Originally named Anand Kilari, he was born on 25 September 1963, in a small village called saripalli in the State of Andhra Pradesh, India, into a Hindu family. His parents were Barnabas and Santhosamma.

His parents converted to Christianity in 1966. Paul became a Christian in March 1971, when he was eight years old. Paul says he travelled with his evangelist father to hundreds of villages in India sharing the gospel with many non-Christians. Paul says that at the age of 19 he entered into the full-time ministry