With the election just a few months away, several groups, including the media, the Integrity Commission (IC), and civil society organisations, are being chastised for being too political. These accusations have increased following the IC’s release of a report into Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s finances. The Prime Minister is one of eight politicians who are being investigated for illicit enrichment. Given the pastor at St. Mary’s Anglican Church referring to issues such as trust in his sermon at a recent funeral, there are those who feel his message was targeted at the government officials in attendance.
Pastor Bruce Polson of Christian Life Fellowship maintains that a pastor’s duty is to speak the Word of God even if those listening find it offensive. He referred to Jesus, who often rebuked those who committed wicked acts, especially the leaders in His time. He believes, however, that a pastor should be balanced, compassionate, and wise in the delivery of this message.
“I remember when I became a Christian; I thought I was a good person, and what reached me is when the pastor said [that] if I don’t repent, I will perish. That is what God used to convict me,” he recounted, before lamenting that people no longer want to hear messages about sin.
“There is a kind of hypocrisy we see where they would say, the church needs to be out there confronting issues, to speak out, and so on, [but] when you do and it hits persons in a certain way, then they say you must be quiet,” he told Freedom Come Rain.
Pastor Omar Ricketts said that while he hasn’t seen the video of the funeral, he has found that a lot of people are resentful of men of God who speak out against sin and social injustice. But he pointed to the fact that this was also the case during the days of Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and other prophets.
“People want pastors to speak words, especially in these times, that are enticing, and you have a lot of Zedekiahs out there who even are pastors themselves, who are prophets themselves who would speak ill of another pastor who ministers,” he noted.
“We must always remember that the business of a pastor is to outline sin and bring people to repentance. It is not to get endorsement or to get recognition,” the pastor asserted.
Pastor Ricketts said that a message on repentance, heaven, and hell is not a glamorous message to preach in these post-modern times of prosperity gospel; however, true servants of God are required to speak as the Lord commands.
“While the atmosphere is politically charged, sin, repentance, hell, and heaven is always a sermon that a pastor must carry,” he charged.