THE EDITOR, Sir:
A LETTER captioned "The Baptists and Red Hills Road" which appeared in a recent issue of The Gleaner, the writer speaks about robbery, "gunmanism", extortion and abduction in the Red Hill Roads area. He goes on to say: "Here is a scenario that made a crucial contribution..... to this very sad state of affairs.
"During the 1940s the Baptist Missionary Society of London acquired 70 acres of land off Red Hills Road as a development project which they expected would promote vital community activities inspired by Christian influence."
He said that a community college should have been established to offer training to youth in the area. This facility should help them to become responsible citizens. Is he blaming the Jamaica Baptist Union for the upsurge of crime in the area? Would a community college solve the problem?
Has the writer done research on the contribution that Calabar Theological College and High School have made to Jamaica, including that area?
I was among some 300 students who made the transition from Slipe Pen Road to the present site in 1952. Boys in the area, for example from Dunrobin Ave., were allowed to play with us, on the games field. Our school is one of the few schools which is equipped to teach the visually-impaired persons. Incidentally, the Salvation Army's School for the Blind was a part of Old Calabar. Our school has been making contributions to the Swift Purcell Home in St. Mary. Calabar graduates like the Rt. Hon. P.J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica, Mr. Michael Fennell, JOA president, and Prof. Errol Miller, Head of School of Education, UWI, among others, have made a great contribution to this country.
From the college has emerged Ministers of Religion, for example the Rev. V. Clemetson, Hanover St. Baptist Church; with its outreach (downtown); the Rev. Dr. Burchell Taylor, Bethel Baptist Church, a multi-disciplinary concept (uptown). Boulevard Baptist Church, where the Rev. Devon Dick, a Calabar old boy, preaches, is a part of the premises (61 acres) which the denomination acquired at 61 Red Hill Roads. This year the high school celebrates its 90th year of existence. "How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?" Job 6:25 (KJV).
I am, etc.,
BASIL FRASER
Halse Hall P.A.
May Pen,
Clarendon
