I met Rev. Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo for the first time at a church in London in 2008 when I was a theological student in England. On that night at a London church, he eloquently reported on the persecution of Christians around the world and the challenges of religiously inspired terrorism in the West and beyond. His highly clear, articulate, and persuasive communication style greatly inspired my mind and touched my heart.
In subsequent years, I got to know Patrick as an individual through personal interactions and as an intellectual through reading his books. Patrick had a high academic capacity for writing books and exceptional organizational skills to lead a large charity, which he was also a founder of. He was uniquely gifted to simultaneously engage with the academic world and arrange distribution of relief among persecuted Christians. If his mind was occupied with complex intellectual ideas, his heart would be burning with sheer compassion for the persecuted church. The breadth and depth of his knowledge was also very wide-ranging. He could preach expository sermons at Christian leaders’ gatherings and deliver lectures on Jihadist ideologies and global security in military settings. And he would not disappoint his audience in either context. His ability to distill complex ideas into a clear, concise, and comprehensive speech would captivate the audience.
Patrick Sookhdeo was an outspoken and brave advocate of the persecuted church. Through his words and actions, he expressed resolute solidarity with the majority world Christians who were hated for no reason except for their faith in Christ. He led initiatives in providing food, housing, education, legal aid, and other forms of support to suffering brothers and sisters all over the world. These acts of compassion and support were performed irrespective of a Christian community’s denominational background. That is why he was much loved and appreciated by Christian leaders in Asia whether Anglican, Orthodox, Brethren, or Pentecostal. His courage, determination, and encouragement for the suffering members of the body of Christ won him great admirers among the majority world Christian leaders.
As an Asian in Britain, Patrick often seemed to wrestle with the question as to where his true home was, where he truly belonged, and where he truly felt at rest. The news of his physical death is indeed a very sad one and his passing away is a major loss not only for his family but also for persecuted Christians in hard places of the world. Nevertheless, we can find comfort in the knowledge that Patrick has now entered his heavenly home to be with Jesus. That is the place he truly and eternally belongs to and is fully at rest in our God’s glorious presence and in the joyful company of his saints.
With gratitude for his life and legacy,
Rev. Tariq Waris
Co-Principal – Full Gospel Assemblies Theological Seminary
Spokesman – Full Gospel Assemblies of Pakistan