Rev. Sunny Philip, the pastor of Gateway Christian Center Church in Valley Stream, New York, preaches to his congregation. | Courtesy Rev. Sunny Philip
Whenever the founder of New York’s Gateway Christian Center, Rev. Sunny Philip, recalls memories from his childhood in Kerala, India, in the 1960s, he remembers that the first book he ever laid eyes on was the Holy Bible at 6 years old.
Philip told The Christian Post in a recent interview that he will never forget how his devout Christian mother taught him to spend hours every day reading Scripture, praying to God and attending church.
By the time Philip was 13 years old, he already planned his future centered around serving God and others through ministry. He hoped first to attend a non-religious college and then later attend a Bible school in Bangalore with a dream of eventually becoming a pastor.