By Mark Dawes, Staff Reporter
The Rev. Peter Douglas Clarke's appetite for theology is so whetted that he has again enrolled to do more theology. - Carlington Wilmot /Freelance Photographer
ON SUNDAY November 30, 2003, Peter Douglas Clarke, JP, was ordained a Deacon in the Anglican church. The Rev. Mr. Clarke, 62 is a theological late bloomer (people who at 50 years or older have decided to pursue pastoral or other related ministries). Born and raised in Jamaica, the Rev. Mr. Clarke lived for 26 years, beginning in 1969, in Montreal, Canada, where he served as a church committee member and treasurer.
While in Canada he did studies at McGill University in commerce and management. He then became a management consultant.
He returned to Jamaica in 1994 and has since held three executive positions. He was general manager for Administration & Finance at the Transport Authority of Jamaica and then vice-president of Administration & Finance at the College of Agriculture, Science & Education (CASE). His last post before entering the United Theological College of the West Indies (UTCWI) was general manager of the Rio Grande Rafting Authority.
He is one of the 10 offspring born to Branford and Bernice Clarke. He grew up in Bartons, St. Catherine. He attended Bartons Elementary, Browns Hall Elementary, Dinthill Technical High School and the Jamaica School of Agriculture. He inherited his parents' faith and so all his life he has been an Anglican, and has always been active in church, locally and during the time he lived in Canada. But it was not until 1985 where, through the encouragement of friends, a series of circumstances and dreams that it began to dawn on him that the Lord wanted him to become a pastor. It seemed many were seeing him in the role of a pastor long before he recognised his own calling as people from all walks of life, many of them strangers, would approach him and address him as 'Pastor' or 'Rev.'.
This sense of call continued to grow in him when he returned to Jamaica in 1994 and worshipped at St. Jude's Church, Stony Hill, St. Andrew (1994-1995), and later at Christ Church Anglican in Port Antonio (1995-2000), Portland which was then shepherded by the Rev. Fr. Lloyd Becca (now deceased). It was a combination of the influence and encouragement of Fr. Becca and the congregation there that finally caused him to enrol as a theology student at UTCWI in September 2000.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theology (Honours) and a Diploma in Ministerial Studies and yesterday he began his tenure as Curate at St. Luke's Church, Cross Roads, St. Andrew. But his appetite for theology was so whetted that he has again enrolled to do more theology. This time, he is doing through UTCWI Master's in Philosophy in Theology.
In Canada, in the year 1981, the Rev. Mr. Clarke embraced Freemasonry. He is now a 32nd degree Freemason (There are 33 degrees in Freemasonry) and in those circles he is styled 'Illustrious Brother of the Royal Secret' or 'Prince of the Royal Secret'. He wears his Masonic heritage like a badge of honour. Masonry, he contends, is compatible with Christianity. Furthermore, Masonry, he maintains, has served in no small way to equip him for pastoral ministry.
Freemasonry, he said, "Is a beautiful system of morality veiled in allegories and illustrated symbols. It is not a religion but it has religious principles. It is not a secret organisations but a fraternity that possesses secrets."
Freemasonry, he stressed, fosters a love for the Creator, a dedication to family, and a love for one's neighbour. "In many Masonic rites we commit to memorising large sections of the Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments sometimes in Hebrew as well. Naturally, this has aided me when at studies, prayer, when engaged in theological discussions or when preaching," the clergyman said.
Married to Patricia, an educator, for the past 38 years they have three adult offspring two sons and a daughter. Their children live in Canada. When he told his wife that he wanted to become a Minister of the Gospel she was thoroughly supportive, as were his children. Some of his friends have sought him out to find out how they too could enter the ministry. "Some did not understand why I should to through the elaborate study process since I was already preaching at Christ Church in Port Antonio."
He acknowledged that studying at UTCWI "was really difficult for me knowing that I was going back to study at my age with mostly young people who could have been my children. Some of the comments made by the young seminarians were also not complimentary to my age. However, I have grown to appreciate and love these younger seminarians. I believe that they learned from the older seminarians in maximising studying for optimal results. In lectures and denominational meetings, there is mutual gain: the young gain from our experiences and we learn their new methodology in approaching life."
INTERN
Like most Anglican students at UTCWI, he was assigned a range of congregations to serve as an intern. He has served the UWI Anglican Community; St Luke's Cure, Cross Roads; St Mary the Virgin, Molynes Road, Kingston; All Saints, West Street, Kingston; St James Cure, Montego Bay; Pedro Plains Cure, Pedro Plains, St. Elizabeth; St George's Cure, Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland and St. Bonafice, Harbour View, Kingston. These congregations have treated him as a learned minister, he said, though "some people seem to believe that from my studying of theology, I will know all about the Scriptures and I am able to explain everything to them, but I cannot. Not surprisingly, there are many interpretations of the Bible and I might just be wrong in my interpretation."
A Christian for him is: "A tolerant, honest, hardworking, caring, loving, person who has been washed in Holy Baptism in the Body of Christ." It does not matter the mode of baptism, he said. He believes too that one cannot know for sure that when one dies he or she will be going to Heaven. For according to him 'Only God knows'.
He has words of encouragement for those thinking of enrolling in theological seminary. "Having gone through the process, I would encourage all who intend to go into ministry not to seek any short cuts, but to study the full time at UTC. For one thing, you will get to enjoy the other members of Christ's Church: the Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Moravian, Roman Catholics, United Church, Church of God, New Testament and many other denominations."
