Getting to know Bishop T. Jeyakumar The Bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaysia

STM People

Getting to know Bishop T. Jeyakumar
The Bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaysia

In the early 1980s, a young boy got to know Jesus through the Boys’ Brigade 1st Melaka Company based at Wesley Methodist Church, Melaka. His parents were god-fearing non-Christians – a trait that helped him to be a religious, God-fearing person when he came to know Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour. On 31 December 1983, at a Boy’s Brigade event, he responded to the challenge from the pulpit to be open to God’s calling should it be to join full-time ministry. His simple act of surrender led Bishop T. Jeyakumar to where he is today in the ministry of God.

Bishop T. Jeyakumar, fondly known as Bishop Jeya to many, did not think that God would call him when he offered his life and responded to the calling at the age of seventeen. It was a mere ‘if God calls, I will not resist’ that opened his spirit for God to prepare him for ministry. A few months later, he began to sense impressions that God was calling him into full-time ministry. With encouragement from his pastor, the late Reverend E. T. Suwito, and his church, Jeya took his calling more seriously and made a full surrender.

The first step was to study the word of God. While many encouraged Jeya to go to Singapore to study theology, his pastor, Reverend Wong Onn Thau, encouraged him to study in Seminari Teologi Malaysia (STM). Reverend Wong was confident that Jeya would receive the training he needed in preparation for full time ministry as STM held high academic standards while providing contextualised training that would be useful to anyone serving in Malaysia. Jeya heeded this advice and started his preliminary studies in STM in 1987.

“STM had keen lecturers who prepared us academically for the ministry, which encouraged me to take theological studies seriously. It inculcated in me the inspiration and authority of the Scripture; that the Bible can stand criticisms and scrutiny. I graduated with absolute confidence in the authority of the Bible,” said Bishop Jeya.

Upon graduation in 1991, Jeya began his ministry as the pastor of Wesley Methodist Church, Raub and Wesley Methodist Church, Kuala Lipis in Pahang. He then went on to pastor various local churches across the country over the span of twenty years. He was also the National Youth Director (1993-1996) while he was pastoring a local church. It was not an easy journey in the ministry, but Jeya had learnt to rely on God all the way.

“I realized that I need faithful friends and mentors in this journey. They are people who want to see me do well in the ministry. Every minister of God needs a few people who will rejoice in their accomplishments and encourage him/her in ministry,” shared Bishop Jeya.

In December 2012, he was elected as the President of Trinity Annual Conference where he had to relocate to Petaling Jaya. As the President, he continued to visit and preach at churches across the country – where he initially travelled alone before Grace joined him in his travels when their kids grew up into their twenties.

“Of course, there were painful experiences as well. But I have repeatedly learnt that God is able to make all things work together for good only when I leave the negative experiences and personalities to Him to handle,” added Bishop Jeya who is an avid reader and learner.

In September 2020, Jeya was elected as the Bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaysia where he continues to serve today. As usual, he holds his fellow comrades and colleagues accountable with utmost integrity in the ministry.

“Be faithful to God and the people you minister to. Be faithful in the ministry. Be holy in your life. Laziness is not part of holiness.” –that is what Jeya would like to remind the servants of God in the ministry.

STM congratulates T. Jeyakumar on his election as the Bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaysia and wishes him blessings and anointing from God to keep at the good work.