ANEEL SOHAIL

Ministry Partners and South Asian Pastor

Born in Pakistan, Aneel grew up in a Christian family. At an early age he became a follower of Jesus and was involved with different small groups at his local church, St. Andrew’s in Lahore. He always felt the calling to serve the Lord, and God gave him different dreams and signs to confirm this. In 2006, he started his theological studies at Sadhu Sundar Singh Church and in 2008 he started serving as a pastor at Sadhu Sundar Church, Lahore, Pakistan.

Most Christians in Pakistan are extremely poor, many are illiterate and work as road sweepers and other low paid jobs. Aneel chose to work teaching the Word of God in poor communities, visiting many in prison and leading youth ministry and church planting with other churches. In 2011, Samina and Aneel were married and together they have three children: Azal, Eva and Samuel.

Targeted by extremists as an evangelist and church planter he was physically attacked and wrongly accused of blasphemy. After hiding with his family for many months, their lives were still in danger, so in 2013 their church encouraged them to flee as refugees to Thailand.

In Thailand, God provided many opportunities for Samina and Aneel to care for refugees, teach the Word and disciple people hiding in the community and also in detention centres. Their family resettled in Canada in 2022 and he continues to pastor a refugee community in Thailand online.

Aneel’s passion is to reach the unreachable by reaching out to the South Asian community living in Canada and specifically in Barrie. He prays that they know the TRUTH and come into Light which is our risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Aneel gets his strength from the Scripture and by connecting with other believers. Serving the Lord in every situation brings joy to him.

Aneel’s favourite verse is Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

This verse reminds him of Jesus freely giving his life for us and that the old is gone and we are new creations in Jesus!

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