Burying a gangster: I’ve never seen such love, says pastor
Published:Wednesday | April 6, 2022 | 6:34 PM
Damion Mitchell/Integration Editor
A pastor in a tough low-income St James community has detailed the devotion of gangsters to each other saying a similar approach among other residents could trigger a turnaround of the tension-filled community.
"I've never seen such love," said Reverend Barbara Messado, the pastor of the Green Pond Wesleyan Holiness Church as she recalled officiating at the funeral of one of the gangsters.
“They loved each other so much I envied them,” she said.
Messado was among the panellists examining the role of the church in collective security on day one of a two-day summit of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James.
She said even amid a light drizzle and the threat of heavy rain, the friends of the slain gangster wanted more time with an open casket at the graveside to express their “respect” to the deceased.
Since the start of the year, Green Pond has seen five murders including a double homicide and several shootings.
Head of the Area One Police Assistant Commissioner Clifford Chambers told The Gleaner that a conflict among members of the G-City Gang is behind most of the violence there.
However, he said the police have been saturating the space and engaging the military which have been easing the carnage.
In the meantime, Messado is worried that crime and violence are robbing the community of fathers.
She is pleading for partnerships with corporate entities to provide an opportunity for the people of Green Pond.
"My heart breaks when I see them struggling because they are really struggling," she said, adding that many people in Green Pond simply fell through the cracks and are desperate for a second chance.
It's a reality with which Bishop Howard Nelson also contends as pastor of the Lilliput New Testament Church also in St James.
Nelson sees sports and music as a magical pair to keep many youngsters from delving into a life of crime.
“My aim is not to save the entire world,” said Nelson, explaining his commitment to helping one community at a time.
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