In 2011, during the month of April, Pastor Pradeep Stephen and his wife Kiruba Stephen were led by the Lord to begin holding weekly Bible studies at their home to minister to people who suffered from drug addiction, alcohol addiction, physical illness, severe depression and anxiety. The Lord began moving in a powerful way in the midst of those who attended the Bible study every Friday. People who were bound for many years to various sin and sicknesses began to receive healing in their bodies and mind by the power of the Holy Spirit. As a result they started bringing their friends over each Friday. Within a short time, Pastor Pradeep Stephen had the joy of baptizing four people, whose lives were transformed by the power of Jesus Christ through their ministry. As more people came to their home for the Bible Studies, people also joined the services from various parts of the United States and from overseas through Google Talk, Skype and Telephone conferencing. The Lord also baptized the people with His Holy Spirit during the Bible study at their home.

In November 2011, the Lord gave Pastor Kiruba the name El Bethel International Ministries for the ministry. The Stephen family provided financial sponsorship for the production of El Bethel International Ministries’ first music audio CD. The songs were composed and sung by Pastor Pradeep Stephen and his wife Kiruba Stephen. On their trip to India in December 2011, the CDs were dedicated and distributed in India. The profits from the CDs were entirely given to the orphans in India.

In January of 2012, the weekly Friday Bible study grew and Bible Studies for men and women began on Tuesdays and Wednesdays via telephone conferencing in addition to the weekly Friday Bible Studies at their home.

In March of the same year, during a period of fasting and prayer, the Lord led them to officially form the Board of Directors and register the ministry. Though our weekly Bible Studies continued during this time, we stopped using Google Talk and Skype due to connectivity issues and started streaming our services live through our website. We also started broadcasting our message of hope and peace that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ through the Home Coming Gospel radio station (WLSG), a local station in North Carolina, which broadcasts locally and internationally through satellite radio.

In March 2012, El Bethel International Ministry became a registered 501(c)(3 ministry and started to minister to the Homeless at the Bowery Mission.  The ministry team shared the message of hope to the people who were in despair through preaching of the Word and by using their voices and musical instruments. They also provided winter coats for the homeless men during the Christmas season. Pastor Stephen and his wife started Sunday evening services at their home. All their services were streamed live from their website and telephone conferencing was provided for those who were unable to have access to the Internet. In order to reach the unreached, El Bethel International Ministries used internet, radio (short wave, AM, FM and Satellite) and Satellite Television to send the message of hope throughout the world in English, Hindi, Tamil, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and German.

From January 2013 to August of 2015, EL Bethel International Ministries has ministered to thousands of people in nursing homes, homeless missions, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in about 25 States in the United States and Canada bringing the life- changing gospel message of the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Many have been saved and healed through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has filled many with the baptism of the Holy Spirit during their services in various places.

In 2014, the Lord opened the door for El Bethel International Ministries to transition from conducting Sunday evening services at the Stephens’ home to holding chapel services for the men at the Harlem Bowery Mission’s Men’s Life Transformation Center, NYC. Many men were ministered to and were blessed by the anointed worship and the Word of God during our services. Since March of 2014, ELBIM has sponsored a weekly Bible Study at the local YMCA in Middletown, NY to minister to the needy in the community.

During the early part of 2015, the Lord spoke to the leadership of ELBIM regarding the establishment of a local congregation in Orange County. After much prayer and clear leading from the Lord to begin the work in Port Jervis as well as the expressed interest of some residents of Port Jervis seeking for spiritual, physical and emotional assistance through the ministry of ELBIM, the Board happily welcomed the idea of having regular Sunday morning church services in Port Jervis NY.

Though El Bethel International Ministries was functioning as a church in having consistent weekly services and provided pastoral care for its members during the past 5 years, it did not call itself a church, but rather a ministry until God very clearly directed the leadership and the board to take on the title of a church. Since then, El Bethel International Ministries has not only continued functioning as a church and but now is recognized as ELBIM Church. In Port Jervis, the church services were held for three months in the home of our team members brother Stanley and sister Gincy, after which the Lord opened the door for us to hold our church services on Sunday afternoons at 3:00pm at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Port Jervis, NY. The Holy Communion is served on every 3rd Sunday of each month during the Sunday church service. Our church leadership has a passion from God to reach the lost and bring healing to the broken hearted through the message of the cross and therefore continue minister regularly at the homeless missions, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers.

EL Bethel International Ministries depends on the life-transforming message and power of Jesus Christ to deliver many people from various addictions and illnesses and to nurture and disciple them through sound Biblical teachings, so that their lives may be productive and fulfilling. ELBIM’s mission is to love people and show them how to love others as Jesus has loved them by good deeds. 

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35