THE gold-coloured mitre sat atop the pall covering the coffin with the remains of former suffragan bishop of Kingston Dr Robert Thompson as the veritable call to worship at the beginning of the requiem on Monday celebrating his life.

The coffin stood in the chancel before the sanctuary of the near-360-year-old St Andrew Parish Church, at whose altar Thompson had presided over for the celebration of hundreds of masses.

Members and workers of the Anglican Church in the Province of the West Indies filled the space to capacity as the man of “mission and ministry” was remembered for his work in the church and the countless lives impacted.

Archbishop of the West Indies and bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands Howard Gregory, in delivering the sermon, referenced II Timothy 4:6, “[T]he hour has come… the time is here for me to leave this life…” as he eulogised his colleague in ministry.

He spoke to parallels in Thompson’s vocation and that of the Apostle Paul, adding the effectiveness of his work was the result of “God’s grace flowing through his ministry”.

“Ministry is not a perpetual joyride,” Gregory said, while charting that Bishop Thompson “knew the experience of illness and suffering” all while offering the most diligent of pastoral care to thousands as they stood in need.

“He demonstrated a self-giving practice of sensitive and compassionate pastoral care and of which my own family was a recipient,” shared Gregory.

He cited that Thompson’s work, as Paul’s, focused on “bearing fruit, not temporal… and had a commitment to the next generation”.

Gregory said Thompson made no claim to perfection, but offered himself “with a clear conscience”.

All the rites of worship were observed in the liturgy, complete with incense, paschal candle, chants, and chimes.

The diocesan tribute remembered Thompson as a “strong, decisive, no-nonsense leader who was action-oriented”. It continued, “Ever concerned about the relevance of the Church as an agent of change, Bishop Thompson has bequeathed an enduring legacy for Christians in Jamaica…”

Present suffragan bishop of Kingston Garth Minott, in offering prayers of the faithful, said: “In the shadow of this death which now clouds our joy, let us call upon the Father… that we might find the gift of tears a tribute to the love the Father has shown us in the life of Robert…”

The music of the service was as all-embracing as was Thompson’s ministry. The Kingston College Chapel Choir and Diocesan Festival Choir, of which Thompson previously served as chairman, led the singing, robed in purple. Hymns included the 19th century Jerusalem The Golden, and among the tributes were Jah Is My Keeper, an arrangement of Peter Tosh’s well known tune Creation, and Noel Dexter’s I Come To The Cross.

The liturgy featured tunes from Buju Banton’s Our Father and the Agnus Dei was set to an arrangement of the Revival melody Roll, Jordan Roll. A suite of Jamaican choruses at the recession paid tribute to Thompson’s decades of service to the nation, which Gregory noted was “eventually honoured” with him being invested in the Order of Distinction at the rank of Commander in 2020.

Thompson’s widow Charmaine, and children Matthew and Joseph participated in the mass and were recognised for the strong and dedicated support given to his ministry.

The service was attended by the clergy of the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands with representatives from across the region and the ecumenical community — among them president of the Jamaica Baptist Union Rev Dr Glenroy Lalor and three Roman Catholic archbishops, Kenneth Richards, Charles Dufour, and Donald Reece. A strong contingent from the People’s National Party, led by President Mark Golding and his predecessor Peter Phillips, sat among the pews of the church with representatives of the Jamaica Labour Party including Delroy Chuck, Pearnel Charles Sr and former Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

Robert McLean Thompson was ordained a deacon in 1973, then as a priest in 1974. He was later consecrated bishop in 2005 and retired from active ministry in 2020 due largely to failing health. He died on February 10, 2023.