Esther Pricilla Manuel

Founder & Chief Mentor

Esther Pricilla Manuel is the Founder of Upper Room Youth Mission (URYM), a campus ministry that began in 2001. The vision of this mission was born while she was a student leader, leading a campus fellowship where she witnessed many of her peers come to know Jesus Christ. After completing her Bachelor's degree in Electronic Science, she received a clear and compelling call from God on May 5, 1999, to dedicate her life to ministry. This divine calling was affirmed unmistakably, prompting her to take a bold step of faith to begin a fellowship aimed at reaching college students.

What started as a small gathering of six young women in Chennai grew steadily as more students encountered transformation through the Gospel. Over time, URYM expanded its reach across various colleges in Chennai, eventually becoming a registered religious organization in 2006. As the movement gained momentum, God continued to work powerfully among students, and more individuals joined the mission to labor alongside her in fulfilling this vision.

Esther Pricilla served as the President and Chief Mentor of URYM from 2001 to 2022. During her leadership, she played a vital role in establishing the foundation of the ministry and guiding its growth. Her unwavering commitment and fervent prayers were instrumental in bringing spiritual revival to campuses across southern India. She inspired her team to work in unity and led the organization with a strong sense of purpose and vision.

Although she has stepped down from her official roles and responsibilities at URYM, she continues to serve as the organization’s chief mentor, guiding and supporting its vision for the work in India.

Academically, She holds a Master of Divinity from Madras Theological Seminary and a Master of Theology in Applied Theology (Part time) from the University of Wales, England. She is married to Naveen Manuel, and they reside in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Esther Pricilla currently serves with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in Michigan, continuing her passion for campus ministry in a new context.

Justin Leewen John

President & Managing Director

Justin Leewen John has played a pivotal role in spearheading the mission and in actualizing the core vision of URYM. Graduated as an Engineer in Bio-Technology he accepted the call of God in life and came into full-time missions in the year 2008. Being the first missionary to work among the boys there lied a big unbroken ground before him. By the grace of God he trailblazed and set a standard in the campus missions among the boys. He is also a passionate speaker and played key roles as speakers in many conferences and especially in our annual Ablaze camp. He is well known for his ardent, soul-stirring writing skills. He is active in writing biblical truth in a way that is more relevant to the current generation. Currently, He is more focusing on establishing campus mission bases across 100 key cities across India.

He has completed his M.Div from Madras Theological Seminary and currently persuing his M.Th from BILD university. On a personal front he is married to Dr.Blessy Ramalakshmi and lives with his pretty daughter Davina Zacahari in Chennai, India