James Arumugam Supramaniam was born in 1880 into a respected well-to-do aristocratic family in Jaffna, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He was the eldest child of Mudaliyar Sinnathambu Arumugam, a devout Hindu and his wife Sellam Sabapathy (of the Aryachakaravarthy Dynasty).

He was orphaned before age 10, when he lost his father, his mother having died the year before. To prepare for his future role as head of the family, James together with his 6- year-old youngest sister, Emma Amirtham were in 1891 sent to Singapore to be wards of his maternal uncle, Mudaliyar Sambanthar Sabapathy. In Singapore, the young boy was enrolled at the government school in Bencoolen street where he excelled and so, his guardian, and also his senior paternal uncle, Annamalai Arumugam, Surveyor General of Singapore decided to move him to the Anglo-Chinese School, by then already a top academic institution.

James first learnt about Christianity at ACS. Bishop William Oldham was his mentor. In 1894, at the age of 14, he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. His family were aghast at his conversion and ordered him to renounce Christianity or face disinheritance. James aged 14, stood firm, and so was ousted from the family , thrown out onto the streets  with his sister, Emma. ACS allowed him to continue his studies with accommodation at Oldham House; and James arranged for Emma to be sent to Nind Home, a boarding house for young girls started­­­­­ by Sophia Blackmore.

Despite the rejection and subsequent hardships, James’ faith remained unshaken. That was the beginning of a steadfast journey with his Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, one that would continue until his death at the age of 57.^[1]

His preaching ministry started while still a teenager when a missionary, May B. Lilly convinced him to preach to a Tamil Christian gathering in Telok Ayer in Singapore. In 1896 he became a dual student teacher at ACS.

By 1899, he was actively involved in Christian ministry as a Sunday School superintendent and local preacher at the Middle Road Baba (Straits Chinese) Church (now Kampong Kapor Methodist Church).

Subsequently, he took on the role of lay preacher at the Tamil Methodist Church Singapore, working closely with the Epworth League (Methodist Youth Fellowship). He was instrumental in raising funds for a new church sanctuary in Short Street.

Despite his deep involvement in church activities, James excelled at his studies. In 1900, the ACS Headmaster, JE Banks an engineering graduate from Cornell University wrote of him “ this young man has been one of our favourite students, clever, faithful and good. I have met no one with more qualities of manhood”.  In 1902, he became the first-ever student to be awarded an ACS Diploma. He then decided to accept a full teaching position at his alma mater although there were other more attractive opportunities available to him, such as a scholarship to study medicine at King Edward VII College. He and a schoolmate, Goh Hood Keng, were the first to be accepted into the government teacher training programme. They both graduated in 1904 to become the first Asians to teach what was then Standard Seven.^[2]

Then in 1908, having first arranged the marriage of his younger sister Emma and provided her with a dowry, James travelled to Jaffna where he proposed marriage to Harriet Navamani Sinnasamy Joseph. Tall , beautiful, English educated and accomplished as a lady of society, Harriet was descended from the Jaffna Royal Family and was a member of the Aryachacravarthy Dynasty. Her branch of the family had converted to Christianity as Anglicans in the 1700s at the Vannarpone church during the British era. James’s lack of prospects or wealth, was an impediment but Harriet was wooed and convinced her parents to permit the marriage.

Harriet was the love of James’s life and partner in his pastoral ministry, focusing on intercessory prayer, counselling, home visits and leading women’s activities in the church. She also bore him five sons and four daughters, but two daughters died as babies. His daily strict routine included academic study, reading the Bible, fasting and prayer-a godly lifestyle that influenced many. All his children went on to serve the church and community in various capacities. His eldest surviving daughter, Rose became a leading classical pianist and soprano in Malaya. His son, Dr James MJ Supramaniam, became a world authority on tuberculosis and the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Health of Singapore. Another son, Dr George Supramaniam, a gifted young surgeon, lost his life in World War 2 during the Japanese Occupation. Two of the grandchildren of Reverend James Supramaniam were called into full-time ministry.^[3]

James’ teaching job paid very little but he stayed  faithful to ACS as good teachers were hard to come by, serving also as office assistant to the Headmaster, religious editor of the ACS magazine and academic supervisor. In 1909, he was concurrently appointed pastor of the Tamil Methodist Church Singapore and soon became a much loved and respected community leader.^[4]

In the same year, to publicly signify the end of his estrangement from his distinguished paternal uncle, Annamalai Arumugam, together they founded the Ceylon Tamils Association. Annamalai was President and James, Vice President. It remains one of the oldest registered societies in Singapore. In 1912, James was elected President of the Singapore Epworth League and named a “Scholar” in the ACS Prospectus. And thereafter a Board member of the YMCA of Singapore. In all of these, he saw himself as God’s humble servant.

