Annual Gospel Convention – 2015

Anson Thomas
Anson Thomas, aged 48 years, is an ex- Officer from Customs , Mumbai. He served for 20 years in the Indian Customs and took voluntary retirement. He has been doing full time ministry since then.

For the past 23 years, Anson has been involved in the work of uplifting the children and women from the Red Light areas of India. CNN awarded the Real Heroes Award for Women Empowerment to Anson Thomas in 2009 for rescuing over 650 girls from the Red light areas of India. The entire amount of the award money that he received was given to a lady who he had rescued in 1996. Anson, through his persistent efforts has got many brothel keepers convicted and brothels sealed. Due to this, Anson and his family have gone through a lot of threats and allegations from the brothel keepers and vested interests.

Anson is married to Rachel and has two daughters: Rebecca and Ruth. Anson hails from Thonniayamala, Pathanamitta district of Kerala, but is born and brought up in Mumbai. Anson has a post graduate degree in Commerce. He is a member of St. Thomas MarThoma church, Santacruz, Mumbai.

Anson is not just limited to his own church, but has worked for social issues along with the catholic, CSI, orthodox and other churches. He was instrumental in starting Navjeevan Centre, the Marthoma church rehabilitation project for the children from the Red light areas of Mumbai

Anson has started Sports Mission which is the only business enterprise in the world to end slavery. Sports Mission uses its resources to stop human trafficking and other social causes. Sports Mission products like calendars, T-shirts, pins, stickers, badges are sold to create awareness among people to stop human trafficking and to proclaim that “Women are “not for sale”.