The Clarendon For Jesus crusade, held under the theme Christ for the Crisis, concluded last weekend after being held in four different locations in the parish. Kellits, Lionel Town, Summerfield, and May Pen saw hungry souls turning out to be ministered to.
Hosted by the Errol Rattray Evangelistic Association in association with the Clarendon Churches, Rattray said now that it is over, they are thinking about a follow-up.
“There were many a testimony about what God has done in people’s lives, and so they are saying that two nights ago we stirred the people, and they are hungry for a change. They turned out in large numbers; we had an overflow; we give God thanks for what is happening,” Rattray shared as he said he is being asked, What next?’
He said the comments the team has been receiving are that “you can’t leave us like that. Arisening from that hunger, he said they will be doing a need assessment during the month of April, which involves talking, praying, and encouraging children, teachers, administrators, and parents.
In May, Child’s Month, Rattray said they will be going into 20 schools in the parish and interacting with children.
“I feel if we can curtail crime in the schools, our family and society can be better,” he notes.
Commenting on the just concluded crusade, he said that, hailing from Banks, Clarendon, and a past student of Glenmuir, it really hurt him to know that the parish is one of the highest in crime statistics.
Among the many testimonies shared at the events, one came from Garfield Blair, who hails from Whitehall Avenue in Kingston and shared his story about coming from a broken home with no father around.
His mother was unable to take care of him and his four siblings, so at age 14, he dropped out of school and started hitting the road.
“I can tell you that when I was on the road, I was doing all kinds of things—washing cars, doing this—until I found myself working in a supermarket, and then I started to deal with drugs,” he shared.
Blair said he saw himself as a superstar, but soon he became discontented with that kind of living, and he became despondent, despairing, and hopeless.
“I reached a condition that I was close to a nervous wreck, and my life was just up in turmoil,” he notes, adding that it was at that point he heard the voice of Jesus, and he did not resist but made a commitment.
He presented that same solution to those who attended the crusade.