The Pastor and founder of the church Dayton Avenue Church of God, Ruby Kelly lashed out at the ‘whistleblower’ for really airing the church’s dirty laundry in public and said "I am with those in chains." What have those in chains done? The deacon, who was the owner and driver of the vehicle allowed two boys to gang rape the young girl - That is what they have done. The incident was taped using a cell phone camera and the tape was leaked to the media. Further investigations revealed that the Pastor of the church had been told about the offence at least 10 days before it broke in the newspaper and had chosen to remain silent even though the persons involved had committed a criminal offence. It was church members who were dissatisfied with the manner in which the matter was being handled by the church, that leaked the information to the media.
The media in Jamaica welcomes any opportunity to disgrace the Church and in this incident the Church has played right into Satan’s hands. Reverberating in our ears was the sullen tone of Cliff Hughes from Nationwide radio programme saying, Where is the church? Where are the church leaders?
United we stand- Divided we Fall
All right so who are they really wanting to hear from as there are so many denominations in Jamaica over 670 and rising?
The charismatic Al Miller of Fellowship Tabernacle, maybe or the Head of the Peace Management Unit, Bishop Herro Blair, Deliverance Centre, 104 Waltham Park Road, Bishop Delford Davis, from the Power of Faith Ministries in Portmore, or the learned and well respected Burchell Taylor from Bethel Baptist Church in Halfway Tree. Or the very vocal Garnett Roper from Portmore Missionary Church or Rev Devon Dick, famous Gleaner columnist and pastor at Boulevard Baptist, what about Dear Pastor, Aaron Dumas, or Neville Callum, broadcaster and owner of TBC Radio ‘ The Breath of Change’ and Tarrant Baptist Church, or Ernle Gordon of St. Mary’s Anglican Church, or Monsignor Richard Albert, from the Catholic Church. Rev Phillip Robinson on behalf of the Jamaica Council of Churches perhaps, or course, Dr. Henley Morgan, motivational speaker and pastor extraordinaire from the inner city or the youthful Stephenson Samuels, who eloquently delivered the National Prayer Breakfast Message ‘Choose ye this day who ye will serve’.
Did they want to hear from the head of one of the largest denominations in Jamaica, Dr. Patrick Allen of the West Indies Union of Seventh Day Adventists or the equally respected Dr. Herbert Thompson, President of Northern Caribbean University now what about Lenworth Anglin, Head of the Church of God in Jamaica, or Henry Harley who represents the Church of God, 7th Day, or the gentleman’s pastor Neville Owens of Love and Faith Ministries on Balmoral Avenue, or the radical and controversial Nigerian Bishop Joseph Adegold of Overcomers Ministries on Red Hills Road, or the folks with Prophet Patrick Williams from the Joseph Daniels Ministries at Northside Plaza in Liguanea or the PM.s prophet Phillip Phinn.
Let us not forget Rev. Richard Keane from Church on the Rockin Montego Bay, or Che Cowen from Ocho Rios, or Napoleon Black from Maverley Gospel Hall or David Henry from Swallowfield Chapel or the Christian Lawyers Fellowship, or the National Church Alliance lead by Major Richard Cooke, or Christian Life Fellowship on Gordon Town Road in Papine lead by Bruce Fletcher or the National Intercessory Prayer Network or Prayer 2000 and the suave Naila Ricketts or Rev Oliver Daley or someone from the United Church of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands or Conrad Pitkin, from the huge Assembles of God, or the Rev Peter Garth The silence was deafening. The problem is there are so many of them, they cannot decide amongst themselves, quickly who will speak to the issue. 'A house divided cannot stand.'
The list goes on and has not touched the other religious groups such as the Bahai, or the Quakers, or the Jehovah Witnesses or the Muslims, Hindus, Jews or the Temple of Light or the Rastafarians who like the secular groups were shaking their heads in disgust at the state of the church in Jamaica, land we love.
‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone’ – this is not about throwing stones it is about doing what is right. A person might commit an offence and the right thing to do is to forgive them and to restore them but they must also face the consequences of their action.
The founder, who said she started the church in a room 43 years ago, likened those in police custody to the three Hebrew boys and Daniel. These biblical characters she spoke of had been through persecution and were delivered by God.
The actions taken by the three Hebrew boys who refused to eat of the king’s dainties cannot be compared to violating another person’s body and rights. Fornication is a sin. That statement is deception of the highest order.
Hilary Nicholson, of Women’s Media Watch was appalled at the attitude of the church and is calling for a boycott of the Dayton Ave Church of God’s TV programme by all television stations.
On April 27 2001 the first headline of the first issue of LOVE Herald was ‘Undercover in the Pulpit’, people thought we were radical and too controversial, however the last 5 years has proven that there are people in the our pulpits and pews who are planted there by Satan and members of the Church of Satan which is very active in Jamaica. Their activities are now manifesting themselves in the horrendous events unfolding behind Church walls.
Needless to say the attention given to this incident makes one wonder why the same sort of attention was not given to the tapes found at the murder scene of Ambassador Peter KIng. Instead these were whisked off by Police High Command never to be seen again because of the damage that would be caused to people in 'high places' character and reputation. One rule for the rich and one for the poor. Satan protects his own.
Jesus, we confess, Jamaica is in a mess – As a church we have failed miserably and need to come back to you. Our shepherds have failed and the flock is hurting as you said in Ezekiel. In your wrath Lord, remember mercy.
Lord Jesus I am asking for the favour needed Lord to get an edition of the LOVE Herald back on the streets of Jamaica so that people may read the truth and be set free. Touch persons heart today Lord to sow into the paper so that it can reach into the hands of hurting Jamaicans who lives can be changed by something they read that will introduce them to you. Amen.
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