Bishop’s family living in fear – Brother calls for end to all the rumours
The family of the late Bishop Steve Ricketts is living in fear. Ricketts’ brother, Bishop Shawn Lawrence, head of the Free Gospel Church of God, told The Star that ever since the rumours of Ricketts alleged lifestyle was published in the media, his family has become very concerned.
“People must remember he has his family members left here. I am terribly upset about his house picture which has been posted in The Gleaner. I’m scared now to go there. Because maybe I go there and people come and hurt me, burn it up, shoot me, and say I’m one of them,” Bishop Lawrence said. “I don’t know him to be of that lifestyle. I know him as my brother and a God-fearing church leader. So I’m really very upset. We must remember that he has his children left behind, he has his wife left behind, and people have to live in the house.”
On Friday, Devon Fray, who last week denied being involved with the late bishop, was attacked by several persons in Linstead, who claimed they didn’t like his lifestyle. He too is now in fear for his life and Bishop Lawrence is adamant that all that is being said about his brother’s lifestyle are just stories.
Lawrence describes the whole ordeal as heart-rending and painful. “I’m ashamed to walk in Linstead. I’m not ashamed of my brother, but I’m ashamed of what the media bringing and everyday since this incident there’s a different story in the media. When I spoke to my sister-in-law (Mrs Ricketts) she was just crying because it is so heart-rending. It is really disturbing, all these stories,” said Lawrence who has been a bishop for 23 years. “I don’t know him to be what the media have been publishing him as. I don’t know him to be that vulnerable, evil person. I know him to be a caring, God-fearing person. Steve was one of a kind.”
Ricketts, who has seven children remaining, is described as very loving and a people person.
“I know majority of what they are saying are lies. When Steve was alive from the entrance of Commodore Cemetery to the bottom of Grove Road, Steve was for everybody and everybody was for Steve. So I don’t see why now that he has died all types of rumours and bringing down of the family, bringing down of the church,” said Bishop Lawrence.
He is appealing for the media to be more responsible when making various reports. “Remember, he left family here, people lives still have to go on. We are concentrating on burying three family members and it’s not easy to be dealing with the death of three family members and what is circulating not only in Jamaica but around the world.”
I am stuck at Rumors when videos and his behaviors shows him in a different light
He seems to have a problem telling or accepting the truth! Dah man here upsets me! Him nuh si the pic with his bro in the middle and the oh so glorious video? Bredda u betta guh ina hiding tooo cuz ur blood look sweet! Unu a mash up revivalism! Unu sick battyman lottery scammers sets! Lowe out revival outa unu nassynis! Damn imposters!
I can understand the fear and the concern of the brother and the family as well, we as a people should not condemn an entire flock for the hidden behavior of one person. We as a people should not take out their anger on the family that are now left to grieve over there love ones, yes the video shows the bishop in a very disturbing light to be a bishop and a leader of a church he should never behave and display such mannerism and it’s unfortunate that we see him for what he is after that fact, now that he has passed on we should leave that all in God’s if he will be excepted into heaven or rejected but we shouldn’t threaten and terrorize his family for his behavior their lives must go on… But rumors are the reality because we saw for ourselves… We never know a persons life style until their dead and gone or someone exposes them while their still living..
Bishop??? or eccentric drunken pedophile??? God was no where near this criminal and his flock. Dont believe his story. Fear is not the problem here but shame and embarrassment as it should be.
Ocean, there was nothing hidden about this man’s dirty life. I refer you to the Gleaner article on his lifestyle & you will see that he was quite open. Is shame taking hold of his family who are either lying or was quite in denial about him.
That said people should leave them alone because the community knew who he was for years & did nothing. They too should be ashamed.
Den all di BREDDA look like suga inna him tank kmt cho unnu give us a break
Good point @ Ocean, some family members are victims while some are willing participants and condone with the behaviours of others. It is however hard to separate him and his actions from those he was afiliated to.
MNL…dem claim say dem a bishop dem must know how fi pray the fear away…him lucky….why him neva address the video with his brother beating the young man…
tip of iceberg, lots a women have these downlow men wives girlfriends cant say nutten thann to keep goin to the doctor for the cratch cratch and offensive odours acquired from husbands and lovers ask your doctor friends just don’t call peoples names its not only a ghetto problem
its better dem leave this alone the more they try to clarify what we saw the more it get wuss, that was no joke as they want us to believe, dem tek people fi eediat many many more out there heading congregations
Why him never talk bout the video wid him bredda a beat the bwoy with machete say if a hickey dat pon him neck? That’s not rumours that is hardcore evidence. Them same ppl here turn a blind eye when them know the nastiness them family member a commit. Disgusting set.
Met I friend of mines tell me dat him in Linstead the other day, and is police had to save the one in the video, caz di people dem rush him and nearly kill wid beating.Him get a big stone when the police taking him away.
My friend Live next door to one of the same branch of church in Bog Walk as Steve church, and him tell me that Steve and other members came to the church nxt door to him, and poured 7 bottle of rum on a ram goat and put it into the fire alive, these people into all sorts of stuff just crazy.
Linstead nuh ramp wid battyman, dem will beat dem kill dem, god guh wid dem.
Hw ppl so ignorant and stupid now a days? The same bible weh seh nu f**k batty a it same one seh nu bare false witness and judge not so guess wat if di batty man a sin all a unu a sin to god naa sleep he never does so same like hw him c steve sin him a c fi wi to so wi betta b careful…#gosteve u tun celebrity afta u dead lol…
The so called bishop is a battyman,
how do u explain a bishop beating a young boy with a machete for hickies on his neck and even cursing bad words!!!! The family members need to shut up and ask God to deliver them n stop trying to cover up this man’s dirty lifestyle……kmft….
Look from when De fish a keep up him slackness a linstead, so a now when him dead dem ready fe rush him family. Why him never get page when him did alive. All a who a beat now a bait.
Ppl just get up & a call themselves bishop this & bishop that & a use d word bishop loosely so. What abt being ordained & appointed? Its now just self proclaimed… Any & everybody can just pick up them selves & open up church & start do them own thing wid them iniquity self & a tek God turn mockery, them things need fi cut out & proper system put in place.
Smh
@ Cindy Royal 9:34 p.m. thank you for that, I’m going to go read the article… And with that being said since the family knew and the community knew the family now must deal with the back lash and after affects of the Bishop’s nasty life, his gone now and that life is gone with him… It’s just crazy how the community and the family knew and how open he was on his life style…
@ 2 Suguars & Milk 6:41 p.m. you are so right about that, just crazy how things unravel when a person is dead and gone, even though some or all knew or suspect what was going on… Bless Up
Met some people were commenting on Star that this guy is the same Shawn Lawrence who they charge for killing his family member Donovan Lawrence. The original report says that clergy man Shawn Lawrence went to a candle light & return to find the man dead. But police determine the story didn’t add up. Commenters in that post say him gwaan like girl, is a big gay yard a them and agree with the police that for all the crying him seem to do, them can’t see no tears.
A wonder if u can check if a the same person because no pic never come up with the original story