The Beginning

Born on 21 August 1945 in the little town of Muar in the state of Johore, Malaya (Malaysia today), Prince Guneratnam was raised by godly parents, Samuel Ezekiel Guneratnam and Constance Theresa Guneratnam in the love and fear of the Lord. His parents named him 'Prince' because peace had just been declared across Malaya with the end of World War Two.

At the tender age of 13, he received the call of God upon his life through a series of visions of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was blinded by the brightness of these visions and only regained his eyesight after being prayed for by Evangelist Rev. Luther Szeto and Rev. Siew Wai Pun.

Treasuring this vision in his heart, he kept it alive by often visualising himself, as he stood on the verandah of his father's house, preaching to multitudes of people.

After completing his secondary education, Prince Guneratnam enrolled at the Bible Institute of Malaya (now called Bible College of Malaysia). It was there that he met his future wife - Petrina Giaw Foon Foon. They were married on 2 December 1966, the day after he graduated with a Diploma in Biblical Studies from the Bible Institute of Malaya. 

Together, the young couple laboured to pioneer and establish the Glad Tidings Assembly in Klang in 1967. While Pastor Prince concentrated on building up the new church, Sister Petrina worked as a school teacher to provide financial support for the church. This working arrangement continued even after the arrival of their children. 

In 1971, Prince Guneratnam was appointed Senior Pastor of Bethel Assembly in Singapore during the furlough of missionaries Reverend Fred and Margaret Seaward. In November 1972, the Lord led him back to Malaysia, when he was elected the Pastor of the four-years old Calvary Church in Kuala Lumpur. Together with his wife, they led the church until he was called home.

“Only one life; it will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” - Motto of Prince Guneratnam

Senior Pastor has, over the 50 years of ministry, developed and established a comprehensive and holistic ministry programme which builds, cares, and disciples the body of believers in Calvary Church, "to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up," (Ephesians 4:12).

“The impact of his ministry will continue to bless our fellowship. Reverend Guneratnam has indeed been a driving force behind the Assemblies of God movement in Malaysia for more than two decades.” - Assemblies of God Malaysia

More than a Senior Pastor of a local church, he was a Christian statesman whose outstanding leadership abilities were recognised early in his career. He gave himself unstintingly to the work of the Kingdom, well beyond Calvary Church.

A much sought-after preacher and teacher of the Word of God, Reverend Dr. Prince Guneratnam has travelled extensively to bring the Good News that Jesus saves. He has preached at Church Growth International Conferences, World Pentecostal Conferences, Missions Conventions, Pan-Asia Pacific Ministers' Conferences, and Evangelistic Rallies. His powerful pulpit ministry has brought the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to nations far and wide - from Asia to the Americas, from Bangladesh to Budapest, from Indonesia to India, from Japan to Jerusalem, from Korea to Kenya, from Singapore to South Africa - over land and across the seas, and to the ends of the earth. The vision of a 13-year old boy who dared to dream. His vision of preaching to multitudes - fulfilled, many times, exceedingly, abundantly, beyond what he could have asked or imagined. A faithful servant to an ever-faithful God. A life surrendered to do the will of God to "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15).

He sought to honour God with his life, and God has certainly honoured him in many ways, many times.

Favoured by God, respected by men. A high honour indeed for a man of God. Beyond personal honour, it was a significant achievement for the church and the Christian community that he led to be recognised for their contribution in the nation building of Malaysia.

Wife
Petrina Guneratnam

Daughter and Son-in-Law
Pamela Joy Guneratnam and Christopher Lee

Son and Daughter-in-Law
Prince Guneratnam Jr (Jim) and Amelia Lee

Grandchildren
Azalea Joy Lee and spouse Daniel Nguyen, Alexander Christopher Lee, and Matthew Christian Lee, Jamie Prince Guneratnam and Prince Guneratnam III James

The morning of Saturday, 10 September 2022 was somewhat cloudy, with the warmth of the morning sun penetrating the air. Much like the service that unfolded at 11.30am at Calvary Convention Centre’s auditorium, it was sombre, yet celebratory. The contrast couldn’t have been more stark. As Calvarites and friends of Calvary Church trickled in, the chatter at the foyer was muted, with most of the noise coming from the counter where condolence cards and gift envelopes were made available.

The doors to the auditorium opened at 11.00am and as everyone poured in, the sight on stage was surreal. There, surrounded by towering white floral arrangements, lay the closed casket of our beloved Senior Pastor Prince Guneratnam. How many times have we Calvarites seen him, with a bounce in his step, sprint onto this very stage to reach the pulpit and every time he did this? Every time feverish prayers rapidly reached God’s throne room so that he didn’t miss a step and fall. He never did. The grace and the energy that this man exuded belied his age. He wanted all of us to remember him that way, we were told by Associate Pastor Steven Kum in his welcome remarks. It is so easy to wallow in the grief of his sudden illness and eventual demise, but thank God for the 50 great years He has given us and for the opportunity to celebrate Senior Pastor’s life dedicated to his Lord, his family, the church, and ministries. 

