Devon Dick LAST WEEK Monday, while four pastors at a press conference were talking about a possible street pastors initiative, the United Kingdom Guardian newspaper was reporting on the operation of Street Pastors in London. This happy coincidence is quite appropriate because there is a link between the UK initiative and Jamaica.
The Street Pastors Programme was inspired by the actions of Pastors Bobby Wilmot and Bruce Fletcher ministering to the youth in Trench Town. What happened in Trench Town spurred the UK counterparts to quick action. According to their brochure, Trench Town, Jamaica, also has a gun culture. But the church there waited until the problem was of epidemic proportions before it sought to arrest it. Based on that analysis, Antiguan-born Les Isaacs, used that as a warning and an example and he and his committee now have 60 street pastors, of which 40 are females, patrolling the streets of London.
So, these four Jamaican pastors: chairman of the Jamaica Association of Full Gospell Churches, Bishop Herro Blair; president of the Jamaica Evangelical Association, the Rev. Rennard White; Pastor Bobby Wilmot of Covenant Community Church and myself, were guests of the UK Evangelical Alliance at a forum at the Ja-maican High Commission Office in London, where we met to discuss the violent crimes being committed by Jamaicans at home and abroad and to determine what can be done by the Church co-operating transatlantically.
We explained the challenges and opportunities in Jamaica before answering questions from the gathering of 40 persons including, Jamaican High Commissioner, Her Excellency Maxine Roberts, Commandant of Trident, Cressida Dick, church leaders and community leaders. In addition, Rennard White and Bobby Wilmot got first-hand experience of being street pastors in Brixton.
ENGAGING PEOPLE TO CARE
The Street Pastors Programme is an inter-denominational organisation aimed at engaging people on the streets in night-time venues to care, listen and dialogue with persons who feel marginalised and are being tempted to engage in a gun lifestyle or who are already involved. It is hoped that persons would be channelled into productive enterprises. Other objectives include raising the Church's awareness of the threat of gun crimes and a gun culture. Jamaica has a serious problem. The Turks and Caicos have had one murder in 50 years. Someone will explain it away as due to a small population in the Turks. However, a large populated place such as Canada has half the number of persons being killed, compared to Jamaica. In addition, while we have daily murders in Jamaica, up to September 11, 2003, for two months there was no black-on-black murders in London.
Interestingly, last Monday, talk-show host, Helen Coley-Nichol-son, on the programme 'Drive Time Live', asked hopefully of the news reader if there were no murders for the day. We are getting insensitive to the number of murders and only reacting when it is a high-profile person, relative or friend.
That the society's conscience is deadening was graphically demonstrated by persons watching while Det. Sgt. Gladys Brown-Campbell was repeatedly stab by a robber! There needs also to be more co-ordination among various church agencies that are already working successfully in volatile areas. The various councils co-operated after the tragedy of Hurricane Gilbert and formed Project Accord to distribute relief supplies; to plan National Church Services; to establish LOVE FM.
CHURCH RESPONSE NEEDED
This urgent urban problem of the gun culture which has the potential to spread to other parts of this beautiful island needs a Church response that is not disconnected or divided. There are congregations and persons who are engaged in activities to arrest this problem. The good practices should be replicated. After the massacre in 100 Lane off Red Hills Road, Bethel Baptist Church met with the Mead-Haven Ministers' Fraternal for a sustained and co-ordinated effort at intervention in that volatile community. That continuing intervention needs to be analysed. The police and other government agencies are involved and whatever good practices there are, can be taken from 100 Lane and used in other communities.
The activities of St. Patrick's Foundation in Riverton City and Stella Maris Foundation in Grants Pen are well known and can form a base for the Street Pastors initiative.
However, more has to be done quickly and in a well-structured way. It has to be more focused and it will need the human and financial resources of the Church co-operating with police, govern-ment, other well-intentioned religious faiths and with other groups overseas. This is a challenging idea. It needs hundreds of volunteers for it to be effective. Many persons already feel over-worked with church activities and might not be able to participate. Then there are the doubting Thomases who feel that this initiative will not make a difference. Then there are others who will feel that the answer is to be found only in mass evangelistic crusades.
HOPE FOR STREET PASTORS
Not to mention that there are differences between the UK and Jamaica. The gun culture is more developed here and has linkages to politics, illegal drugs, music and economics. The ability to use a gun is also linked to self-esteem and self-expression. In Jamaica, the Church can point the disaffected youth to skills training and a different lifestyle but it would be a greater challenge to help with housing and employment. The Church would have to give consideration to lobbying the government to restart the Lift Up Jamaica programme. Let us hope that the Street Pastors initiative can make a difference in Jamaica and the UK.
PS: Last week's article contained an error. The general manager of the courier service said that the company returns a person's passport with visa. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.
The Rev. Devon Dick is pastor of The Boulevard Baptist Church, St. Andrew.
