Kevin O. Smith predicted activist’s murder, says ex-Pathways member

A former follower of deceased pastor, Kevin O. Smith, says that despite the controversy surrounding him, she still believes he possessed great spiritual powers, but something went wrong.

'Sister Lucky', 66, from Montego Bay, joined the Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries church in 2013 and remained an ardent member up to the bizarre events of Sunday, October 17, in which two people were killed in an alleged sacrifice. She said that she was looking for a church that could 'discern spirit' when she found Pathways and said congregants further believed Smith was a prophet after he predicted the death of a prominent political activist. She said Smith even called the activist to the church and prophesied to him. A week later, the activist was murdered.

"From there on it was normal church, so much deliverance, so much prophecy being fulfilled. It was just a normal regular church, nothing abnormal going on and people grew to love the ministry," she stated while insisting that she saw nothing strange in Smith's behaviour. Lucky also recalled an incident in which Smith prayed over the underwear of a man who was hospitalised in serious condition and the man later recovered. Lucky said these incidents further convinced congregants that Smith was a man of God, and that even now, a week after his death in a motor vehicle crash, some still feel he has transformed to another body and will return.

She said that Saturday, October 16, the day before the bloody encounter, was the day she first questioned Smith's actions.

"I saw the change Saturday in the morning when we went for communion and baptismal service. We were all dressed in white. When we were there we were asked to line up face-to-face and towels were spread along the walkway for him to walk on. So we saw his vehicle come up and two other vehicles, one marked 'diplomat', and a man dressed in brown uniform and the police woman came out of it," Lucky said.

SMITH'S REQUESTS

Lucky disclosed that Smith asked members to give an offering of exactly $1,444.04, and to have cornmeal to place on the altar, a request she found very strange because nobody was prepared. However, one member was able to acquire cornmeal and give to them. Lucky said Smith then prophesied of a coming tsunami and they left after they were told they should be back on Monday to avoid the imminent flood. But while at home on Sunday, she got a call from a church sister advising her that they should drop everything they were doing and head to church.

"When I went there, I saw members with suitcases waiting to be called into the Ark, but not all got in before I saw Smith come out and started shouting, 'Kill it, kill it!' and a bull cow coming towards us. Then we saw police and soldiers came and surrounded the building," she said.

Lucky said they were loaded onto an army truck and taken to the police station where they were charged with breaching the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA). She said that it was at the station that they were told that a member's throat was slashed. Lucky said she borrowed $30,000 from a neighbour to pay for breaching the DRMA.