Bishop Dr. Peter David Silway is the founding pastor and leader of the Vineyard Workers’ of Christ Church (VWC), a charismatic congregation based in Dapodi, Pune, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. He is known in his community as Pastor Peter, and his ministry presents him as a preacher of healing, prayer and personal conversion. This biography draws on the church’s official website, its published ministry descriptions and its sermon channels. Little about him has been reported by independent news organizations or reference works, so the account below is limited to what those sources state and separates the church’s own claims from facts that can be checked elsewhere.
Background and Faith Journey
According to the church’s official “About” page, Peter David Silway was originally a Roman Catholic. The page says he has followed what it calls the vision God gave him from the day he was saved, and it describes him as a charismatic, trailblazing minister. The sources reviewed for this article do not give his date or place of birth, his family background, his schooling or the circumstances of his conversion. Those details are left out here instead of guessed at.
The Vision of September 23, 1989
The church dates its origins to a specific event. Its website says Vineyard Workers’ of Christ Church is the result of Bishop Peter and his wife’s obedience to a vision God gave him on September 23, 1989. A ministry profile published through an app listing says the same year marked the founding of Peter Silway Ministries, and describes his early mission as saving lost souls, healing the sick, loving the brokenhearted and embracing those depressed in spirit.
The church says it grew from a small group of about ten people. In its own words, it is now one of the largest and fastest-growing churches in India, and a third-party directory listing repeats the “fastest growing” description. These are self-descriptions. I did not find an independent attendance count or a denominational census confirming the congregation’s size, so they should be read as the ministry’s claims.
Marriage and Shared Ministry
Silway is married to Dr. Jayashri Peter Silway, who is listed as co-founder and co-pastor. The church says she was born into a Hindu Gujarati family and chose to follow Jesus after what it calls a divine encounter. She serves as his voice in Maharashtra by translating his messages into Marathi, and the church calls her the backbone of the ministry. Together they are identified on the church’s sermon pages as the founding pastors, and the site is offered in English and Marathi.
Teaching Style and Weekly Services
The ministry describes Silway’s preaching as centered on the presence of God and prayer, which the church says take precedence over pleasing people. It also says his messages are confirmed by miracles performed in the name of Jesus. The church’s regular schedule, as published, is a Saturday “Crusade,” also called the Blessing Meeting, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; a Sunday church service from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; a Monday discipleship Bible study from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.; a Sunday youth meeting from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.; and a Monthly Power Prayer.
Sermons are posted on the church website and on the YouTube channel “Ps Dr Peter David Silway Ministries,” where the Saturday meetings are uploaded with recurring titles. Recent sermon titles on the site include “Midwives of Destiny: When Mothers Stand Against the Mandate,” “Together Through the Wilderness: Why the Faithful Endure the Delay,” “Fighting Strongholds” and “Stop Waiting on Luck, Start Waiting on God.” A video titled as a prophetic word for 2021 shows that he also gives annual prophecies, a practice common in charismatic churches.
Healing Claims
The church says that at its Saturday meetings the sick have been healed, the lame have walked, the blind have seen, the deaf have heard, addicts have been set free and the dead have been raised. It points to testimonies from attendees as proof. These are statements of faith by the church and its members. I found no independent medical or journalistic verification of any specific healing, and readers should treat them as testimony and not as established fact.
Charity and Community Work
The ministry says it runs annual projects supporting orphanages, free medical camps and blood donation camps, and that it works with nongovernmental organizations. A section called “Our Works” appears on the church website. Details such as budgets, beneficiaries, partner organizations and dates were not available in the material I reviewed, so the scale of this work cannot be independently assessed.
Titles and Credentials
Silway is presented in different sources as Pastor, Pastor Dr., Dr. and Bishop Dr. The church’s own pages use “Dr.” and “Bishop” for him, and his wife is also called “Dr.” The sources do not say which institution granted the doctorates, whether they are academic or honorary, or which body consecrated him as bishop. Without that information, the titles are best treated as the form of address his ministry uses and not as verified academic or ecclesiastical credentials.
Controversies and Independent Coverage
I found no news reports, court records or investigative articles about Silway or the church, and nothing in the sources reviewed suggests any legal finding against him. The absence of coverage does not mean there are no questions about the church’s claims, but it does mean any allegation without a documented source would be unsupported. This article therefore makes none.
Conclusion
Bishop Dr. Peter David Silway has led Vineyard Workers’ of Christ Church for more than three decades, from a vision he says he received in September 1989 to a congregation that holds multiple weekly services in Dapodi, Pune, and reaches viewers online in English and Marathi. What can be said with confidence is that he is the founding pastor, that his wife shares the ministry’s leadership, that the church publishes regular sermons, and that it describes charitable activity. What cannot be confirmed from outside sources are the congregation’s size, the healings it reports, and the origin of the titles he uses. A fuller and more reliable biography would need his own account of his birth, education, ordination and early ministry, or independent coverage by regional media or church bodies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bishop Dr. Peter David Silway?
He is the founding pastor and leader of Vineyard Workers’ of Christ Church in Dapodi, Pune, Maharashtra, India. His ministry also operates as Peter Silway Ministries and publishes sermons online under the name Ps Dr Peter David Silway Ministries. He is known to his congregation as Pastor Peter.
What is Vineyard Workers’ of Christ Church?
It is a charismatic Christian church in Pune that says it began with a vision given to Silway on September 23, 1989. It describes itself as one of India’s largest and fastest-growing churches, though that claim is not independently confirmed. It holds weekly services and shares its sermons in English and Marathi.
Is Vineyard Workers’ of Christ Church part of the Vineyard movement?
The sources reviewed do not say so. The name resembles that of the Vineyard Movement, but the church describes itself as an independent congregation founded by Silway, and no denominational affiliation was found. Anyone needing to know the church’s formal affiliation should ask the church directly.
Who is Pastor Jayashri Peter Silway?
She is Silway’s wife, the church’s co-founder and co-pastor. The church says she was born into a Hindu Gujarati family and became a follower of Jesus. She translates his messages into Marathi for Maharashtra and is called the backbone of the ministry on its website.
When are the church services?
The published schedule lists a Saturday Crusade (Blessing Meeting) from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., Sunday service from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., a Monday Bible study from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., a Sunday youth meeting from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., and a Monthly Power Prayer. Times may change, so check the church’s official website before attending.
Has Peter Silway been involved in any controversy?
I found no news reports, legal cases or investigations involving him in the sources reviewed. That reflects the sources available and not a guarantee that none exist. Readers who need a definitive answer should check regional news archives and court records.
Where did Peter Silway earn his doctorate and bishop title?
The sources reviewed do not say. The church uses the titles “Dr.” and “Bishop” for him, but they do not name an awarding university, seminary or consecrating body. Those details should come from the ministry itself.
Where can I watch his sermons?
Sermons are posted on the church’s official website and on its YouTube channel, where Saturday Blessing Meetings from several years are archived. The church also lists a podcast and a mobile app, and a Live page on its site streams services.