Tragedy struck the New Bethlehem Baptist Church Sunday as one of their longest serving members became the nation’s latest murder victim.
Ivan Cleare was gunned down at Scotiabank on Jerome Avenue and his death not only affected his immediate family but his spiritual one as well, with the leader of his church having received the news of his death during the midday service.
Pastor of New Bethlehem Baptist Church Everette Brown said that this loss was a huge blow to the congregation as Cleare was an active minister in the church and the tragic circumstances surrounding his death was not initially well received by churchgoers.
“His death affected us greatly, it was very shocking to us to get that news, we got the news while in the middle of our second service and I had to keep a calm posture until the service was over so we could inform the membership of what had taken place.
“It was generally overwhelming, people were crying and they couldn’t believe it and the way it happened made it worse, many of us feel like it is still a dream and it wasn’t until we went to the family’s house we realized that it was true, ” Mr. Brown said.
Brown added that he and Cleare were lifelong friends and that he was naturally a warm and kind-hearted person that displayed this to every person he ever came in contact with.
“Ivan was a nice young man, friendly, very kind, Ivan would have given you the shirt off his back, he always had a word of comfort, a word to cheer you up and something to make you laugh that was him.”
“We grew up together in the church, we did Baptist League together, when he was building his house I was there. That’s the kind of friendship we had,”Mr. Brown said.
Brown also urged the youth of the country to develop a level of personal responsibility. In regards to seeking employment instead of turning to criminal activity.
“Young people really have to get themselves together. They have to come to the place now, where they understand that nothing in life is free, if you want something you have to work for it.”
“These young people need to stop being lazy and go find a job, there is a career for everybody, not everyone is going to have a white collar job but whatever you can do, go work, don’t go and take somebody else’s things and think it’s ok to take their life it’s sickening and something has to be done with the crime in this country.”
“Over the last two years I would have already preached to about 10 murdered victims funerals, when will it stop and what can we do to stop it,” Mr. Brown said.
Cleare became the country’s 54th murder victim.
