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Meet James Kanaganayagam
James means "deceiver, from Jacob." Jayarajan means "a victorious king." My surname has a lovely meaning which I have forgotten.
Before I joined Bible school, I lead the youth group in church and lead the Colombo Inter School Christian Fellowship. I was involved with YFC and Campus Crusade for Christ. I taught the Bible every week at youth groups, schools, home cell groups and churches. For over a year, I studied in Bible school three days a week and taught the Bible four to five days of the week. At Bible school in Singapore, God exposed me to media ministry and missions. I learned audio and video recordings and headed the recording studio at Bible school for a year.
After returning to Sri Lanka, God opened the door for me to serve Back to the Bible. While I continued to preach in churches and teach at conferences and Bible schools, my primary role was to teach the staff and serve them to teach through the media.
Many children and young people who listen to our programs or who have done our Bible correspondence courses have been open to the Gospel, unlike older people.
Srilankans value their family. They show a lot of respect for parents and older family members. The second largest income earner in the Srilankan economy is the foreign currency that comes in from migrant workers. They are Srilankan women who work in other countries so they can send money home to keep the fires burning. While this has brought social problems of its own, it nevertheless shows the commitment people have towards their families.
People are generally warm and friendly. They smile with ease. The national airline won the award for being the friendliest airline for a few consecutive years, a small reflection of how warm the people are. But this has changed in the recent past due to the civil war. There is a lot of suspicion, distrust and anger now.
James Kanaganayagam is the Executive Director of Broadcasting and Ministry Outreach & oversees all of Back to the Bible's international offices. In 2008, James moved to Lincoln, Nebraska from Colombo, Sri Lanka. James lives with his wife, Shevanthi, and three children.
Full name and meaning:
James Jayarajan Kanaganayagam
James means "deceiver, from Jacob." Jayarajan means "a victorious king." My surname has a lovely meaning which I have forgotten.
Family information:
I met my wife, Shevanthi, at Sunday school when I was about 10 or 12 years old. We worked together in youth group and in the Colombo Inter School Christian Fellowship. My parents were both born in Malaysia as both my grandfathers were medical doctors and were working as expats in Malaysia. Their families returned to Sri Lanka after World War II. My father tried medical college but ended up becoming a CA. They have been involved with church and have encouraged me in my ministry. My children are, Jeshan, who will become a teenager later this year, Shakira who is 10 and Janith who is 3. They all love to swim, and the elder two have done well in swimming for their school.
How you came to know the Lord:
I grew up in a Christian home and was influenced by my parents and brothers who came to Christ through YFC (Youth for Christ). I went to a Christian school and lived a decent life. But one day a friend of my brother's asked me where I thought I would go if I died that night. He asked me this at about 11 p.m. at a party when there was not much night left! I thought I would go to heaven because I was not a "bad" Christian. He asked me how I would go to heaven as the Bible said the "wages of sin is death." I was left with no answer to that question. I struggled with the issue of what to do with my sin. One night at a Bible study/prayer meeting at my church, the pastor said Jesus forgives sin. This made sense in a new way that night and, I accepted Christ as my Savior.
Ministry background:
I started studying seriously when I was 15 or 16 years old. I then realized how much I learned when I spent time in books and thought how much more profitable it would be to study the Bible. I also understood the only thing that would survive this world and death would be the souls of people. I decided to invest in the soul by teaching God's Word because I wanted an investment that would go beyond death. I shared my desire to teach the Bible with my parents, and they encouraged me. My goal was to teach in a Bible school as that would give me the opportunity of teaching potential pastors who would teach their congregations; my investment would be multiplied (the 2 Timothy 2:2 principle). Therefore, after I finished college, I went to Bible school in Sri Lanka and then transferred to Singapore Bible College and got a Bachelor's in Theology majoring in Greek exegesis. Before I joined Bible school, I lead the youth group in church and lead the Colombo Inter School Christian Fellowship. I was involved with YFC and Campus Crusade for Christ. I taught the Bible every week at youth groups, schools, home cell groups and churches. For over a year, I studied in Bible school three days a week and taught the Bible four to five days of the week. At Bible school in Singapore, God exposed me to media ministry and missions. I learned audio and video recordings and headed the recording studio at Bible school for a year.
After returning to Sri Lanka, God opened the door for me to serve Back to the Bible. While I continued to preach in churches and teach at conferences and Bible schools, my primary role was to teach the staff and serve them to teach through the media.
When did you start with Back to the Bible?
1996. I now have the joy and responsibility of overseeing all of Back to the Bible's international offices.
How the Bible has changed your life:
It has changed what I live for and my world view. It has shaped my values, beliefs and behavior. It continues to change me by confirming or convicting me each time I read it or meditate on it.
Favorite Bible passage:
I have had many over the years. My current favorite is Psalm 105:1. It is like God's mandate for me, impressed in my heart when I came to Lincoln.
Greatest struggle growing up:
I had a great time growing up. But I guess one traumatic event was in 1983 when the government fuelled racial attacks on the minority Tamils in the city. Our friends and neighbors, many of whom were not Christians, protected us by giving us shelter. That one week of organized chaos displayed the worst and the best of the Sinhala (majority) people. I had the joy of marrying a Sinhalese (whose family had protected Tamils) and expanding the Sinhalese ministry of Back to the Bible in Sri Lanka. About the people of Sri Lanka:
People in my country are proud of their culture which goes back more than 2,500 years. They are proud of their irrigation systems, agriculture, art and the protection of "true" Buddhism. Srilankans believe their ethnicity and religion go together and therefore feel they need to oppose Christianity as a foreign religion in order to be nationalistic. Many children and young people who listen to our programs or who have done our Bible correspondence courses have been open to the Gospel, unlike older people.
Srilankans value their family. They show a lot of respect for parents and older family members. The second largest income earner in the Srilankan economy is the foreign currency that comes in from migrant workers. They are Srilankan women who work in other countries so they can send money home to keep the fires burning. While this has brought social problems of its own, it nevertheless shows the commitment people have towards their families.
People are generally warm and friendly. They smile with ease. The national airline won the award for being the friendliest airline for a few consecutive years, a small reflection of how warm the people are. But this has changed in the recent past due to the civil war. There is a lot of suspicion, distrust and anger now.
The one place in Sri Lanka you would take a visitor:
Here are a few. The beaches, coral reefs, mountains covered with tea bushes and the Back to the Bible office, of course--with staff from different ethnicities working together for the Gospel.
Fun Facts
Interesting or funny fact about you:
I have the longest name among the international directors. But it is one of the easiest to remember--"can I have a gum?"
Other places you have lived besides Sri Lanka:
Other than Sri Lanka, I lived in Singapore, where I studied theology and Greek, and learned missions, media and a love for God's word.
Hobbies:
Reading
If you had a random day off, what would you do for the day?
Read and sleep.
Do you have a nickname?
For the record, no. Off the record, yes.
Favorite food:
My mom's preparation of shrimp.
Least favorite food:
Anything bland
Favorite book (besides the Bible):
I enjoy reading John Grisham and Frederick Forsyth. But I can't think of one single book that takes the top spot.