The funeral service for the late Rev Canon Abner Powell, who died on November 23, 2023, will be held at St Luke’s Church, Cross Roads on Thursday, December 14 at 10 a.m. The viewing of the body will take place at All Saints Church, West Road on Wednesday, December 13 from 11 to 1 pm.
Tributes have been pouring in for the late Canon who served as Rector of All Saints Church for some 46 years. As Archbishop Gregory said, “his passing leaves a void that the Church will find difficult to fill”
“Canon Abner Powell’s Ministry in the Trenches”, was the title of a feature article by Beverley Newell in The Anglican in the September 2021 issue (vol 19 # 3). As it said “It takes a special calling to minister for 44 years in one of the most volatile areas of Jamaica. But, the Rev. Canon Abner Powell, whose mantra is Psalm 91, affirms that “God is always calling and you must listen, respond to the call and he will be with you always.”
The article continued,
“Three years after he was ordained to the priesthood in 1974, the young Abner Powell was appointed Rector of All Saints Church, in Western Kingston in September 1977. Under his fearless leadership, and undergirded by prayer, All Saints and the St. Alban’s Mission in Denham Town became havens for many citizens in this part of the City.
An advocate for vulnerable youth, Canon Abner has extended fatherly care to many, including students at Kingston College where he taught for nearly 40 years, and also served as Chaplain. “My Rectory became a safe retreat for youth in the Church who would frequently meet for a home-cooked meal, movie nights and Bible Study,” he explains.
The outreach programmes spearheaded by All Saints under the guidance of “Father P,” as he is fondly called, reflect his commitment to human development. These include the computer lab, the weekly feeding programme which caters to more than 100 persons, the others’ Union’s flagship Parents’ Place and the Marching Band which has become a staple across the Diocese.”
Canon Powell served for years as chaplain at Kingston College, Powell and The Gleaner noted that there he “influenced a lot of the boys, many having stories to tell of his positive impact on their upbringing and where they are in life”
The Diocese mourns the passing of this compassionate and caring priest who so faithfully served the community of Western Kingston for so many decades
