BY GEORGE HENRY, STAR Writer

SPALDINGS, CLARENDON

Reverend Stanley George Clarke made the decision to follow Jesus Christ and to serve Him in whatever capacity He saw fit in 1961.

Apart from serving as pastor at a number of Moravian churches in Jamaica, he has served as president of the Jamaica Council of Churches between 1997 and 2000 and he is currently bishop for the Moravian Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Clarke, who hails from Cairn Curran in Westmoreland, is a past student of the United Theological College of the West Indies, noted that his Christian walk came about after he had been attending church on a regular basis since childhood and decided in his heart that the way of the Lord was the best choice.

"I have made the right choice. If you should look out there, the options you have are to choose the life of the world, to choose party, to choose worldliness and so on. Which one would you choose over living a life for the Lord and according to Christian principles? I do not see an option but to serve the Lord," said Bishop Clarke with confidence.

He made it clear that he is enjoying the work he does for God and the life he currently lives as a Christian and would not change them for any reason. Having been given the opportunity to serve as pastor at the Nazareth Moravian Church in Manchester, the Springfield Moravian Church in St. Elizabeth, Redeemer and Covenant in Kingston, Bishop Clarke said his movement upward in religious circles has been a tremendous surprise for him.

"From where I started, it is a tremendous surprise. I never thought that the office which I currently hold would have come to somebody like me who is from humble beginnings. I never thought of that but God in His own time worked things out," noted the Moravian bishop.

The veteran church leader believes Jamaicans need to be a bit more intentional and constructive in the way we handle our Christianity. According to the bishop there is too much emotionalism and simplistic approach to Christianity. He says persons give the impression that it is very easy and that there are no difficulties; and all one has to do is just to pray, praise the Lord, have a good time and everything is just wonderful.

He stated that those who create such an impression are not communicating the full truth about what christianity is all about. According to Clarke, Christianity is a personal relationship between individuals and God.

In the meantime, the former president of the Jamaica Council of Churches said his organisation has always been against the introduction of casino gambling to Jamaica and still continues to be against it. He said he and the Jamaica Council of Churches still have objection to it, and there is no intention of compromising on that. He also said the Church will continue to raise the moral level and give guidance to the society.

He explained that we are currently in the season of the year when there is peace and goodwill, joy and love to all persons. he says we should grasp the gift which God has given to us, and share it with our brothers and sisters so that there will be a friendlier and kinder society for all to live in.

"We should put down our guns of destruction, put down the axes that are destroying one another. It is our own Jamaicans, same flesh and blood. It makes no sense for us to go around destroying our one another. Let us offer even the young people an opportunity to grow up to enjoy their youth, to enjoy their childhood, to grow up and aspire and achieve their dreams," said Bishop Clarke.

He is also calling on all Jamaicans to not destroy the youths nor frustrate their dreams, but that they should be allowed to grow up to become worthwhile in the society.