“The gang culture has reached here” – Father Branche
BVI News Staff - Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 at 9:55 AM
An Anglican minister said young people in the Virgin Islands are being washed away by the tide of crime and have adopted a gang culture similar to the United States.
In delivering his Old Year’s night sermon, Father Ronald Branche of the St. George’s Episcopal Church said he had the opportunity in December to be in the courts for a few days and what he saw told him that all is not well in the Virgin Islands.
“Our young men and women are being swept away by the tide of crime. There is a gang culture that has been adopted from the inner cities of New York and they come with their codes and their dress and all that goes with it. It has reached here,” Father Branche said.
Father Branche’s sermon was based on the scripture text taken from the prophet Jeremiah chapter 3 verses 11 to 14. It said: ‘Return though back sliding Israel for I am merciful, only acknowledge thy iniquity that he has not obeyed my voice said the Lord, turn O back sliding children and I will bring you to Zion’.
The Anglican minister spoke of the relevance of this scripture to the Virgin Islands.
He added: “We cannot afford to put our heads in the sand and believe that everything is well in Nature’s Little Secrets. It is not and so those who call upon the church to do something must know that the church has been doing what he has been called to do. We have been proclaiming the word. I don’t believe that there is a shortage of the word being proclaimed but like the people in Israel at that time, our words are falling on deaf ears. We will not give up, we will not back down, we will continue to proclaim God’s word but that is the state of things. And with the economic problem starting to enter our borders, I do not know that it will be any better soon.”
However, Father Branche told his congregation that there is still hope – to turn to God.
“You say I come here tonight with the hope that you will give me hope, that we will have a prosperous and bright New Year and I wish I could have said that but like the prophet Jeremiah I have to deal with the reality on the ground and this is the reality brothers and sisters. The reality is that we are facing difficult times and if we are facing difficult times, there is a way out for us, by the way we respond to these situations by turning to God,” Father Branche said.
He said it is important for the people of the BVI to remember that when the prophet spoke, many called the prophet a prophet of gloom and doom, yet when things began to happen, when the truth came to bear on these very leaders, they sent for the prophet. They wanted to hear what the prophet had to say – the same prophet that they condemned.
“We need to understand that worship of God is serious business. I don’t know that we understand that. I stay here and observe people here in service texting and converse. How are they very serious about God’s words, how are they going to say that they gained anything might catch a word here or there. Our words are falling on rocky soil and the seed on rocky soil begins to show some semblance of growth and before you know it. It has disappeared, our words are falling among the thorns; let people hear the word become attracted to it but then their care of the world and the attractions of the world take them away from it and so the word is choked,” the Anglican minister said.
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27 Comments
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you want to be like america thats what come wit it that should hold ayo
We had ‘gangs’ here ever before 2000. I remember being a lad in highschool around the time Tupac and Bigger got Murdered and the whole “East Coast/ West Coast” crud was kicking off.
Man from here adopt that and from them on you was either an “East man” Or a “West man” and treated hostile as such according to where you go. Second form block, Tuckshop (Remember that, buddy?) At the back by the Mechanic shop. It’s always been here and in my opinion it going to KEEP being here as long as people got free will.
Focus on keeping kids out of at as opposed to addressing it like it just come yesterday.
Really?…Scary!
Tola really does not have a gang problem. Everyone is trying to open a door that will not be able to close. You have a gang problem when you can come out your house wearing certain colors and your face gets slashed on Valentine’s Day when someone asks you what time it is. Please leave the gangs where they really exist and don’t open that can of worms. True gang members do not like copycats. Pick up a book and educate yourselves.
where was father branch when the “gay rights” law was passing?
Yes he spoke out against this issue on numerous occasion.
Wow, I thought Bermuda was bad! Sounds like some serious problems down dere!
If only the solution were turning to God! Well done Father Branche for speaking out on the horror that is happening all around in the BVI. Shame on the parents for ignoring their responsibilities in raising children with a moral code and shame on the friends and communities who dismiss the various criminal incidents they witness, thus perpetuate the cycle of crime that is sweeping our Islands. I fear for the future unless people stand up and take a moral stand against this.
So much hate and issues between locals and expats…. parents, is this spilling over into the kids minds? Just a thought.
Gangs should be our secondary concern. Our children are falling prey to INADEQUATE PARENTING and INADEQUATE BROUGHTUPCY in general. Our community is failing them. In addition to worship and seeking God’s help, we need to be very practical about how our societal values are changing… If we can somehow get back to the days when a village raised a child I think we will be alright. But this is hard to do because the BVI is a melting pot with several influencing cultures…
WHERE IN THIS WORLD THIS MAN OF THE CLOTH CAME FROM, WHERE YOU WAS BOSS FOR HEAVEN SAKE WAKE UP,WHAT ABOUTH THOSE HOMO AND LODGE PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH.
Start in the home of these hood rats. c where they are getting their actitudes.
yea and to start it off was the slang bvi ley we do this thing so that is who introduce it
When a society embrace certain things in the name of progress, with progress comes other things not desired. for example, cable t/v with all it’s dirty programs, cell phones, internet, if one is motivated to find out about any thing all you have to do to get it is right at your finger tips. I here wondering who woke the father from sleep. we have government officials and persons in church involved in illegal activity, tell the good father talk about that, maybe he scared to die for speaking the truth. The youths of the country are used for political gain by some and then dumped to the wayside after election, then you have those who now seeing the problem using it as a means to big up themselves and capitalized on our youths problems in a personal way. what do you expect in Demon-cracy capitalist system.
Just pull down those shelters at the top of Fort Hill at Bellevue.
Get rid of those kids hanging around.
you a real real
hater
Father Branche, the fight is more than you but it all comes down to education. If pastors like you lot was teaching the people the truth about who they are and about the true fight they wouldn’t be killing each other. The BVI is falling into the trap of the edomites. My brothers and sister wise up don’t let mammon get the best of you
gangs have been in the bvi for many years so i dont know why mr branch getting hard in his pants about
So You are saying it’s okay? So many people lost their life due to gang violence and that’s the best statement you could come up with?
Well Father Branche……first I wouls like to say NO SHIT SHERLOCKE! It has been a here for a while now one simply needs to read the arrest blotter. What is equally troubling is that those same gangs you referred to from NY and other places or organised not like the crap here in the BVI where they simply interested in ” RAGGING” than defeating the ill system of society. Now gangs was first a way to help disenchanted youths feel like they have a purpose other than what the limitation of society told them. Now smh it all grey and messy….to tell you the truth , with what is going on with the financial situation of our governments and the world as a whole…It’s lost hope and individual child or parent has to help themselves not wait for cocirty to do it for you.
*would…*Society…..I was rushing.
Father Branche is cocoo for cocoa pops.
check fort hill for some gangs
I heard that there about a dozen gangs operating in the VI, yet the cops are doing nothing about it but profiling. These gangs are involved in drugs, sale of weaponry and murder-for-hire. Some of these gangs are being embraced by political figures who believe they are “rescuing the youth. time will tell.
I agree Father Branche. I can count on you to bring the issues to the table.
these are the biggest gangs ndp/vip
DAS TRUE!!!!
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