Almighty God, we praise you for your servant Duraisingh James, who made the good news known in India. Raise up, we pray, in every country, heralds of the gospel, so that the world may know the riches of your love, and be drawn to a saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for having raised up Duraisingh James as a faithful bishop in this Communion, May the memory of his life be a source of joy and strength to those who knew him and may each of us like him confess before the world the name of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
As the Presiding Bishop and on behalf of all the bishops, priest, deacons and faithful baptized in The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches we wish to extend our heartfelt sympathy to the family, clergy and people in India for him his life and witness meant so much.
It was with heaviness of heart that we received word from India this week that our fourth Presiding Bishop Duraisingh James had passed from this earthly life into the eternal presence of the God whom he loved and served with all his heart. We were informed earlier on November 29th, 2019 that +Duraisingh had officially retired from his role in India. In recent years our dear brother has battled challenges with the death of his wife as well as suffering a sever stroke and the ongoing difficulties and suffering this caused. During this time his wonderful family has lovingly cared for him in caring and sacrificial ways and we know he was very proud of them and expressed this on many occasions. We will be eternally grateful for the love and commitment that +Duraisingh showed for our Lord Jesus Christ and the countless lives that have been transformed by the saving message of Jesus Christ that he so faithfully proclaimed.
Duraisingh was received into The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches in the summer of 1997 by our first Presiding Bishop Michael Owen after having previously been ordained as a presbyter in the Church of South India (Anglican Communion) in 1977.
Later that year the Presiding Bishop presented him to the International House of Bishops for discernment for consecration as a Bishop. Prior to the Synod his educational and ministerial references, testimonials, and election of the people in India he represented had all been submitted and reviewed. During the Synod each member of the house of bishops interviewed Reverend Duraisingh. Time was given for private discussion, prayer and fellowship among the bishops. At the conclusion of the House of Bishops Synod his election as a bishop was unanimously affirmed. The announcement was made that the Reverend Duraisingh James would serve as our first Bishop in India. On Sunday, April 19, 1998 the Reverend Duraisingh James was consecrated as a Bishop in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church for The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches. The service was held at Church of the Redeemer in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. During a celebration of The Holy Eucharist with over 300 people in attendance as witnesses of this historic consecration. Duraisingh was nominated by and elected under the CEEC's first Presiding Bishop Michael Owen, and was consecrated by the second Presiding Bishop of the CEEC, Bishop Wayne Boosahda serving as his chief consecrator. His co-consecrators were Bishop Robert Wise and Bishop Jim Beckett. Present at the consecration and serving as Duraisingh's Chaplain that day was CEEC priest Fr. George Landry who was a faithful and constant supporter to the Bishop from the time of his consecration until the day he passed from this earthly life. The bishop often referred to Fr. George as dad. At the time of his consecration he was overseeing 135 congregations in India and and traveling throughout the country holding evangelistic crusades, planting churches and winning people to Christ. During this time he was also was finishing his doctoral studies with the help of the Billy Graham foundation as a scholarship awardee. Throughout the years, Duraisingh was entirely committed to evangelism, church planting, Christian education and attempting to meet social and community concerns and needs. Throughout the years he served as the chairman of the Alpha Indian board with several thousand Alpha courses being taught and conducted. He assisted in alpha courses in all regions in India. He was heavily involved in the My Hope India Project that was sponsored by the Billy Graham Association in which thousands of Christian leaders were trained to follow the Matthew and friends model for evangelism. He served as the director for the Antioch College and Seminary for seminarians who were trained as pastors and evangelists, as well as supporting the Widows Home for widows with monthly medical care and helping with expenses in the event of death. For many years he served as the rector/pastor at St. Thomas' Tamil Cathedral in Secunderabad, India. St. Thomas (SPG) Tamil Cathedral is one of the oldest churches in the city of Secunderabad, India. The church was built in the year 1852 by the British missionary society called the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts which was a mission organization of The Church of England. Duraisingh was put forth and nominated as the fourth Presiding Bishop of The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches by Archbishop Russell McClanahan and was unanimously elected by The International House of Bishops. I know that Archbishop Russ has a deep respect for Duraisingh as he continued to build on many foundations he had laid during his time as presiding Bishop. One of his lasting legacies will always be the bishops that he consecrated in the nation of India. During his episcopal ministry Duraisingh not only established a CEEC presence but passed on the apostolic succession to many other qualified men who oversaw their own networks of believers as autocephalous jurisdictions and who stood within our apostolic succession and in communion with each other. One of the bishops in this linage is Archbishop Reinhard C. Sekar. We are blessed to have Archbishop Reinhard in the IHOB of the CEEC as Archbishop for the Province of St. Thomas in The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches.
The Most Rev. Dr. Chandrasekaran (A) Reinhard C. Sekar is Primate of the Charasmatic Churches of India Archbishop in The Evangelical Episcopal Communion and The Archbishop of The Province of St. Thomas as an extra territorial Province In the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches.
Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to his family and each of the bishops that were consecrated by Duraisingh and the various jurisdictions and networks they represent in India and around the world and our prayers are with them in this difficult time.
We give thanks to God for this wonderful man, a follower of Jesus Christ, a loving husband, father and grandfather, faithful pastor and Bishop. Each of us in The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches feel honored to have known this humble servant of the Lord. May his memory be blessed forever.
Heavenly Father, we pray that you would give courage and faith to all who mourn during this time, give them a sure and certain hope in your loving care, that casting all their sorrow on you, they may have strength for the days of head. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ who lives with you and the Holy Spirit one God world without end. Amen.
Lord of Life and Love, we give you thanks and praise because by the death of our Savior Jesus Christ you destroyed the power of death and by his resurrection you opened the kingdom of heaven to all who believe. Make each of us who are still on our earthly pilgrimage and who walk by faith confident that because he lives we shall live also. In the loss of our brother Bishop Duraisingh James we are reminded that neither death nor life, nor things present for things to come, will be able to separate us from your love in Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God, now and forever. Amen.
