HUNDREDS of mourners yesterday braved afternoon showers to pay their last respects for the life of Reverend Dr Cleveland Elisha Grant at a service of Thanksgiving held at the Olson Memorial Hall (Ardenne High School) in Kingston.

Grant, a past chairman of the Church of God in Jamaica, died on April 3 at the St Andrews Hospital after a brief illness. He was 76.

The illustrious life of the man more popularly known as the host of Radio Jamaica’s mid-day meditation prayers, was immortalised in the over 10 tributes made by representatives of the various organisations and boards he had either served on, or represented in his career.

These included the Rock Hall Church of God, Caribbean Atlantic Church of God, Kingston Keswick Convention, Jamaica Association of Evangelicals, Church of God in Jamaica, Constant Spring Church of God, Ardenne High School and the Radio Jamaica Communications Group Ltd.

Grant was remembered for his “strong sense of history and family” as noted by his cousin, Rev Peter Spencer, who read the eulogy.

He related the anecdote of how Grant longed to become a pastor from his early days.

“A regular past-time for the Grant children was playing church… (a brother pretended to play the organ while his sister did the singing),” he said. “The congregation was made up of cousins and friends from the neighbourhood and, of course, Cleve would climb into the tree and preach the sermon. He was also the ‘priest’ for the burial of the animals that died around the homes.”

In later years, Grant, whom his cousin described as ‘the People’s Pastor’, conducted over 1,500 weddings and brought reconciliation to numerous troubled marriages through his counselling sessions.

Chairman and managing director of Radio Jamaica, Lester Spaulding, said it was ironic that Grant, who taught the nation to pray, “passed gently into the night,” during the season of Lent and that his memorial service is being held during Holy Week.

“He was a gentle and genteel man with unquestionable integrity,” Spaulding said. “He had a quality voice, the envy of any broadcast professional.”

Grant’s pastoral ministry with the Church of God began at the Highholborn Street and the Constant Spring Church of God in 1954. He rose to the highest administrative office in the denomination — Chairman of the Church of God in Jamaica. In recognition of his outstanding service to the church, the title of Pastor Emeritus was given to him on his retirement in 2001.