In 1914 he felt the call and agreed to be fully ordained into the Methodist Church. And in 1916, after serving ACS for 20 years, he was commissioned by the Methodist Mission as the first missionary and transferred to Malaya to serve in a new important bi-vocational role, as Headmaster of the Dato Kramat English School (a branch of ACS) and as Methodist Pastor of the Tamil Church Penang.  

Within a year he was asked to lead the Tamil work from Kuala Lumpur. This was a senior full time post from 1917 to 1927, requiring him to give up his teaching and headmastership. He and Harriet agreed to making this considerable sacrifice and he thus lost significant earnings and his government pension. In his new religious and civic leadership role in Kuala Lumpur, he contributed tremendously to the growth of Christianity among the Indians in Malaya, helping establish many churches in the country and, with the assistance of Rev S. M. Rajamoney, opening outreach points at Seaport Estate, Serendah, Kuala Kubu, Rawang and Carey Island.

James was also a good fundraiser. He raised $47,000 for the building of Sentul Church in Kuala Lumpur and $28,000 for ministerial support and to build a parsonage, enormous amounts in those days.^[5]

He was honoured in 1922 with Harriet in being presented to HRH the Prince of Wales as leaders of the Indian community.

One of the hallmarks of his ministry was the revival meetings that he organised. He invited many world-famous speakers to these meetings, for example Sadhu Sunder Singh in 1922, Bhagavathar Vethanayagam Shastriar in 1924 and Dr E. Stanley Jones in 1926. Through these anointed evangelists, the Lord ministered to multitudes of people from all denominations.

However during this time James suffered another devastating loss. In 1924, Harriet (then aged 39), died following a routine appendix operation which went wrong. James thus found himself a young widower of 7 children aged between 14 and the youngest aged 1. Again James relied on the Lord and with great fortitude prevailed over this tragedy with all his children eventually securing good educations. Eldest daughter, Rose, barely aged 14, took on the mantle of accompanying her father at civic events and became quasi mother to the youngest 3 siblings organizing the routine and studies for them. 

James was a strong advocate of native leadership. At the Methodist Episcopal Church , Malaya conference in January 1926, he presented a paper on “Indigenous Church Leadership'', emphasizing the importance of training native workers for greater responsibility and leadership.^[6]

In 1928, James was asked to return to the Singapore to help sort out issues between the Indian communities, returning as Pastor to the Tamil church which he had previously served from 1909 to 1910. During this second tenure, he arranged for the church premises to also be used by the Hinghwa and Straits Chinese Methodist Church. James also established preaching points at the railway porters lines, Kandang Kerbau labour lines and Bukit Timah where he conducted regular services. He also founded the Pasir Panjang Tamil Methodist church. And he rejoined ACS as a senior teacher in 1928, needing extra income for his younger children’s education. Daughter Rose also joined the ACS teaching staff that year. And by 1929, James had secured funds for the establishment of the Seletar Tamil Church outside Seletar Air Base.

In 1930 James was elected to the Conference Board of Control of Churches and Parsonages and in 1931 promoted within the ACS family as Headmaster ACS Seremban requiring his transfer to Negeri Sembilan. In 1932 he was also appointed Assistant Secretary of the Malaya Annual Conference and in 1933 additionally appointed Chairman of the Board overseeing ministerial training in Singapore and Malaya.

In 1934, James was promoted to Methodist District Superintendent of Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan, one of the first four Asian superintendents so appointed. His new role based in Kuala Lumpur was demanding, requiring him to travel around Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan, which he did on weekends as he was teaching and also headmaster full-time of Methodist Boys School (afternoon school) on weekdays. He held these and his other Board appointments until his sudden demise in 1937 at age 57. 

During the Jubilee celebration in 1935, James summed up his life thus in The Methodist Message: “All my life-career has been connected with Methodist Mission schools and Christian work in the various churches where I have had the good fortune to spend years in happy service for the Good Shepherd and Saviour.”^[7]

The good reverend was called home to be with the Lord on 7 July 1937 after a massive stroke. The Christian community lost an exemplary leader, great teacher and wise counsellor and the Indian community lost a mentor. His grandson, Dato Paul Supramaniam said his sudden “Cerebellum Thrombosis” was from overwork and the enormous stress of doing many jobs simultaneously.^[8] His last sermon at Kuala Lumpur Wesley Church prophetically was titled “Be Thou Faithful Unto Death and I will give Thee a Crown of Life”. ” and left a  lasting impression on the congregation.

Numerous publications have featured the inspirational life of Reverend James Supramaniam and the painted portraits of him and Harriet hang in the Indian Heritage Centre of Singapore.  His memorial tablet in the Tamil Methodist Church in Short Street, Singapore, where he served for 12 years reads: “A life made wonderful by kindly deeds and generous thoughts of others' needs.” He will always be remembered for his sacrificial and faithful service to the Lord.