Mark Dawes, Staff Reporter
David Chang gestures during an interview at The Gleaner's offices on Wednesday. - Andrew Smith/Photography Editor
He got involved in various robberies and shooting incidents, but he badly wanted 'to earn his stripes' by going to jail. One night in 1983, he and two cronies broke into a business place in New Kingston. Not long after, he walked into the Half-Way Police Station
and confessed to the crime.
FROM THE age of 10, all he ever wanted to be was a gunman. He fulfilled that dream as a teenager. He committed murder and did time in prison. Today, David Chang is a co-pastor of the Majesty Gardens Covenant Community Church in Kingston.
In 1977, 10-year-old, Chang found himself living with his grandmother in Jones Town, Kingston. It was there that his interest in crime was sparked. He wanted to be a gunman because gunmen were shown a lot of respect in the community especially those who did time in prison and found their way back in Jones Town. Not lost on the youngster too, was the great outpouring of feminine affection that came to those who lived by the gun. Yet another reason he wanted to hold a gun.
DROPOUT
In pursuit of this ambition, young David Chang dropped out of Charlie Smith Comprehensive High in first form and set his heart on becoming a gunman. He would not be persuaded to return to school, as he had become an unruly child. Neither his grandmother nor other family members could get him to finish his schooling.
He got involved in various robberies and shooting incidents, but he badly wanted 'to earn his stripes' by going to jail. One night in 1983, he and two cronies broke into a business place in New Kingston. Not long after, he walked into the Half-Way Police Station and confessed to the crime. The
officer taking his report laughed at what he thought was a fictitious tale. He sought to chase the youngster out of the station. But another policeman who was listening, checked out the story, found it to be true and arrested Chang.
The court heard his case and he was sentenced to six months in prison. He had got his wish. When he was released in August 1984, he was full of zeal to engage in more criminality. "When I came out of jail, I felt like I had graduated from a college," said Chang. Through fellow inmates, he had learnt new ways of being a thief and better ways of handling firearms.
CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES
Thereafter, he became involved in a series of robberies between Kingston and Montego Bay. When the police in MoBay were hot on his trail, he would flee to Kingston. When the Kingston cops were hot on his trail, he would run back to MoBay.
Then in 1990, his crime career reached a dubious milestone. He entered a home to rob a woman and ended up fatally shooting her. His fingerprints were all over the crime scene and the police eventually caught up with him and he was hauled before the court. He got off on the lighter charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to eight years behind bars.
While incarcerated the second time around, he gave himself to disruptive and violent behaviour. Then one Sunday in February 1994, a team of church folk visited the prison and conducted a worship service. Chang, seeing the lovely ladies there,
decided to sit in on the service. The preacher was the Rev. W. A. Blair now
administrative bishop of the New Testament Church of God. Blair's preaching got to him. Chang responded to the altar call and accepted Christ as Saviour.
MODEL PRISIONER
Thereafter, his life experienced a turnaround. He moved from rogue to model prisoner. Inmates and warders alike were amazed at his transformation. His family that had distanced themselves from him took note of the change in his attitude and began visiting him with regularity.
He was released on Holy Thursday in 1998. Just about that time, he sensed a
three-fold directive from God. He sensed God telling him to marry his penpal, Dionne; enrol in a Bible school, and do
pastoral ministry in Majesty Gardens.
After his release from prison on April 9, 1998, he married Dionne on June 30, 1998. Today, they are the proud parents of a
six-year-old daughter.
When he knocked on the door of the Jamaica Open Bible Institute (JOBI), Spanish Town, there was concern about whether or not he could manage the work based on his limited education. The school allowed him to be an observer in the classroom. When a class was doing a test, they allowed him to sit the exam too so as not to let him feel too left out. He passed every exam. This convinced the school authorities of his ability to pursue the programme of study. The following academic year, he was allowed to enrol as a student. In due time, he graduated, with a diploma in biblical and pastoral studies. He also earned other special awards.
While doing time for manslaughter, Mr. Chang had, through Cornerstone Ministries and JAMAL, learnt to read and write. He was still doing studies with JAMAL while pursuing courses at the JOBI. Also, while a student at JOBI, he began ministry in the Majesty Gardens area and immediately
people began calling him 'pastor'.
THREE-FOLD DIRECTIVE
He told the congregation at the Liguanea Covenant Community Church of the three-fold directive from God. Led by their pastor, Errol Findlay, the congregation gave
support to Pastor Chang's effort to establish a church in Majesty Gardens. Today his congregation meets in an old dance hall. His church has a membership of 60 about half of whom are young men.
A major goal of Pastor Chang is to work in partnership with the St. Andrew Parish Church which has a strong outreach in Majesty Gardens. Together, he believes, more can be accomplished to benefit the cultural, socio-economic and spiritual needs of the people of that community.
When he is not pastoring his flock, Pastor Chang gives his time to the work of Cornerstone Ministries. In particular, he works on a programme to resettle
ex-prisoners into the society. He believes strongly that the Government and other persons in authority should make better use of persons such as himself to speak to young boys in order to rescue them from a life of crime. He explained, "The gunmen will more listen to me than to you ... because I was there once."
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
He continued: " A lot of inner-city men don't easily trust people. But when they see a man like me or other men who have the experience (of a criminal background) like me, who got saved and whose life has been turned around, they will more listen to us."
Through Cornerstone Ministries, he also gives talks in various schools warning young people to stay far from the life of crime. He is making a positive impact there in Majesty Gardens. When some time ago he disclosed to his congregation that he is a product of JAMAL they found it hard to believe. But that confession inspired men in his church to enroll in a JAMAL class. Some have passed through that stage and are preparing to sit papers in the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).
Pastor Chang functions mainly in the evangelistic sphere. He has in recent times been complemented by Pastor Dean Rochester, who is on secondment from Christian Life Fellowship church in Papine, St. Andrew. Pastor Rochester handles most of the administrative business of the Majesty Gardens Covenant Community Church.
Pastor Chang, though relatively green to pastoral ministry, is anticipating a global ministry.
He said "I have a passion for souls ... I believe God saved me for a special purpose just to minister and evangelise. I believe the Lord is going to take me all over the world to evangelise."
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