About Us
A Brief History
The International Christian Church was established by Pastor C.M Varghese in 1965 after immigrating to the US in his pursuit of higher education. Pastor Varghese had a burning desire to serve the lord wholeheartedly, so he started his first fellowship in Newark, NJ. Eventually that small fellowship became the International Christian Church in 1970. By 1972, the International Christian Church moved to Manhattan, New York.
In 1987, the Church bought its building with Parsonage in Montvale, New Jersey, which is easily accessible for those who live in New York and New Jersey. Our Lord spoke through Pastor Varghese and his Church and started a radio ministry with FEEBA Radio Bangalore to spread the gospel. In 1991, the Pastor went home to be with the Lord, but his ministry remained strong, supported equally by his wife Ponnamma Varghese, and hundreds of parishioners. Thousands of people all over the world are blessed through the various ministries of ICC. Today, the Church remains a place for many families to worship and a great place for fellowship.
Meet Our Pastor
Pastor Varghese A Peter was born and raised in a nominal Christian background in Kerala, India. His father initially descended from a Jacobite family, but later by the grace of God, he was the first from his family to accept Jesus Christ and embrace the Pentecostal faith.
At the age of fourteen, Pastor Varghese A Peter accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He was filled and baptized in the Holy Spirit on the 23rd of April 1976. Later, in obedience to the Lord's commandment, he took water baptism on the 25th of April in 1976. Pastor Varghese A Peter graduated with a Master's in Accounting and moved to Bangalore, India, where God used him in different levels of ministry in the state of Karnataka. While also working at his full-time job, he graduated with a Master's in Theology.
In 1990, he got married to Siji Varghese who was born and raised in Kerala in a Pentecostal family. She graduated with a degree in Accounting at Ahmedabad, Gujarat where she used her God-given talents to serve the Lord. They are both blessed with a son, Sibin Peter, and a daughter, Sneha Varghese. As a family, God blessed them to minister through PYPA, Sunday School, and Village Ministry in leadership, teaching, preaching, and leading worship in the state of Karnataka. In 2014, they immigrated to the United States of America as a family and have been serving the Lord in various ministries as well. Together, they share a heart for the church and have a passion to see hearts and lives changed by the good news of what Jesus has done for them.