Medical Work

In 1971, Ernest Komanapalli became ill with Cholera. In the town of Amalapuram medical facilities were terrible so Earnest’s brother in law, who was a doctor, was brought in to treat him. During this ordeal God spoke to Ernest that he has people who have no one to treat them. With the burden laid upon his heart to build a hospital, the foundation for Rev. K. S. Joseph Memorial Hospital was birthed.

On January 23, 1973, The hospital was dedicated to the Lord and was opened to the public. Since then the hospital has opened clinics and conducts rural health care camps throughout the area. It has truly become a blessing to many.

The hospital has specialized and gained much recognition in the area of eye surgery. The hospital conducts on a regular basis free eye camps in the rural areas. Surgeries performed for those who required it. Over the years, many well known doctors have come from all over the world and given of themselves to help many recover their site.

During a Sunday service, a group of lepers entered into the church at Amalapuram, causing a great stir among the people. People stared and were uncomfortable not knowing what to do or how treat. The lepers sat through the service and then came to the altar and accepted the Lord. They came back the following week bringing more lepers who also were saved. This happened for 3 weeks untill communion Sunday.

On that day, as was the custom, a common cup was passed. The cup came back to Pastor Ernest stained with the lepers’ marks. Ernest lifted the cup but hesitated to partake of it. At that very moment the Lord spoke to him saying, " this is the cup I drank from. Every sin was in that cup, every curse was in that cup, every disease was in that cup including leprosy". Something happened in Ernest’s hurt and the stained cup was no longer a cursed cup, but a blessed cup. Ernest drank from it. The Lord baptized the congregation with his love that day.

From that experience was born New Life Center, a community and outreach for lepers. 50 families now living the community and over 250 lepers are treated each day for their disease. Much progress has been made to help them recover and join society again as normal human beings.