New priests and deacons following their ordination

The Suffragan Bishop of Kingston, the Rt. Rev. Robert Thompson, has challenged new clergy in the Diocese to provide a wholesome example for their congregation and the wider community, especially in the face of the present moral confusion in society.

The Bishop was delivering the Sermon at the July 4 ordination of five priests and five deacons, at the historic Cathedral of St. Jago de la Vega in Spanish Town. He noted that, now-a-days, there were fewer standards to guide people in making their moral and ethical choices; and, in this context, the presence of ordained ministers as the embodiment of God’s ways was important in advancing the cause of the gospel in the community.

“People look at the ordained and see the Church. The tragedy is that, when the ordained do not live up to the calling to be what we proclaim, the damage we do goes far beyond ourselves and our families. It reinforces loss of confidence by society in the Church,” Bishop Thompson asserted.

He told the congregation in the capacity-filled Cathedral that public outrage at the hypocrisy of  religious leaders was nothing new, but dated back to the days of the Old Testament prophets who spoke out against the leadership crisis in Israel. He warned the newly-ordained not to abuse the privilege and sacred trust of caring for the people committed to their charge.

Quoting from the text in 1 Peter 5:3, The Bishop of Kingston said, “The flock in your care does not belong to you. You are not its master, you are its servant. ‘You are to serve ungrudgingly and gladly, not for personal gain, but so that others might gain from your example, not by haughtiness but in humility.” 

Bishop Thompson encouraged the Ordinands to fulfill the sacred duties entrusted to them, not as stars, but in collaboration with their congregations. He described the Church as a ministering community in which there were many centres of giftedness and leadership sharing in ministry. He emphasized that, in this environment, no one person could function in isolation from the whole, and the ordained was responsible for helping members to discern their special gifts and accept equal share and accountability in carrying out God’s mission.

The five priests who were ordained by the Suffragan Bishop of Mandeville, the Rt. Rev. Harold Daniel, are the Rev. Cleverton Rohan Beckford, the Rev. Errol Lloyd Dyer, the Rev. Horace Byron Sylvester Mellish, the Rev. Cheryl Beverley Phillips and the Rev. Ulric Nefert Wilson. The new deacons include two brothers, the Rev. Khan Oscar Honeyghan and the Rev. Rory Andre Honeyghan; as well as the Rev. David Anthony Reid, the Rev. Paul Anthony Sharp and the Rev. Rita Grace White.

In addition to their training in theology, several of the newly-ordained ministers hold first degrees in a variety of disciplines and bring a wide range of professional experience to their vocation in the Church.