Rev. Jeyaraj

Rev . Earl Daniel Jeyaraj

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

Rev . Earl Daniel Jeyaraj , 61, loving husband, father, grandfather, and beloved Pastor of New England Tamil Church (Boston, MA) and Indian Christian Fellowship (Hartford, CT), entered into God's glory on Monday, April 27, 2020.

Earl was born as the fourth child of the late Rev . Yesudian and Mrs. Rajamma Jeyaraj in the little village of Kanakka Pillai Valasai in Tamil Nadu, India, on May 27, 1958. He grew up in a Pentecostal Christian home where he learned to obey the Scriptures and love Jesus. During his youth, Earl accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and took water baptism in obedience to God's Word. He had a gentle spirit and was a very studious child. He went to St. Johns College in Palayamkottai to begin his college studies, however a near-death encounter during a college campus riot, prompted Earl to reconsider his purpose and calling in life. After much prayer and seeking wise counsel from his parents, he chose to follow God's calling into the ministry.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Theology from Southern Asia Bible College in Bangalore, India, in 1981, Earl began his ministry at the AG Memorial Church in KPV as an assistant Pastor and worked with his parents in the AG Industrial School. He then went on to obtain his Masters at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, MO, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA. Earl made a significant impact in the lives of countless young ministers in training while he served as a faculty member and Dean of Students at the AG Tamilnadu Bible College in Madurai for nine years. His pupils fondly remember his natural humor and practical wisdom in the classroom. He trained over 200 students to spread the Gospel.

Earl married Vimala Thomas on January 21, 1988, and God blessed their happy union with two lovely daughters, Belinda and Sharon. A family man-Earl was a devoted and caring husband and father who taught his children to love God and obey Scriptures through the exemplary life he lived. Rev . Jeyaraj and his family followed God's lead to the Greater Boston Area in 1995. God gave Rev . Jeyaraj a vision to serve the Southern Asian community in the New England area. Thus, he founded the New England Tamil Church (Stoneham, MA) in 2001. After much hard work, prayer, and sacrifice, God led him to plant a second church, the Indian Christian Fellowship of Greater Hartford. He worked tirelessly to shepherd these two congregations, often commuting several hours on weekends to serve both communities.

Earl Jeyaraj left an indelible mark on the lives of the people he encountered. Rev . Jeyaraj's legacy as a spiritual guide will be that of a humble and passionate witness for Christ who gave everything to answer God's call. Rev . Jeyaraj loved God. He loved his family. He loved the Church. He loved all people. He will be remembered by many as a faithful and obedient servant of Christ, a man of integrity, a loving husband to his wife of 32 years, an affectionate father and godly role-model to his children, an adoring grandfather, caring brother, compassionate friend and inspiration to many. Please pray for the family he has left behind - his wife and two daughters, son-in-law Gabriel (Belinda), granddaughter Laura, three older brothers, Robert (Pat) of New Delhi, Steve (Nirmala) of KPV, and Ebby (Hepzi) of Madurai, and one younger sister, Helen (Benjamin Adam) of Madurai. We covet your prayers for the two churches he established in New England; the New England Tamil Church in Boston, and Indian Christian Fellowship in Hartford, Connecticut.