Mark Dawes, Staff Reporter

Pastor Norman Lewin (centre) of the Kingdom Builders Church of the Open Bible, Spanish Town, embraces Roy Barnes (left) and 'Chris', last Sunday, during a worship service. - photos by Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

There is a tension that churches face when they seek to reach out to gunmen. On the one hand, they are called to share the love of God. Yet, churches are also called to let the world know that God is just and is concerned with justice.

This tension has not been lost on Kingdom Builders Church of the Open Bible in Spanish Town and its associate pastor, Rev Norman Lewin. The church, which today has a membership of a little more than 400, has made significant strides in ministering to gunmen. It is perhaps unique in Jamaica as having the largest population of former gunmen in its congregation.

Many of these former gunmen profess to have got saved through the ministry of the church. Some have gone on to complete their schooling all the way up to tertiary level. An assistant pastor there apart from himself is a former gunman; others are deacons and high-profile leaders. Some continue to be discipled, even as they seek out meaningful employment. (See story published on Saturday, March 8, 2008, or go to http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080308/news/news5.html.

In a second interview with The Gleaner, Pastor Norman Lewin was quizzed about balancing love and justice as he seeks to do ministry to former gunmen worshipping at his church.

The Gleaner: You have in your church former gunmen, men who know what it is to shoot and kill. They are now born-again Christians seeking to serve the Lord and are being discipled. What of the past? Do you think they should turn themselves in to the police and confess acts of criminality - especially murder? Or should they forget about the past and continue along the path that they are on?

Lewin: First of all, I don't want to major on the minor and minor on the major. My calling as a servant of the living God is first to the spirit-man and to make sure that them that are lost, find Jesus Christ. Yes, it is necessary for people to account for their past. Yes, it is important. That is why you have the law in place to deal with these things. The first thing as a shepherd and the first thing as a man of God - a man called to the cloth - the first thing is to make sure that them who are lost, find the way - who is Jesus Christ. And then, as a shepherd, to feed them. That's my major concern.

Now in the process, some of them, because of the change, their conscience will bother them - they need to go and deal with such areas of their lives and I would encourage them to do so. I have lost some who would not come and surrender because of known acts that they had done ... I have to be very careful that I don't cross that line and become a lawmaker instead of a life-presenter. We, as ministers of the gospel, must first of all make sure first that the person comes to know Jesus Christ, and then we can enable them to fix what was. I am not condoning those who are hiding things that should be paid for, but the Word of God says, 'With God', not with man, 'the past is forgotten'.

I don't want to go and dig up things and cause trouble. Some of these men, now, what they have done, they have started a fresh life. Some of these men, they have a family and they have children caring for. If I should go now and dig up the past and present these things to fix what was done in the past, I would be mashing up not only their future, but their children's future. And I would not want to do that. I believe that in bringing someone to Christ, their conscience now will take care of that. And God, Himself, will guide them in the path they should take.

My word to those former gunmen are, firstly, they should pray about it. Secondly, if there are serious things that they have done wrong, I think that they should face it and trust their God. I would encourage them to do that.

Have I done that? Yes, I have done so. I am not a policeman. The policeman is to root out crime. My thing is to seek them that are lost and show them life. That is my foremost concern - to present Jesus Christ as Lord - whether you are in the palace or in the gutter, whether you are a money man or a gunman, whether you are a prostitute or a rapist.

I have to love the people. I might not love what they do. I will have to love the people because of whose I am. If I am going to get in trouble because of this, well so be it, Jesus Christ did.

Have any of them gone to the police to confess yet?

One went but he went for a minor crime. When he went for the minor, crime, the police met with him but they did not have anything on him. He was not known. Because it was minor, they sent him home. He has now migrated. But right now, he is living a solid life and is still in fellowship in a church, though he is living in the United States.

What would you say to the families that have lost loved ones at the hands of these former gunmen who are now attending your church?

About six years ago, on the streets of Rivoli (in Spanish Town), I was walking with a friend and there was a gun battle. We did not know it then that it was a gun battle. The gun battle was between rival gangs. A bullet killed the friend that was walking with me. I knew the individual who killed my friend and reported him to the police. As it turned out, the gunman was not aiming at my friend. It was an 'accident'. He was not aiming at the individual that he killed. Even though he did this, it hurt. Families were affected. I was affected. I lost a good friend, a long time friend. He was like a brother. I had to make the choice to forgive the gunman and lead him to Christ before he died. Otherwise, I would have been imprisoned by unforgiveness. I have learnt that unforgiveness is like a sore. It will never be healed if we don't let it go. You have to decide to forgive. The Bible says that if we don't forgive, God can't forgive us. The gunman was fatally shot by the police some time later and as he was dying, I was there over him saying 'repent' - and he prayed with me and received Jesus. Moments after, he died.

In short, you are saying to the family - forgive?

They will have to. It not easy. Many will not like me for that.

Many will perhaps say they have forgiven the gunmen, but they still want to see justice done. How would you respond?

I would say I would agree with them. But by what terms and what measures? Justice can be done by you finding someone and shooting them, and the whole saga continues. Justice can also be done by someone handing in himself, repenting, turn around and have now a testimony telling others don't go that road.

Pastor Lewin said today these former gunmen "are now part of my family".

"We are now working on others out there in the community that are coming to church sometimes on a Sunday. They are now confiding in us," Pastor Lewin said. The former gunmen in his church, he said, have proven to be assets, as they are able to relate to active gunmen in a way that he as a pastor can't. In that way, they are more effective in empathising with the mindset of gunmen while pointing them to the the cross of Jesus Christ.

Send feedback to mark.dawes@gleanerjm.com.

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'Every person deserves a second chance'

The Gleaner last week met with three former gunmen who worship at Pastor Lewin's church. They were asked: If you had a chance to talk to the family of persons whose loved one you killed, what would you say to them?

Ivan Barnes, 47: I understand the hurt that the family of those persons have been through. First, I must say I apologise to them. I know it hurts. It is hot. It is tough. Here I am now, get saved, walking with the Lord. It is not easy to accept it. But as I always say to my friends - every single person on earth, even the madman, deserves a second chance. Why? Because of Jesus Christ. He gave us a whole heap of chances. If you find it in your hearts to accept my apology, to understand that in those days, we were like ship without anybody steering it. We were miserable. No father figure was in my life. As a matter of fact, no mother figure was in my life. When I just got saved, I took Apostle Shirley Lewin as my mother. (Apostle Shirley Lewin is the senior pastor of the church and mother of Pastor Norman Lewin.) Everything that she knew, she taught me. That's why I said to my rest of brothers, nobody will ever get me out of this church, for this is mi yard. Here, everything that mi own in the world, mi get it because of here and because of that woman of God.

Sheldon, 21: In my growing up, I did not have any love. All I was seeing in my life, the one who gave me the gun and gave me the things, they were the ones who I see give me 'love'. I know that I take many innocent lives, and I can say to those who taking innocent lives, I am asking them just please forgive me. Jesus died on the cross for forgiveness. I am asking, just look inside and see that I did not grow up with any love. I come into a church at age 18, (now 21). I did not have a mother love and father love. At five, my father died. My mother grow me. I got kicked out of school for carrying a gun. I am just asking, please forgive me. I grow up in a lot of bad things. Family, I am sorry for what I have done.

Chris 37: What I would say, I was living in darkness. From 1982, I was following bad company and doing bad things. I did not quite understand what I was doing. I am sorry for what I have done.