Roogae Kirlew – guided by his Christian faith to help the vulnerable
Published:Sunday | June 28, 2020 | 12:09 AMRuddy Mathison - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Roogae Kirlew has been an elder at the Mt Industry United Church in Jamaica and The Cayman Islands for the past 15 years, and he has always been guided by his Christian faith in his everyday life.
A resident of Glengoffe in St Catherine, Elder Kirlew considers himself an ardent Christian who practises what he preaches.
He told Family and Religion that one of his main motivations as a Christian is to reach out to the vulnerable, not just members of his church, but all people who need help because that is what Jesus taught him to do.
"I grew up in the Church. My mother, being a Christian, ensured that I was in Sunday school every Sunday, so it was like a way of life for me," he said.
"I became a Christian at the age of 12, and from then, I dedicated myself to the service of the Lord. I served as a youth director for the Sunday school, and later, I was placed in charge of preaching. I received training as a preacher and was certified as an elder of the church."
According to Kirlew, his conversion has change his life forever, and as he started to follow the teachings of Christ, he began to see that his ministry was to serve people.
Guided by his faith, he contested the Mt Industry Division of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation as a People's National Party councillor and was successful in the last local government election.
"I see religion and politics as correlated if your main motivation is to serve God's people. I must say that my Christian faith is what guides my politics. I see it as a way to minister to the people, fulfilling the examples that Christ laid down for the Church," said Kirlew.
"Christian values, as exemplified by Jesus, are intertwined with reaching out to the poor and needy, feeding the hungry, giving clothes to those who are in need, and helping those who cannot help themselves. So yes, my politics is about extending care to God's people."
In the spirit of fostering his commitment to serve, Kirlew has embarked on a very ambitious project called 'Healing Hands' in the Glengoffe community. The project is designed to render care to mentally challenged persons in the community and surrounding areas.
"Most times when these persons turn up at the health centre, they are hungry, and because of their conditions, many of them don't practise proper hygiene, so we give them food and clothing where necessary. We even go into their places of abode to clean and carry out sanitation functions," revealed Kirlew, who pointed out that this is done twice per month.
In addition to this, Kirlew also delivers care packages to a number of needy persons in the community.
The Mt Industry United Church of The Cayman Islands' elder, who is also principal of the Lucky Hill Primary School, is married, with two children. He has a busy schedule as a preacher, doing duties when called upon in the London Ridge, Lucky Hill, and Williamsfield churches, in addition to presiding over the Glengoffe Minister's Fraternal, which he lacunched recently.
Kirlew also organises his time to carry out his duties as a municipal corporation councillor, attending monthly general meetings of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation and chairing the disaster-preparedness committee.