Senior Pastor would have approved of and loved his farewell service. It was just the way he would have wanted it: devoid of fanfare and pageantry but intimate, with the gathering of immediate family, church family, and close friends, the people he loved. More importantly, it was for the audience of One, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom Senior Pastor loved the most. 

“Only one life; it will soon be past. Only what is done for Christ will last. Celebrating a life very well lived. It is a time of thanksgiving to God for the life of Senior Pastor, who had embraced the knowledge that anything that he did would only be of worth if it was done for Christ. And today, we acknowledge he has done exactly that in which manner in which he pastored us and his ministry.” Associate Pastor Steven 

Deacon Chow Sang Hoe opened in prayer, giving thanks to God for Senior Pastor’s life as one who lived obedient to God’s Word. “Many of us came to know You, Lord, and accepted You when Senior Pastor planted the seeds of Your Word in our hearts, and this includes me.” Just like Sang Hoe, so many came to know and accepted the Lord through Senior Pastor's ministry. Such was the impact of his ministry here and beyond the shores of Malaysia as the Lord used him to share the Gospel to thousands, and be saved.

The worship team then led the congregation in praising God. They sang one of Senior Pastor’s favourite hymns, Great is Thy Faithfulness. This was followed by an introductory video on Senior Pastor’s international ministry. 

Tributes 

Reverend Ong Sek Leang, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Malaysia was the first to be invited to share his thoughts on Senior Pastor. He described him as a strong, principled, no nonsense man, yet gracious in character. “Senior Pastor had always envisioned Calvary Church and the Assemblies of God as a family. He was a man who always believed that nothing is impossible.” His response to the “cannots” has always been “why not?” Pastors, church staff, and lay leaders in Calvary Church understand this very well. As Reverend Ong put it, “his faith in God was unearthly, but supernatural.” The building of Calvary Convention Centre today stands as a testimony of this faith. With God, all things are possible. His faith was grafted to the person of Jesus Christ and it was engrained on the tablets of his soul and through his lifestyle, teachings, and preaching. Many became the beneficiaries of his faith in God, especially us in Calvary Church. 

Church secretary Deacon David Peter spoke on behalf of the board of deacons. He fondly recollected how the Chairman, Senior Pastor, always reminded them to never to look to man, but to keep their eyes on Jesus. The most critical instruction Senior Pastor left them with was for the board to continue to labour for the expansion of God’s kingdom. The board is resolved to keep this commitment. David said “He would have wanted us as a board to continue the work. And as a board we say we shall. He would have encouraged you and I to continue the work, and as a congregation I know we will.” 

Next, Associate Pastor Peter Ong represented the pastors and church staff. He delivered a heartfelt tribute. “You always inspire us to rise higher in our faith and go beyond ourselves to achieve for our Lord. We will remember your counsel to us that if God has called us, He will enable us to persevere and do our best for His kingdom and glory. You taught us to never give up in spite of the odds and the near impossible challenges faced.” He thanked Senior Pastor for the opportunity to serve together with him. The longevity of his faithfulness to God is evident in the lives of the pastors and church staff in their personal walk with the Lord. Many have served alongside Senior Pastor for more than 40 years.

Senior Pastor’s close friend of 58 years, Reverend Dr. Robert Lim, founding pastor of Evangel Family Church, Singapore, had served together with him on many boards, committees and had travelled to different countries to preach the Gospel. “One of the greatest things that I will always treasure is the close friendship. Pastor Prince inspires. He is a man who is courageous, faithful, and determined. A dear friend that I love very much. I will miss his laughter because he loves to laugh and he loved food too!”

Dr. David Sumrall, Senior Pastor of Cathedral of Praise in Manila, Philippines described his relationship with Senior Pastor saying, “Senior Pastor never understood why I was nervous around him. I have incredible respect for what he has done. As a young man, he showed that he accepted me. A white face, but desperately wanting an Asian heart as we were spending the rest of our lives in the Philippines. He accepted me as I was. What Senior Pastor and Sister has been for us is the example of a Christian life.” 

Then Pastor Sumrall addressed the youth in Calvary Church. “Young people, as you have grown up in this church, you watched a pastor and watched a pastor’s family who have always lived the Christian life in front of you. And may you rise up as a new generation as a Joshua generation to take the foundation that they have built in your life in this city and do the greatest work that has ever been done in this part of the world. ”

There were close friends of Senior Pastor who wanted to be present at this service, but were unable to. One of them was Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, the General Overseer of the Lighthouse Chapel, Ghana. He is a regular visiting pastor and a close friend of Senior Pastor's. Bishop Heward-Mills was represented by his wife, Adelaide Heward-Mills, and their daughter at the service. He did not miss the opportunity to express his feelings for Senior Pastor, having a moving message to express his love and affection for Senior Pastor. He said, “I want to honour Senior Pastor, who was a great father to his church, to his family, and extended family, including people like myself who were greatly blessed to know him, and to be fathered by him, to be loved by him.” He continued to highlight the legacy Senior Pastor left behind, “Thank you, Senior Pastor, for the great work, and I know you are now in Heaven receiving your crowns and your rewards for all the things that you did. Your fruits are right here on earth and I am one of them. I will always cherish your memory and I thank God for your life.”

