Dear SDA Reform Movement family,
May the peace of God be with you.
It is with deep sorrow that we inform you that Brother Duraisamy Sureshkumar went to his rest in the Lord in the early hours of Thursday, August 27, 2020.
Brother Sureshkumar passed away peacefully in his sleep while visiting his daughter and her family in Texas with his wife and youngest daughter. His son and his family had spoken to Brother Sureshkumar last night. None had any indication that he would not awaken the next morning.
By God’s grace, we as believers are confident that he will indeed awaken with renewed vigor when the voice of the Lord mightily raises His faithful children at the special resurrection in harmony with the precious promise of Revelation 14:13.
Brother Sureshkumar will be greatly missed by his immediate and extended family, as well as by the worldwide church family whom he deeply loved. We recognize his tremendous, longtime contribution to our organization—starting in India and neighboring countries in Asia, beginning in 1976.
After his ordination as a minister of the SDA Reform Movement in 1984, Brother Sureshkumar was called to serve as the GC Regional Secretary in Asia, where for several years, he worked with tact and discretion in societies imbued with harsh hostility against Christians.
He also served as the GC 2nd Vice President from 1995 to 1999 and 1st Vice President from 1999 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015. As the General Conference President from 2003 to 2011, Brother Sureshkumar continued working tirelessly with his characteristic energy and zeal for the benefit of the Lord’s flock around the world. His travels were nearly nonstop, and his cheerful smile of enduring faith will ever glow in the hearts and minds of all who knew him.
He also served for years as a champion of religious liberty in the GC Legal Department and was elected as the Regional Secretary for North America in 2015, laboring faithfully until the rigors of those accumulated years of dedicated work and intense worldwide travel eventually began to take a toll on his health.
The memory of Brother Sureshkumar will long be treasured as a genuine pastor to the flock—a true brother who was extraordinarily sensitive to the discouraged while standing firm for the right. He will also be deeply missed by the congregation in Roanoke, VA, where he was a pastor, friend, and brother, for many years. We eagerly await the opportunity to join him on the sea of glass on that wonderful resurrection morning when we will have the privilege to see Jesus face to face.
Our deepest condolences to Brother Sureshkumar’s devoted wife, Chandra, his children—Janet, Johnson, and Joan, his son-in-law, Emmanuel Roshan, and daughter-in-law, Jasmine Johnson, as well as his dear grandchildren, Hannah, Samuel, and Danielle—and their additional family members in other parts of the world. May the Lord be with each one at this time and inspire us to press on the narrow path, for the time of redemption is indeed near!
Yours in the Blessed Hope,
Liviu Tudoroiu
Funeral service:
The funeral service for Brother Sureshkumar will begin at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 2, 2020. The live stream will be available here, and thereafter will also be made available for viewing on the Roanoke Church YouTube channel.
In lieu of sending flowers, the Sureshkumar family is asking that donations be made to the GC for “Worldwide Missions”.
Special note from the family:
Dear Brethren,
We realize that many of you from around the world would like very much to be able to personally pay your last respects to our dear Brother Sureshkumar.
Nevertheless, due to the current world situation with the pandemic and the legal restrictions mandated by the Commonwealth of Virginia, we are very limited in the number of people who may physically be present for the funeral services.
However, the service will be livestreamed which will allow our church family around the world the opportunity to participate at least virtually.
For this reason, we would request that individuals not make plans to attend in person but rather watch the service remotely.
We appreciate your understanding under these unique circumstances.
The Sureshkumar Family