Well-renowned Pastor Bajinder Singh on Tuesday was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Mohali Court in a 2018 sexual harassment case filed at Zirakpur Police Station. The sentencing of Pastor Bajinder Singh who runs Church of Glory and Wisdom in a Jalandhar village has sent shockwaves among the Christian community as he was not only known to the community but was also famous on social media. Bajinder Singh's fame can be understood by the fact that he enjoys a whopping 1.1 million (while writing) followers on Instagram. Not only this, but when Pastor Bajinder Singh went to Jharkhand, it is said that his session was attended by at least 20 lakh people.
Hence, the imprisonment of Bajinder Singh has sparked a debate and it is said that the Pentecostal movement in Punjab will be hugely dented. As per the information available, Pentecostalism is a branch of Christianity that focuses on a direct, personal connection with God through the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals believe in spiritual gifts such as healing, prophecy, and speaking in tongues (a special prayer language). It is also said that it is in some manner related to conversion.
As per Saintpetermerchantvile.com, the first Pentecost was the day the Holy Spirit filled the Apostles with His divine power in the upper room in Jerusalem and brought about the conversion of 3,000 bystanders who were baptized and entered the Church that day.
Bajinder Singh's sentencing will have some adverse impact on Pentecostal movement
Punjab Christian Movement president Hamid Masih was quoted by TOI who said, "We are not going into the merits of this case, but there is a strong feeling among Christians in the state that anti-Christian forces micro-managed the situation. Bajinder was a big name, and his conviction and sentencing will have some adverse impact on the entire movement, but this will be over soon. He is an excuse, and the real target is Christianity, as it has been growing fast in Punjab and other parts of the country."
Masih also mentioned that while people should be aware of anti-Christian conspiracies, they should also address their shortcomings. "The Christian world is watching the situation closely," he said.
Religious Conversion in Punjab
As per a study conducted by Dr. Ranbir Singh, in just 1.5 years, more than 3 lakh 50 thousand people have converted to Christianity in Punjab. Conversion in villages is increasing at a rapid pace as compared to cities. This claim has been made by Sikh scholar and researcher PhD Dr. Ranbir Singh based on a survey.
Dr. Ranbir Singh, who conducted the study, stated, “Our research found that in the last 1.5 years, 3.5 lakh Sikhs have embraced Christianity. They have changed their names but continue to wear turbans. These figures are derived from an extensive survey conducted across 12,000 villages in Punjab.”
Dr. Singh also mentioned that the official data differs significantly from their findings. While government records indicate lower numbers, his study found that the percentage of Christians in Punjab has increased from 2% in 2011 to 15% in recent years. He emphasized that many of these conversions were driven by fear or coercion.
In the year 2023-24, one and a half lakh people converted, while by the end of the year 2024-25, two lakh people changed their religion. According to the census conducted in the year 2011, out of the total population of 2.77 crore in Punjab, 1.26 percent were from the Christian community, that is, 3.50 lakh people were from this community.