It was 30 years ago when the founder of the Queens-based Second Chance Church, Pastor Bickram Sudesh Singh, was involved in a serious car accident. We sat down with him to find out more about how it inspired him to help others and his experience buying insurance through CoverWallet.
What inspired you to start your own church?
Just a couple of months after I got married 30 years ago, I was involved in a serious car accident in Guyana, South America. We hit a tree, and I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. My face hit the windshield, and the broken glass severely damaged my face. I needed 252 stitches on my face alone, and at just 21 years old I was left completely blind. I became very suicidal, and about two weeks after the accident, a woman from the local church, Lynette Hetsberger, came to the hospital and prayed for me. The next day, when the nurse took the bandages off my eyes I could see again.
Even though I had gone to church before the accident, miraculously regaining my sight allowed me to truly know God in a way I never had before. That experience completely changed my outlook on life and inspired me to dedicate myself to God. I worked as an associate pastor in an established church for almost 30 years after that, but I had this lingering sense that I still had more to do. Everyone told me I was crazy to start my own church from the ground up, but I really felt it was what God wanted me to do so, with my wife and our family by my side, I opened Second Chance Church in March of this year.
What’s the best part about having your own church?
Having my own church has given me a wonderful sense of fulfillment. We have a very diverse, inclusive congregation of people from all different backgrounds, but the thing they all have in common is that they’re searching for a second chance. Most of them have been shunned everywhere else, so Second Chance Church has become a place of refuge for them.
After overcoming so much adversity, what advice do you have for someone going through a difficult time?
I encourage everyone, no matter what they’re going through, to know that God is a shoulder to lean on and that when you can’t walk He will carry you.
How did you discover CoverWallet?
I was searching on Google for insurance and came across your website. After I put in my information I got a call right away; the customer service representative was very helpful and knowledgeable, so I would definitely recommend CoverWallet to anyone else looking to find insurance.
Second Chance Church is located at 111-49 Lefferts Blvd, South Ozone Park, NY. If you’re in the area Pastor Sudesh encourages everyone to stop by, you can also find more information at www.secondchancenyc.com
Disclaimer: CoverWallet is not affiliated with/endorse any religious organization, this is the personal account of a CoverWallet customer