Gunman scouts out church on Sunday; robs it Monday
Published:Monday | May 2, 2022 | 11:04 PM
Janet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
A man who “scouted out” the 150-year-old Sharon Baptist Church in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth on Sunday, returned 24 hours later to rob the place of worship, taking with him an undisclosed amount.
The man, believed to be in his early 20s, pulled a gun on the church's administrative secretary at about 12:30 pm today, shortly after begging and receiving food from her.
According to the head of the institution, Reverend Dr Jacob Powell, the man never wore a mask and seemed unbothered about being recognised.
The fact that he asked for prayer after church ended on Sunday, paying keen attention to where the offering collected was being placed, led Dr Powell to conclude that “he came to scout out the place. He never really wanted prayer”.
Earlier today when he turned up at the church, which is in near proximity to the Santa Cruz Police Station, the robber reportedly asked for the reverend, complained of being hungry, “And after he was fed, pushed the administrative secretary in a corner, and when she tried to run, grabbed her purse with personal cash and the petty cash that was in the office”.
The man is known by the community, said the Reverend.
“One person saw him going in and coming out of the church. He wasn't even hiding; he walked out casually but did leave a bag with clothes behind. The same clothes he was wearing on Sunday,” he stated.
A policeman who was also in church on Sunday and saw him talking with Reverend Powell was able to describe him.
Before robbing the administrative person, he told her his stepmother put him out of their home, advising him to go down to the church to the pastor for help, the head of the church told The Gleaner.
'THEY HAVE NO FEAR'
Reverend Powell's experience with crime in the country comes as gunmen, robbers, and criminals desecrate and show disdain for the house of God. This was the first time the church was being robbed, but Dr Powell admitted that this concretises what the scripture says about a generation that does not know the Lord.
“They have no fear of Him, they kill people in the church, they rob people in the church and they rob pastors,” lamented the Reverend, adding that this signals how bad the country is at this time.
“Persons have no regard for the sacred space or the house of God. They don't see the Church as the holy ground,” he noted.
Dr Powell says he leads a church that is kind, where the members don't feel threatened or afraid. It is a church that gives to people in the community who are in need, he said.
“So it was so easy for him to pounce upon her (administrative secretary) because she would not have expected that. If I were there I would have had my guard down the same way,” he said.
The Sharon Baptist Church was established in July 1872.
Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.