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'''Sister Sarah Navaroji''' (12 May 1938 – 22 July 2014) was a South Indian evangelical preacher and the founder of the Zion Gospel Prayer Fellowship Church.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.zgpfchurch.com/|title=ZGPF Church|website=www.zgpfchurch.com|access-date=2020-04-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.christianmessenger.in/sister-sarah-navaroji-enters-heavenly-rest/|title=Sister Sarah Navaroji enters heavenly rest|date=2014-07-22|website=Christian news, views and interviews|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref> She was one of the few influential women Christian leaders of South Indian Pentecostalism.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ebenezer|first=Paul|title=Facets of Contemporary History|publisher=MJP Publishers|year=2019|isbn=|editor-last=Thilakavathy|editor-first=M|location=Chennai, India|pages=297|chapter=A Critical Inquiry of Women's Empowerment in Pentecostal Movement Using Augustus Cerillo's Functional Approach|editor-last2=Maya|editor-first2=R.K}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Navaroji was born in 1938 in [[Madurai]], India, the fourth daughter in the family.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Maggi|first=Mary|title=Historical and Literary Aspects of the Songs of Sister Sarah Navaroji (PhD Thesis)|publisher=University of Madras|year=1999|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Her parents are Solomon Asirvatham and Soundaram.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Samuel|first=R|title=Lily Among Thorns: Life and Ministry of Sister Sarah Navaroji|publisher=Zion Gospel Prayer Fellowship Church|year=2012|isbn=|location=Chennai, India|pages=}}</ref> Navaroji’s father was a violinist and a [[Carnatic music]] teacher. He named her after the [[Carnatic raga]] [[List of Janya ragas|Navaroj]].<ref name=":1" /> He passed on his passion for Carnatic music to his daughters. Navaroji demonstrated her abilities in Carnatic music from the age of three.<ref name=":2" /> She lost her father at the age of ten, and her mother raised the four children as a single parent while teaching at a school in Madras.<ref name=":1" />

== Career ==
After completing high school, Navaroji worked at the Madras Electricity Board until 1960.<ref name=":1" /> She resigned her position there to join the [[The Pentecostal Mission|Ceylon Pentecostal Mission]] (CPM). There she was tasked with composing Tamil Christian devotional songs.<ref name=":1" /> In total, Navaroji composed 396 Tamil Christian devotional songs.<ref name=":0" /> Her songs are sung by Tamil Christians across denominations in many parts of the world.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lawrie, Deva Evu.|first=|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/989968476|title=Endtime Messages for the Bride of Christ With the Biography of Bro. Paulaseer Lawrie.|date=2017|publisher=Partridge Pub|year=|isbn=978-1-4828-8997-0|location=|pages=65|oclc=989968476}}</ref> They have also been translated into [[Hindi]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Malayalam]] and [[Marathi language|Marathi]]. She was referred to as "the celestial singer" by evangelist [[D. G. S. Dhinakaran|D.G.S Dhinakaran]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gnanakan|first=Christopher|url=http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/254/1/uk_bl_ethos_434239.pdf|title=Charismata and Compassion: Dhinakaran, Charismatic Healing and Pastoral Pentecostalism in South India - A Practical Theological Assessment (PhD Thesis)|publisher=The University of Leeds|year=2006|isbn=|location=|pages=88|access-date=}}</ref> Her songs were regularly broadcast by the national radio, [[All India Radio]]. She also had a contract with [[HMV]]. They produced and distributed her music in vinyl and cassette formats.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Augustine|first=Seline|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/divine-notes/article2615104.ece|title=Divine notes|date=2011-11-10|work=The Hindu|access-date=2020-04-25|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

After two years at CPM, Navaroji started a small prayer fellowship which eventually evolved into the “Zion Gospel Prayer Fellowship” church at Kilpauk, Chennai. She had no formal training in music or Bible studies or theology.<ref name=":1" /> She was an ardent follower of Pentecostal doctrine.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bergunder|first=Michael|title=The South Indian Pentecostal Movement in the Twentieth Century|publisher=Wm.B.Eerdmans|year=2008|isbn=|location=Grand Rapids, MI|pages=385}}</ref> Navaroji remained celibate all through her life, but spiritually, she believed to be wedded to Christ.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hoerschelmann, Werner.|first=|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/40632478|title=Christian gurus : a study on the life and work of Christian charismatic leaders in South India|date=1998|publisher=Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute|year=|isbn=|location=|pages=122|oclc=40632478}}</ref>

She also travelled extensively, preaching and holding gospel meetings in many parts of [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name=":1" /> Between 1969 and 1975, she conducted gospel meetings every summer in Madras for 7–10 days. She also travelled to many countries with [[Tamil diaspora]]. She preached the gospel through music.<ref name=":1" /> Many of her lyrics come straight out of Bible verses, with praises to the divine and godly wisdom for living a righteous life. Her songs unveiled the Biblical scriptures in similes and metaphors to make it easy for ordinary people, even the uneducated, to relate and understand. Many leading Christian leaders of today are a result of her ministry.<ref name=":1" />

== Recognition and awards ==
In 1998, The International Institute of Church Management, Rhode Island, USA recognized Navaroji's contribution to Christian devotional music and awarded her an honorary Doctor of Divinity.<ref name=":1" />

== Death ==

She died on July 22, 2014 at the age of 76.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Navaroji, Sarah}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]

Sarah Navaroji - Revision history

imported>Wizardman: cleanup, added orphan tag