Father’s Day Without My Father

Last updated on: June 22, 2025 at 11:23 pm by GFA Staff Writer

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Father’s Day Without My Father 2025-06-22T23:23:29+00:00 GFA Staff Writer

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WILLS POINT, TX – Bishop Daniel, President of GFA World, honors the legacy of his father, KP Yohannan: a life for Christ, inspiring integrity & mission.

My father, KP Yohannan, went to be with the Lord one year ago. I remember him every single day since then — wishing he was here and wishing we could continue some of the conversations we started. As I’ve looked back, I’ve come to realize what a tremendous blessing it was for me to witness how he lived out his faith daily.

One of the most impactful things he modeled for me was how to live a life of integrity. He was the same person at home as he was in public. That consistency is rare, yet it’s one of the most powerful ways a parent can love their children. Every day, my father lived out for my sister and me what it meant to genuinely follow God. Growing up in our home, sharing the Gospel wasn’t just a job; it was a way of life.

Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan, President of GFA World, honors father KP Yohannan's legacy: a life for Christ, inspiring integrity & mission. I watched how, as he got older, his pursuit of God didn’t fade — it deepened. His heart and passion for those who had not heard about Christ only strengthened. He didn’t grow tired of the mission; he grew more consumed by it. And that passion wasn’t just in the gifts he gave or the words he spoke — it was in the life he lived, day after day.

That genuine life is the greatest gift a father can give his children. It’s something we can carry with us and then pass on to our own children, which they will then pass down to their children. Loving our kids means making faith tangible and practical for them. It means showing them what it looks like to live with a passion for those living and dying without Christ and a deep love for God.

That means in the everyday moments — in the car, over coffee, during our prayers — that we live a simple, faithful life by loving God and loving others. In this way, our lives glorify God.

When I think about my father, as much as I miss him, as much as I wish he were still here sitting next to me, there’s also a peace that carries me forward. The same God who was with him is with me. I now have the privilege of continuing this life of love that my father exemplified.

If there’s one thing I wish people would remember about my father, it’s this: He would often say to everyone he met, “Add 100 years to your life — where are you, and what matters in light of that reality?” It was his way of challenging us to invest our lives in eternal things, knowing that only what we do for Christ will last.

He would also urge us not to waste our time. He would tell us, “Don’t give up so easily.” Especially young people — he would plead with them not to wait to serve God. Simplify your life. Use your time. Use your resources. Pray. Give. Go. There’s a world out there that still needs to hear about Christ.

And then he’d often ask the question: What are you now going to do about it?

I hope, by God’s grace, to lead my own children in the same way my father led me. Not by being perfect — my father wasn’t perfect. But by being able to genuinely say to my children, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

A year without my father has taught me how much he’s still with me. His voice still echoes. His lessons still guide me. GFA World, the ministry he founded, still moves forward.

With that in mind, I continue walking and asking myself, “What am I going to do about it?”

I want to respond to that question every day of my life. I pray that my own children and all those impacted by my father’s life will do the same as well.

This article was originally published on The Christian Post on June 15, 2025.

About Bishop Daniel

Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan is the President of GFA World and is consecrated bishop of the Believers Eastern Church. In his role as president of GFA World, Bishop Daniel serves as a primary link between thousands of Christian workers and missionaries serving throughout Asia and Africa and the rest of the church worldwide.

MEDIA: To arrange an interview with Bishop Daniel, contact: Palmer Holt, 704-662-2569, [email protected]

About GFA World

GFA World is a leading faith-based global mission agency, helping national workers bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Africa and Asia, and sharing the love of God. In a typical year, this includes thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, practical care through funds for widows and abandoned children and other vulnerable groups, free medical camps conducted in more than 880 villages and remote communities, over 4,800 clean water wells drilled, over 12,000 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 163,000 needy families, and teaching to provide hope and encouragement in 110 languages in 14 nations through broadcast ministry. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news.

Find out more about GFA World in the video “A Year in Review with K.P. Yohannan.”

Read what George Verwer, Francis Chan, Dr. David Mains and others have to say about GFA World.

Keep encouraged and get your regular dose of challenge through other articles on Patheos by KP Yohannan Metropolitan, or on his blog at kpyohannan.org.

You can learn more about K.P. Yohannan Metropolitan by clicking here.

Learn more about KP Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan): Facebook | SourceWatch | 6 Remarkable Facts | 10 Milestones | Online Memorial