‘From the Dancehall to the Pulpit’ - The journey of Pastor Dr Sheldon Evans

NEW YORK, New York:

New York City's (NYC) recent journey through the COVID-19 pandemic to the point where it is no longer the epicentre but the envy of the country, has a parallel. The story of that journey since early February of this year, is one of intrigue, fascination, death, destruction and triumph.

It's a story that reads like the early, wayward life of Sheldon Evans, senior pastor at the Evangelism Family Life Ministries (EFLM), and President of Favor FM Radio, an independent content provider, based in Brooklyn, NY.

As Pastor Evans will tell you in a heartbeat, the journey from Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth, to Queens, NY, was 'not an easy road'.

"I want to share my story and what has been for me a most interesting journey to this point in my young life".

Aptly titled 'The Journey, from the Dancehall to the Pulpit', the book is due for general release this Fall and from all accounts, will make for very interesting reading.

After his teenage years playing daCosta Cup football for St Elizabeth Technical High School, in the early to mid-1990s, a precocious youngster with a frightening alias - 'Monkey Man', and a love for music and partying, headed to NYC to join family and to start life for himself.

After a couple menial jobs in downtown Jamaica, Evans found something a little more 'upbeat' at the Patty Shop Music Store, at 165 Street and Jamaica Avenue. There, 'Father Gary' provided the perfect spot for the 'Stars on 45' to meet.

"All the selectors and artistes, you name them, would come by to drop their mixed tapes and cassettes to sell," Evans recalls. "Business was good and booming and I realised there was a market for that stuff."

It would take Evans, now known as 'SupaMunks', three years, starting in 1999, to team with his cousin, Andre Bent, and friend Harish Singh, who owned a sound system, 'Natural Vibes International' for his first foray into the promotion business at Club Mercedes on Merrick Blvd, near the bus depot. The party did not end on a positive note, but that did not deter the young promoter.

In 2000, another opportunity came, this time with the formidable team of 'Supa Munks' and 'Supa Meng', hosting of the Beenie Man vs Bounty Killer encounter at York College,followed by the hotshots Voicemail, 'Bogle the dancer' and Mavado.

The hype was on and where the crowd go, so did the violence!

The party scene and its attendant violence caught up with him, three short years later. During one party weekend, 'Munks' was hauled away in a shiny pair of silver bangles to Riker Island by some of the city's finest men in blue, all for being at the right place at the wrong time.

Posting a quarter million dollars bond, Evans was back on the streets after a couple months, time in which he would lose everything he had acquired since arriving in the country, including his mother, to a fatal auto accident, on her way from Canada to visit him.

"Had I known that I could have travelled out of the country, on bond at the time, my mother would still be alive today," he recounted with an air of repentance!

After doing all the planning and laying his mother to rest, Evans isolated himself for a couple years in Jamaica and the USA, while the case played out in the courts. He had a good legal team, on it!

"My heart was at a place where I felt very vulnerable, there was not much to live for, any more".

The break was what he needed and in 2005, he returned to the entertainment business with a new attitude.

'Supa Munks' was filling big venues with big names and once again, becoming the envy of his peers, with his new event 'Chaakah Chaakah Wednesdays', while riding the airwaves at WVIP, 93.5 FM, with DJs Spider and Icy Don.

It became the talk of the town!

It was like an invasion!

The year 2006 called for a change of course and the hardcore dancehall vibes would give way to a more 'vintage' feel. 'SupaMunks' and his team turned to Ken Boothe at Chef Orchid by JFK, an unknown but cozy venue, and everyone fell in love with the place.

Evans took his time rebuilding his brand at S & S Marketing & Promotions on Linden Blvd, creating a one stop shop for everything and all things party and entertainment.

However, the Fall of 2006, would be pivotal!

By this time, Irie Jamboree at Roy Wilkins Park, in Southeast Queens, was the concert of choice and 'SupaMunks', already on board as a marketing executive, was asked to give a hand, as Buju Banton, Beres Hammond and Capleton, lit up the place!

"I was on the stage and it was like the place was on fire and a voice said to me, 'What are you doing here, you are in the wrong place'."

"I was in a kind of a trance, I know something was not right, a change was coming over me and I could not fight the feeling, anymore".

Two weeks after the Irie Jamboree, Evans surrendered his life to God, at the River of Life Ministry Church on Linden Blvd, across from where he had his shop.

He was helped along the journeyby Patrice Pinnock, who formally starred as 'Aloveen' in the movie, Dancehall Queen, now an Evangelist at the said church.

He has not looked back since then!

Pastor Dr. Sheldon Evans is a special servant of God and a 'thrilled' apostle, on a journey to win souls for Jesus Christ!

In Part 2, we look at how Evans met his wife.