, the New Life Fellowship grew to oversee more than 120 churches across South India and the Middle East.

NLF Bangalore — 1987
His Conviction
The local church is God's answer to revival — the primary vehicle for reaching the unreached.

— The Legacy of Pastor V.M. Samuel

He was surrounded by stalwart leaders, faithful co-workers and a committed team — all united under one vision: to establish Bible-based, Spirit-filled, Self-Governing and Self-Supporting Churches with a mandate to Grow, Go and Give.

Late Pastor V.M. Samuel — Founder, New Life Fellowship

NLF Leadership 2022
2022
New Season of Leadership

The Mantle
Passes Forward

In March 2022, Pastor T.V. Gopinathan was appointed Chairman of the New Life Fellowship Trust — receiving the Apostolic mantle to lead the NLF movement into its next chapter.

In the same year, Pastor Mathew Abraham and Litty were ordained as pastors, taking on the leadership of NLF City Church in Bengaluru — carrying forward the same vision, values and mandate that has defined NLF for over four decades.

Today

The Legacy Continues

Though the late Pastor V.M. Samuel is no longer with us, the movement he pioneered by faith continues to advance. The churches he planted are still growing. The leaders he raised are still building.

The vision he carried is still being fulfilled — one city, one community, one life at a time. NLF City Church, Bengaluru stands as part of that living legacy — committed to the same vision, the same values and the same God who started it all in 1983.

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