Sugar plantation worker-turned-church- leader chronicles his life in new book

By Frederick Halley
FORCED to leave school at the tender age of 13 to work on the sugar plantation at Farm, East Bank Demerara, Joseph Murugan withstood several challenges, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, to emerge as a leader of his community.

From serving as an ordained Elder and National District Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene in Guyana, Murugan eventually became the religious institution’s Regional Project Coordinator of the English-speaking Caribbean.

Now in his twilight years at the ripe old age of 90, the now Dr. Murugan has chronicled his life in his recent biography titled, ‘Fulfilling the Vision’. He has dedicated the publication to his wife of 63 years, Alice, who went to her “Heavenly Home” on February 20, 2021, his children and their spouses, grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Murugan has served the Nazarene Church in many roles, notably as pastor of the Grove and Piarco Churches of the Nazarene in Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago, respectively.

According to Dr. Murugan, his story began with a vision that was revealed at an open-air service. This life-altering meeting was held near a school at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara. “I recalled that a well-dressed 17-year-old teen, Roy Kanhai, who was a schoolteacher at the Providence Primary School where I was a student, presented the good news of salvation that is found only in Christ Jesus,” he explained. “When the gospel invitation was given to accept or trust Christ as Saviour and Lord, as a 12-year-old lad, I went forward for prayer. The young preacher laid his two hands on me as I was on my knees, and a profound spiritual desire was birthed in my heart to become an instrument of God like that young preacher.”

Murugan was born and raised at Herstelling, after his father had served his five-year indentureship since arriving in the then British Guiana from India, and opted to stay instead of returning to his homeland at his own expense.

“Some of my first days at kindergarten were filled with anxiety, fear and continual crying, which resulted in the teacher putting me to sit with my older brother, Alfred, who was the one responsible for taking me to school,” the religious leader said. “There was a deep desire to learn, and to attend school punctually and regularly, but I faced several obstacles, having to assist in taking care of the cows, sheep, chickens and ducks, in addition to watering plants in the kitchen garden. Attending school regularly was interrupted sometimes, because my help was desperately needed at the provision farm at Friendship.”

“My dad simply informed me that I won’t be going back to school. Such bad news saddened my heart as a 13-year-old lad, as I leaned against the wall of the house and shed bitter tears. But what brought a sigh of relief and comfort to me was the memory of my mom’s positive and affirming words, ‘You’re going to make it,” he recalled.

ON THE PLANTATION
Thus began Joseph’s stint at Plantation Farm. However, because of his stature, he was assigned light work in the form of providing water for the workers, and serving with others in the punts/pontoons to fill buckets with limestone.

Gaining a promotion to ‘lead boy’, Joseph led the mules that pulled the loaded punts/pontoons from the sugarcane fields along the canal to the factory. The ‘lead boy’ was also involved in other duties, such as feeding, watering and bathing the mules, and delivering the boss’ lunch at his home.

Dr. Murugan revealed that at that stage of his life, he felt disappointed, since his future seemed hopeless. A welcome change came when his father encouraged him to become self-employed through farming and raising cattle. The change, he said, ended the early-morning race to get to the canefields, but he still managed to do some assignments at home. That change was, however, short-lived, since Joseph agreed with his father to return to the sugar plantations, this time in the general- purpose gang.

“Fortunately, I was selected as a ‘Back-dam Boy’ attached to an overseer to prepare his mule by bathing, cleaning, drying and saddling it. The animal had to be ready for the overseer’s trip to the back-dam for the purpose of checking on the workers,” he said.

Having “graduated” to assistant superintendent and Office Boy/Clerk and later an office clerk, Murugan explained that the latter assignment gave him some time to study, socialise and reflect on his family and religion. “There were some lifestyle changes that were manifested in how I dressed for my job, and the friends with whom I was associated. After reflecting on the changes in my life, I was convinced that the Lord had led me to the job at the Farm and Diamond Estates, where I served from 1947 to 1960.”

Dr. Murugan disclosed that he struggled to find reality, and realised there was more to life than just working, which came through his spiritual awakening at the age of 12. “I began a quest for peace and forgiveness in Hinduism and Islam, but I felt a deep sense of hopelessness in religious rites and ceremonies, as well as a lack of freedom from guilt. That drove me to drinking, smoking and other worldly pleasures,” he admitted.

CHALLENGES OF LIFE
During what he described as a troubling time in 1952, when he failed in his attempt to elope with his girlfriend, Dr. Murugan felt life was not worth living, and many thoughts flooded and burdened his mind, including memories of his mother’s death, and his father’s decision to end his education. He even contemplated suicide.

After what he described as an experience with the living Christ, Dr. Murugan became a member of the Pilgrim Holiness Church in Agricola, but was still associated with the Nazarene Church in Herstelling from its very first service in 1953, the very year he met his wife, Alice. The following year, he became one of the chartered members of the Church of the Nazarene, developing a deep sense of appreciation for the church, its mission, and its leaders. Several other senior roles followed, which provided a deep perspective on the policy and practice of the local church.

Following their marriage in 1957, Joseph and Alice were mainly responsible for the transformation of the Grove Nazarene Church, but harboured doubts regarding the adequacy of his salary, despite completing more than six years at the bookkeeping office at the Diamond Estate.

NEW LEASE ON LIFE
Now fully immersed in the church, and with the birth of his first child, Sam, Joseph “surrendered to train for full-time ministry,” which necessitated training at the Nazarene College in Trinidad & Tobago. His relatives were, however, displeased that he would relinquish a financially secure position to pursue ministry. In his senior year at the college, he became the President of the Student Body.

At the graduation ceremony, after three years at the college, which saw both himself and wife graduating, Joseph said he remembers vividly when the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education spoke about “The Voice, the Vision and the Venture” in his address. “I believe that the basic outline of the graduation message has motivated me over the years, and I have utilised it in my own preaching many times,” he said.

By the time the Murugans departed Trinidad and Tobago, Alice was pregnant with their second child, Sandy. A third, Susie, followed a few years later. After serving six years in the pastorate at Grove, on his return from T&T, Joseph was ordained as an Elder in the Nazarene Church in 1967, before returning to Trinidad to serve in Piarco. Back home, after a few years, he was appointed as the first National District Superintendent, making him the first local leader of the Church of the Nazarene.

After ending his role as the District Superintendent of Guyana, Dr. Murugan expanded his vision through the Nazarene Caribbean Regional Office in South Miami, Florida, from 1984 to 1988 before being appointed as the Regional Project Coordinator of the English-speaking Caribbean.

During his time in the USA, he used the opportunity to further his education, earning a BA in Business Administration at City College of Fort Lauderdale, and a Masters in Religious Education from Covington Theological Seminary. He also received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from the latter. Dr. Murugan and his immediate family have been residing in Miami since the 1980s.