Obituary of Chandy T. Mathew

The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "Death is the supreme festival on the road to freedom." On March 8, 2012, Pastor T.C. Mathew, also known as Joychayen, embraced that freedom to live in a places "not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Cor. 5:1) Pastor Mathew was born of February 24, 1940, the son of the late C. Chandy and Rachel Chandy of Kallissery, Kerala, India. He was married to late Annamma Mathew (Lillykutty). He received Christ as his personal savior in his teens and attended the Pentecostal church in Kallissery. After graduating from Marthoma College with a B.A. in Physics, Pastor Mathew earned a M.A. in English literature from the University of Bhopal. While in India, he pursued a successful career as a Professor of English in Kerala and also served as the Secretary and President of the Pentecostal Young People's Association (PYPA). "From his youth, he had a passion for souls and a love for expositional preaching," recalls one admirer who has known Pastor Mathew from his college days. After immigrating to the United States in 1988, Pastor T.C. Mathew earned a M.S. in Special Education from City University of New York and worked for New York City Board of Education. Though he ha a sterling record of academic and professional achievements, he never let those accolades eclipse the higher call of God to preach the Gospel. In 1987 he started Hospital Ministries India (HMI) with a vision to reach the orphans, the lepers, the sick and the down trodden with a message of hope. In the following year, he assumed the pastorate of India Christian Assembly New Jersey and served his congregation faithfully, seizing every opportunity to share the wondrous love of Christ with others. Indeed, he was a living epistle of Christ known and read by his family, friends, neighbors, and parishioners (2 Cor. 3:2). Pastor Mathew served his local congregation as a shepherd leader, being an example to the flock of God entrusted to his care. He was also the founding President of Pentecostal Youth Fellowship of NJ and currently the President of IPC, North America Eastern Region. He was a loving husband, a caring father, and a compassionate servant of Christ. During his earthly pilgrimage, Pastor Mathew delivered hundreds of sermons. His last sermon was a passionate reminder to all believers that the house of God shall be called a house of prayer for all nations (Is. 56:7). What he preached on that day was the plan of God for the church to be a place of hope, healing and reconciliation for people from every tongue, tribe, and nation. How fitting it is that at the summons of his maker, Pastor Mathew went to be with the Lord where the crescendo of praises to God from every nation never ends. Pastor T.C. Mathew is survived by his son Josh and wife, Julie; daughter Julie and husband, Roy; daughter Judy and husband, Jean; daughter Jean and husband, Binu; daughter Juby and husband Bejoy; and nine grandchildren, Mathew, Jeremy, Jessica, Jonathan, Abigail, Sofia, Timothy, Lily, and Gabriella. Survived are also his three brothers, T.C. Koshy, T.C. Itty, T.C. Mathai, and a sister, Susan Maniate. The family will receive friends on Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11 at the India Christian Assembly of New Jersey, 315 State St., Hackensack, from 5 - 9:30 PM. The funeral service will be on Monday, March 12, at 9:00AM, from the India Christian Assembly of New Jersey, with burial following at Maple Grove Cemetery, Hackensack.