STATEMENT OF THE CAYMAN MINISTERS' ASSOCIATION

The Cayman Ministers’ Association wishes to express our heartfelt sympathy to the families of those who have been so violently taken away from us. May all who grieve be comforted: we feel deeply the loss of these young men, whose God-given potential will now never be realised. We want you to know that if we can do anything to assist you during this time of great sorrow, we stand ready to help.

We are thankful for the various ministries and actions known and unknown that have been done over the years in these Islands, which have helped numberless people and their families both to avoid the pitfall of criminality and, in the case of those who fell, to find the way out of its quagmire. However, we implore both pastors and lay persons to redouble their efforts during this critical time, and not to become discouraged, either in prayer or in action. While Churches and the wider community in Cayman have been working on serving youth and families over the years, the events reveal that more needs to be done.

We call on all God-fearing persons to pray; for we are convinced that the Lord answers the prayers of His people. The Lord will grant victory to those who act in His Name, taking courageous steps to promote reconciliation within and between families. We long for everyone to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life as a ransom for sinners and to free us from the kinds of deeds we have witnessed recently.

In granting human life and human dignity God has conferred incomparable gifts upon us, which sin is constantly attempting to erase. We join with the traumatized citizens of Cayman in deploring and condemning in the strongest way the unlawful taking of human life as well as the unlawful removal of property as acts that are deeply sinful and result in severe and enduring distress to many. Such acts, if not admitted and repented from, also do incomparable harm to the personhood of the perpetrators, who remain subject to severe censure not only by the authorities of the State but by the heavenly Father Himself.

In the context of these deeply disturbing recent criminal acts against the human person, as well as the incidents of robbery that have continued throughout the year, we affirm the responsibility of Churches and others to uphold and support the family as the foundation of society, and to heed the Lord's command to love our neighbour. We urge this to be done in effective and practical ways, partnering whenever appropriate with the institutions of the public and private sectors. We pray for the police as they seek to solve crime and apprehend its perpetrators. We are appealing to all who may have any helpful information to come forward and provide it.

We appeal to the gangs of the community. We counsel you to find the better way to resolve your differences. The ministers of the CMA are willing to sit with rival factions to promote peace.

May God give us all grace and courage to do our duty to Him and to our community.

CAYMAN MINISTERS' ASSOCIATION

September 2011