Friday, August 13th

In 1993, 32 years ago on Friday, August 13th, I understood the depth of God's call to Abram (Abraham). The call, "Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you," was a command to leave his comfort zone in obedience to God.

Having been released by the Methodist Conference in 1984 to serve full time at Dev Suwa Sevawa, an institute founded by my late father for the ministry of healing, I intended to serve in the same place, comfort zone, for the rest of my life. A released minister in the Methodist Church means the person is full time committed to the work in the institute he serves; he is not appointed by the Methodist Conference to be in any committees; he is not appointed to hold any office in the administrative structures of the church; he is not transferable to any Circuits for pastoral work. 

In 1989 and 1990, I followed the Clinical Pastoral Education courses (Basic and Advanced Units) at Auckland Public Hospital and North Shore Hospital, Sydney and obtained my Membership in the New South Wales College of Clinical Pastoral Education.

 On my return to the healing institute, I was fully geared to move forward with my new learnings in the healing ministry under the leadership of my father. However, with the sudden decision of my father to retire from the healing ministry he founded, the leadership of the same was thrust upon me (the younger son) by the governing body of Dev Suwa Sevawa. Having sought wise counsel from two of my senior colleagues (both now deceased) in the Methodist Church and an Anglican clergyman who was my seminary batchmate, my wife Sharmila and I prayerfully decided to give my consent to lead the healing ministry. 

Things started moving smoothly after my takeover of the leadership. People who had worked with my father from the inception of the institute rallied round me with full strength. Not a single person withdrew from the ministry, which was an encouragement to me. 

My wife, Sharmila, always partnered with me in God's ministry. Her call to the ministry of healing was not because she was my wife. Before our marriage, she felt called to God's ministry. She, a qualified Gemmologist, did not pursue a career that could have paid her so well. Instead, she joined the healing ministry as a volunteer. She was already equipped for the ministry of healing that God entrusted her with even before our marriage. 

​"When I took over the leadership, a vision for sustainable changes to foster stronger teamwork gained momentum. We aimed to widen our scope beyond a small group, embracing the 'gifts of healing' as described in 1 Corinthians 12."

Sharmila and I revived the ministry of the healing home, which was a main feature that was in the original vision of my father. But very strangely, right from the inception, it had different types of conflicts, and drawbacks could not function, which finally led to its closure. ​Our well-furnished, six-bedroom facility provided ample space for people seeking a serene atmosphere to relax and recover through prayer, counseling, and therapeutic residential care. We even had a Christian physician on call. 

People with addictions and various ailments, including depression and grief, were kept in the healing home for intensive pastoral care, enabling them to experience miraculous healing. Those who were terminally ill were prepared for a peaceful death, with the focus on bringing wholeness to every person. 

But by the turn of 1993, things began to move over to a path of spiritual conflict and disagreements within the ministry. One of the cardinal tenets of my father's to run the healing ministry was not to ask for money from anyone but to trust in God's supply and providence. He wanted it to be a home of healing run by faith and not by money. I remember how he invited people in the Seeduwa Circuit (the last Circuit he served before founding the healing home), “Come at any time to the healing home to eat from the 'එක හැලියේ බත්” same pot of rice. The beautiful land overlooking the Bolgoda Lake and the solid buildings that are there are a testimony of God's providence through unsolicited offerings of people. To feed and care for people who stayed for a few days or weeks in the healing home took place on the same principle. Some stayed and left without giving a thank offering. But God covered their residential expenses through another who gave a larger thank offering in the following month, which was big enough to defray the cost of feeding several people. According to the accounting practice, at the end of the month, we could be in the red. But in the practice of Faith, it was a point of praying and waiting for God's providence. Unfortunately, the governing committee did not stand together with me in continuing with the concept of a residential healing home; they insisted that my wife should withdraw from being in charge of the healing home, to which Sharmila and I humbly agreed. Unfortunately, some of the members of the same committee were people who were personally blessed through the ministry of the healing home. One evening from six p.m. to the following day at three a.m. I was seated with a senior colleague of mine. We prayed, we wrestled together, and I realised that my journey with Dev Suwa Sevawa cannot be continued. We both realised that there was a divided loyalty issue. When my decision to leave was conveyed to the committee, they disagreed and wanted me to continue. However, day by day, the conflicts were coming up. Decisions could not be made with one mind. I discerned that the powers of darkness had attacked the ministry of healing. We could not function to bring healing to others. 

On the 12th of August 1993 Sharmila and I together with our two Children, eleven and nine, went to the river bank at Subodhi in Piliyandala to wait in prayer in preparation for a special general meeting of the Dev Suwa Sevawa Society to be held on 13th August 1993.

 ​The Lord spoke to us there through the scriptures, saying, "BE READY TO BE CRUCIFIED"—in other words, "be ready to give up everything."

When the Special General Meeting commenced on the 13th August, it was obvious that what the Lord had spoken to us the previous evening was true. I slowly walked into my office and began to write my resignation without indicating to anyone except my wife. We did not know where we were going to reside and what my future place of ministry would be. ​A couple walked into my office and asked, “Are you resigning?” My answer was, “Yes.” “If so, the Lord has spoken to us to give you our house in Dehiwala, even from tonight. You can live as long as you want.” Hallelujah! That was a miraculous confirmation from the Lord that he was calling me, Sharmila and the two children to move out of my comfort zone. We had to reaffirm our faith in the God who said “my grace is sufficient for you.” As a family we learnt to realign our lives by entering into the itinerant ministry in the Methodist Church Sri Lanka. Now in my retirement I am filled with awe in seeing what great things God has done. 

After thirty two years I have written this testimony to be published in my blog to bring glory to God and to encourage every one who may have similar struggles when serving God. The God who calls us is ever faithful. He never makes mistakes. It is our obligation to discern and obey His will, even to be crucified. In such episodes one has to remember that there is an empty tomb to be encountered beyond the crucifixion experience . 

“To God be the glory great things he has done”