Pastor Abraham Swamidass is the pastor of the Madison Community Seventh-day Adventist Church. He was born in the city of Madurai in Southern India. He attended Spicer Memorial College in Poona (near Bombay), the only Seventh-day Adventist College in India, where he graduated with a BA in theology in 1980.

For two years he served as pastor of a four church district in South India and then went to the Far Eastern Theological Seminary in the Philippines where he received a Master’s degree in Church Ministry in 1983. After graduation he came to Toronto, Canada and worked as a literature evangelist in selling bible story and health books produced by Loma Linda, California. His summer efforts earned him a full scholarship to Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

Perhaps the greatest moment while Andrews University came when he met his future wife, Joan. Joan is also of East Indian descent, but she grew up as a third-generation immigrant, in St. Vincent in the Caribbean Islands. Abraham and Joan married after their graduation in 1985 at the Pioneer Memorial University Church. They spent a year teaching on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Abraham continued to travel around the globe, as his church assignments took him to Washington, DC as associate pastor for seven years, followed by Windsor, Canada, as senior pastor, prior to coming to Madison seven years ago.

Having acquired a doctoral degree in family ministry in May of 2010, Dr. Swamidass now conducts Marriage and Family Life seminars in cities across North America in addition to his pastoral duties in Madison. His preaching assignments took him to Bulgaria and recently to Guam.

Abraham and Joan have been married for 25 years and are the proud parents of three sons: Rajesh (24), Sanjay (22), and Ravi (13). Pastor Swamidass says, “I particularly like the community spirit here on the North-side where people are friendly and committed to progress and meeting people’s needs. In fact, I thank God every day for sending me to this community and congregation.”