Church mourns passing of Canon Abner Powell

The Reverend Canon Abner Powell, who for many years played pivotal roles in the lives of many people in Western Kingston where he was based at All Saints Church at West Street, and as chaplain at Kingston College, died yesterday morning.

Powell’s passing leaves a void that the church, according to Archbishop of Jamaica and The Cayman Islands, Bishop Howard Gregory, will find it hard to fill.

Father Powell, as he was also known, was 74.

Details of his passing have not been disclosed but Gregory, who has known Powell since high school, spoke kindly of him.

“Canon Abner was a giving person, he gave of himself; that is a spiritual statement, that is an emotional statement. Even in the end, it was reflected in his body, you could see his body, as it were, wearing out as he kept giving of himself,” Gregory told The Gleaner yesterday afternoon.

“The church will certainly miss Canon Abner, but we recognise that he has done his faithful service to that congregation and to the society. It’s going to be hard to replace him,” he added.

Gregory and Powell attended Calabar High School at the same time, even sharing classes for a while, and were at theological college at the same time. Along with the late Bishop Robert Thompson, they were ordained in 1973 at the University Chapel. Gregory said he had a great appreciation for Powell’s ministry, which started at St George’s Church, East Street, where he was curate, before he went to Frankfield in Clarendon, as a priest for a short time before he was called to serve at All Saints in Kingston, at the same time serving as chaplain for Kingston College at North Street.

In the ensuing years, Powell’s impact on the communities her served was reflected in the appreciation and respect shown to him by those whom he influenced. He was no stranger to the inner city, having attended St Anne’s School for a while and this might have even impacted how he was able to influence those from the communities he served.

“He was there in the very troubled years of violence, the killing, the shooting. He bridged the divide so he was able to move between Denham Town and Tivoli and other sections of Kingston. He did many funerals for those who were gunned down, he ministered to the families and there are those who bear testimony to it.”

“All Saints did not have security windows even when they got their computer room, they didn’t have grilles because they respected both him and the work that the church was doing.”

As chaplain at Kingston College, Powell influenced a lot of the boys, many having stories to tell of his positive impact on their upbringing and where they are in life.

“There are many who tell the story of what Father Powell did for them to sort of get them on the right track,” Gregory said.