Priest-in-Church
Rev Canan John Ganapathy
E-mail: revganapathy@gmail.com
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我于1979年完成五年神学课程，在西马教区被按立为会吏，开始我全职传道生涯至今已40年了。回忆神的呼召及恩佑，把本是个平凡乡下人的我，改变成牧师及荣休会督，我不得不引用保罗的话：“然而我今日成了何等人，是蒙神的恩才成的。” (林前15:10上）
感谢神让我生长在一个小康之家。因父母非常虔诚爱主爱教会，我自小受他们影响，常参与及热爱教会活动和教导。中学毕业后，我工作三年。在1973年的教区青年营里，透过讲员信息而蒙圣灵感动，我决志全职事奉。经过多方查证和考虑，我获准进神学院深造。回应呼召的过程虽遇波折及困扰，神依然适时给与保守及供应我。
我全职事奉开始的几个月是在槟城牧会。被按立为会吏后，我到怡保牧会六年半及被按立为牧师。过后我在吉隆坡牧会五年半，被调派到关丹三年。最后，我回来槟城再牧会二十四年多，被委任为助理主教，直到今日荣休也继续协助牧会。
这40年的牧会生涯，我虽没有什么轰轰烈烈的光辉成就，但却深深体会到：只要我们肯凭信心顺服神的呼召，祂必定供应才干、能力、时机及资源等。让我们献上自己，完成神的圣召。正如耶稣当日对门徒说：“要收的庄稼多，作工的人少。所以，你们当求庄稼的主，打发工人出去收他的庄稼。”（太9:37-38）。今日神依然向跟随祂的人有同样的呼召！大家要如何回应祂的呼召呢？
主仆彭赐贤会督写于31/07/19
When I was 16, my brother and I attended a Methodist Youth Retreat organized by the Tamil Methodist Church, Taiping which was held in Bukit Larut. It was at this retreat that I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour. I was a Methodist then.
Then the whole family was transferred to Kota Baru, Kelantan. There was no Methodist Church there; we had to settle for the nearest church and that was St. Martin’s Church. Since my parents were too poor to assist in my tuition and other related educational fees, I approached the church leadership to take up the post of being a “caretaker,” a sort of verger in the church to which they readily accepted. It was while “working” in the church, that I experienced a dream or a vision of Christ one night. It was difficult then and it is still now; to determine whether that was a dream or a vision. In the dream/vision, I was stark naked and hiding behind a huge rock, very much like Adam and Eve hiding from God in Eden! Christ came looking for me and kept calling my name, “Jason, where are you? I AM calling you” I inquired about it from one visiting Anglican clergyman and he said that perhaps Jesus is calling me into the full-time ministry. He told me to try it out.
So, following the MCE/SPM examination, I applied to Bishop Savarimuthu to join the seminary. I was invited to attend the Ordination & Evangelistic Workers committee for an interview but was rejected. The committee wanted me to pursue HSC/STPM studies and apply again after that. I felt hurt and disappointed and began questioning the call. But, God did not give up on me and He instilled in me the passion and determination to serve Him. To cut a long story short, I was accepted by the said Committee and started my theological studies in STM and here I am now after almost 40 years still serving God and His Church.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Jason Selvaraj
我生长在基督教家庭，祖母虔诚信主，但父母由于工作极少到教会。我参加主日学，听圣经故事，明知有神及耶稣爱我，但没有服从神。少年的我离开教会结交损友，染上不良习惯。舅舅邀请我参加圣公会少年团，我就在少年福音营信主，积极事奉并追求圣经及灵性长进。16岁那年，我在青年营听道后，回应全职服事的呼召，并将这承诺存在心中。
念完大专，我向牧师表态有意读神学。牧师为我拿了入学表格，但家人却认为我当先工作，回馈他们的养育之恩，并累积职场经验。我献身之事就此搁下。回到家乡，我工作、买车子、置房子、娶妻子、生孩子，一转眼就7年了。
一天，我收到一位弟兄的信，提醒我神要使用我建立教会扩展神国，并要我在祷告中留心神的声音。1994年的一夜，我向神说，“若全职服事是袮给我的呼召，请给我一个印证。”不久，我被圣灵充满，体温升高，心中充满光明，并有说不出的喜乐！我知道这是神的印证。我也列了清单来更确定神的引领：我确定在圣经中，神在不同时代呼召人；我在祷告中感觉平安，圣灵给我力量服事祂；我看见神在我的经历中预备我。我也询问牧师、属灵长辈及神学院老师。在他们的肯定下，我进入新加坡神学院就读。毕业后，我回圣公会西马教区接受按立差派去牧会。
如今我服事了20年。我满心感恩，因神引领我，让我成了何等的人，能参与祂的救赎计划、引人归主、建立破碎家庭并牧养教会。
Since my retirement as Diocesan Bishop at the end of March 2007, God has been faithful in caring for us over the twelve years.
I was asked to serve as the Chairman of St. Mark’s Cozy Home for a year and Honorary Acting Vicar of All Saints’ Church for more than two years during my retirement. At the same time, I am down to take Holy Communion Services (English and Cantonese) on the third Sunday of every month, if I am in Kuala Lumpur.
Soon after our retirement, we felt God leading us to look after our grandchildren. Besides caring for our three grandchildren on my son, Stephen’s side, we also go down to Singapore to care for our daughter, Irene’s two daughters. Amy had to spend three months for the elder granddaughter, (now 12 years old) and six months for the younger daughter (now 10 years old) until they were able to be sent to the child care centre in Singapore. Over in Kuala Lumpur, we helped to look after Tobias (16 years old), Gaby (12 years old) and Tabitha (10 years old) during the day.
We thank God for our children who have taken us on holidays to Vietnam, China, Europe and Korea over different years. We feel blessed by them for the care we shower by looking after our grandchildren.
We thank God for blessing us with good health, in spite of my diabetes for over 25 years and Amy having two surgeries. With well-monitored medical check-ups every three or two months and careful management of our savings and God’s guidance, we are able to meet our expenses over the years.
Each day we spend time with God in prayer, read His word and seek His guidance for our daily work, our family and happenings around us and in the world. I am also able to find more time to read books and commentaries to study the Bible in depth.
We are grateful to God who keeps us occupied each day and who is able to meet our needs even though we go through difficult times or sickness. As we honour Him, He will honour His servants: this is our faith in our ministry.
Lim Cheng Ean
5 June 2019