Pranitha "Pinky" Timothy, who spent decades fighting bonded labour and human trafficking across South Asia and served as the Lausanne Movement's regional director for the region, died Aug. 9, 2026, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She was 51.
Timothy had been battling a brain tumor for several years, with frequent hospital stays in recent months. She died surrounded by her family, according to an online obituary. She is survived by her husband, a daughter, and a son.
The Lausanne Movement announced her passing on social media, describing her as "a courageous champion for justice whose life and ministry reflected a deep commitment to Christ and to those who were vulnerable and oppressed."
Timothy's work focused on some of the most severe human rights abuses in South Asia. For decades, she worked to free people from bonded labour and human trafficking, helping, according to Lausanne, bring "freedom, dignity, and hope to thousands."
Her advocacy earned her a prominent platform at the Cape Town 2010 Lausanne Congress, after which she joined the movement's leadership as Senior Associate for Justice — a role that later became Catalyst for Freedom and Justice. Most recently she served as Lausanne's regional director for South Asia.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Timothy extended her organizing work beyond anti-trafficking efforts, helping bring Christians together through the Love Your Neighbor Network.
The Evangelical Fellowship of India also issued a statement, saying Timothy had "served with courage and compassion among those affected by bonded labour, human trafficking, imprisonment, poverty and other forms of injustice" for nearly three decades. "Through her work in India and her leadership within the Lausanne Movement, she helped remind the Church that the pursuit of justice, the restoration of human dignity and care for the vulnerable belong at the heart of Christian mission," the statement read.
The EFI and the Lausanne Movement both called on Christians to pray for Timothy's family, friends, and colleagues. The EFI closed its statement with Isaiah 57:2: "Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death."