Reverend Dr. Margaret Seaward, who regards Senior Pastor and Sister Petrina as part of her family, read a scripture found in Psalm 75:6-7 and referenced the scripture to the life of Senior Pastor. She observed that “Brother Prince was a man of deep conviction, whose passionate heartbeat was for the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.” She continued, “His life in ministry has impacted not only thousands of individual lives, but churches, missionaries organisations, and international groups. The thing that inspired me the most about Brother Prince is that over the years, he remained most humble in his attitude and in his demeanour. He never let titles or the positions go to his head. This unassuming figure was truly one of God’s generals. I would say one of God’s great generals.” 

Last Sermon and Holy Communion

Once the tributes concluded, we watched a recording of Senior Pastor preaching his last sermon recorded on 1 August 2021. The message was on the church theme for 2021, “Walk by Faith”, and the sermon title was "Don't Give Up".

Before sharing his thoughts, he addressed the church and said, “Sister Petrina and I love you, all the pastors, the deacons, the church leaders, and those who have served, and all those who worship with us faithfully. Our prayers are for you, that the Lord will honour your faith and the Lord will prosper you and keep you and your family healthy to the glory of the Lord.” Under normal circumstances, Senior Pastor telling us he loves us is not unusual, but to hear him say this at the farewell service was momentous and heartfelt.

In his message, “Don’t Give Up”, Senior Pastor encouraged us, saying, “When God tells you and there are doors of opportunities and there are things that He needs you to do, He will guide you into it. Stay put, stay faithful, walk in faith. Don’t walk away from the miracle that is about to happen in your life because you gave up, because you don’t understand. You know the Lord has been with you. You are wondering if you will succeed? Will you prosper? Will you be healed? Will you be set free? The challenge is to allow God to have His way with you.”

After Senior Pastor's recorded sermon, the worship team sang Senior Pastor’s favourite song, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”, as the church prepared for communion. Dressed in a black suit and with an open Bible on his desk, his frailty belied the same passion and determination driven by love for a congregation he pastored for 50 years. He mustered every ounce of strength he could as he led the congregation of Calvary Church in Holy Communion one more time. The recording ends with Senior Pastor raising his right hand to bless us.

From His Family

As we approached the final leg of the farewell service, Senior Pastor’s children and grandchild were the last to share. We were shown a video montage of Senior Pastor with his family, and it was obvious how much he loved his children and grandchildren. They were truly the apples of his eye. Azalea Lee, the eldest of the grandchildren, spoke on behalf of her two brothers and her two cousins. Azalea shared, “His responsibility over his grandchildren was the most important to him. Even during the final months, when he was sick and strength was leaving him, he reminded us that our relationship with God and living a life of faith was the most important thing. For me, the one fundamental principle he repeated to me time and time again is that God comes first, then family, and then everything else.”

Pam Guneratnam, Senior Pastor’s daughter, had this to say, “My dad had three great loves. He loved God, and loved our mother and our family very much. He also loved you, the church. My father really loved you. He cared about you. He worried about you. He prayed for you all the time. You were in his thoughts till the very end. One of the last things he used his strength for was to make the video you just watched, on the Holy Communion service. As a family, we want to acknowledge your loss. We are very sorry for the loss of your beloved pastor and spiritual father. I want you to know that my father passed away very peacefully, with my mother and the rest of the family by his side.”

Finally, Jim Guneratnam, Senior Pastor’s son, quoted 2 Timothy 4:5-8, “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

About Senior Pastor’s departure from this earth, he said, “Dad was ready and waiting for his eternal reward. However, we may not have been as ready, wanting him to be here with us for a while longer. But God answered all our prayers. He not only healed dad, but has made him whole and perfect, taking him to his eternal home. God has also been gracious to us too, giving us time to spend with him and prepare for his departure.”

Jim also took the opportunity to appreciate, on behalf of Sister Petrina and the family, all who were present in celebrating a life well lived. “We thank each of you for being here, especially those of you who have travelled far this morning. We are honoured by all your presence. We are extremely grateful to the pastors, the deacons, and staff of Calvary Church who have faithfully supported dad, mum, and our family, and ensured that the church continues to fulfil her mission. You are all like a family to us. To all who have helped and prepared for today’s service, thank you for making this a meaningful celebration. Also, thank you for all your gifts and the memories that you have shared with us.”

The common thread amongst all who shared and expressed their love for Senior Pastor Prince Guneratnam is that he was a great leader, a visionary, a good shepherd, a loving husband, caring father and grandfather. He was a defender of the faith and his fidelity to the Word of God is admirable. Some may not have had the opportunity to interact with him, but the ones who have, will tell you he was a kind and thoughtful man, always inspiring us to love God. He had for 50 years, together with Sister Petrina, metaphorically held our hands and relentlessly pointed us to Jesus Christ, the Author and the Finisher of our faith. 

As Deacon David Peter so aptly put it, Pastor Prince Guneratnam was the only Senior Pastor many of us have known. We love him and will miss him dearly. And every time we look up, we will remember that he is in his final resting place with God.

Content contributed by Carmen Chong, Annabbel Lily, and David Ngeow