The Minority Welfare Department of Andhra Pradesh has issued an order to demolish the Calvary Temple Church in Guntur district, located in Namburu village of Pedakakani Mandal, after investigations revealed that it was operating illegally. The demolition order is aimed at structures that are running without proper legal permissions.

The controversy surrounding the church escalated after a complaint was lodged in November 2024 with the Prime Minister's Office. The complaint accused the church of operating without necessary approvals from various government bodies, including Panchayati Raj, Revenue, Police, and the Noise Pollution Control Board. Additionally, allegations were made that Pastor Dr. Satish Kumar, the leader of the church, was profiting from donations without paying taxes.

Further investigations uncovered that the church was involved in controversial activities, including claims of converting Hindus to Christianity through methods like distributing groceries to the poor and making misleading claims. Reports indicated that the church, under Pastor Satish Kumar's leadership, was converting around 3,000 Hindus to Christianity each month, a claim that Pastor Kumar himself supported, stating that he had converted more than 3.5 lakh Hindus to Christianity so far. His vision includes expanding to 40 churches across India in the next decade.

The church, which claims to have over 4 lakh members and hosts more than 20,000 attendees weekly, has been accused of illegal land grabbing, creating new churches through questionable agreements, and violating laws. In late October 2024, the Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) reported that the revenue authorities had seized the church, following orders from the Kakinada District Collector.

Calvary Temple, founded in 2005 by Pastor Satish Kumar, is considered one of the largest churches in Asia. Kumar, who runs several institutions like Calvary Bible College, Calvary Hospital, and Calvary School, is known for his significant influence in both religious and political circles, particularly in Andhra Pradesh. He also has a notable presence in international Christian communities, often traveling for missionary work.

Despite the controversy, Satish Kumar's followers view his efforts as a valuable service to the community, although his critics argue that his focus on converting Hindus and fundraising raises serious concerns about his activities.