BY GEORGE HENRY, STAR WRITER
SPALDINGS, CLARENDON:

Pastor Ronald Charlton wants church leaders who are guilty of 'feeding' on the members of their flock sexually, and who are engaged in acts that are against, not only Christian principles, but against the law of the land, to be made to pay for their deeds.

Charlton said church leaders are placed in the positions to take care of their members for the Lord, and that they should do all possible to ensure that they live up to the teachings of Christ, as they continue to do His work.

"A pastor for example, must only have one wife. They are to practise what they preach; there should not be cheating. I have to speak for the pastors, because probably if I was not a pastor I would cheat, because sometimes the girls them really look good, but touching the words of God demands that the shepherd does not interfere with the flock", said Pastor Charlton.

face the consequences

He pointed out that the deacon who is before the courts in connection with the carnal abuse of the female student should be made to face the consequences for the wrong deed he has committed, so long as he is guilty.

The pastor stated that the actions of the accused Deacon have cast a shadow over several church leaders, even though not all are the same. He added that the churchman has let down not only his church, but also others and that he should be brought to book for the wrong he is accused of encouraging.

Charlton, who has been leading the Goshen Shiloh Apostolic Church in St. Elizabeth since 1970, wants all church leaders to live holy and acceptable lives, so that young people can emulate them while they grow and develop into persons of good standing and character.

He said leaders in the church need to be close to the young people to give them good Christian guidance, instead of preying on them in immoral ways, including sexually. He wants the church to stretch out its hand and reach out to young people so that they can have a better outlook on life.

saved by preacher

The veteran pastor who has been walking with Christ for almost 46 years, told THE STAR that he got saved during his 'sporting' years. He added that his walk with the Lord came one night after he listened to a young female preacher named Louise Dawkins, at a crusade in St. Elizabeth.

He pointed out that he went to the crusade to give an offering and was asked by someone to kneel so that he could be prayed for. He said he complied and the next day he felt as if he was in a different atmosphere.

Charlton said he got baptised in water and was baptised with the Holy Ghost in 1961.

Pastor Charlton, who has moved up the ranks in the church and has served as a curate, deacon, elder and pastor, says he wants to continue serving God in his current leadership position until God calls him home. Despite the work being challenging, the veteran church leader points out that he likes it and is still enjoying it, the same way he did when he first started.

The pastor said he wants church leaders to desist from being domineering and to be gentle with their followers, so as not to drive them away. He expressed that church leaders should try to be gentle to those they lead and be tactful in their dealings with their members and the persons in their community.

He wants church leaders to be open to especially their young members and not hide certain topical issues from them.

Pastor Charlton, who is the father of Egon, Everton, Peter, Paul and Mark and the husband of Louise, wants more resource persons to be invited to the church so that they can assist in helping members to better understand certain issues for which they have questions.

He wants Jamaicans to understand that the country they are living in is a wonderful one, but that they need to assist in making it crime free. He added that the church can also assist in that regard by coming together and reaching out to those who are left by the wayside. The church, he said, should try to get such persons in a position where they can better respond to them.