- Date Of Birth: March 26, 1930
- Date Of Death: October 1, 2020
- State: New York
Beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Pastor, Preacher, Teacher, Friend
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit,
“they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” Revelations 14 v 13
Reverend Dr. Ivan J. Douglas was born in the rural district of Mount Joseph, in the parish of St. Mary, Jamaica, W.I., on the 26th March 1930. He was the eldest of two children for his father, Moses Douglas, and the only child for his mother, Mary Magdalene Edwards. His father died while he was still an infant and his mother later married Mr. Sydney Logan.
He grew up in the adjoining district of Juno Pen and attended the Long Road Elementary School. As a child he was known for his brilliance and dedication to getting his school work done. He was merely a teenager when he heeded the call of the Holy Spirit and gave his heart to the Lord, and from that moment onward, he was fully in love with the Lord, and for over the next 70 years, he never looked back. Dr. Douglas became a member of the Juno Pen Church of the First Born, and, as a young Christian, developed an intense love of the Word of God and the desire the see lost souls turn to Christ.
He quickly developed into a capable preacher and evangelist and his love of missions took him to several parishes in Jamaica and even overseas to the Dominican Republic.
A shared love of the Word and missions was at the heart of his romance with the young, vibrant evangelist, Evelyn Morrison, whom he married on September 24, 1961. Their first child, Anthony, was a first anniversary gift. They later had four other children, Hopley, Ladonna, Pott and Nettleford. He built a 30-year career in the shipping industry.
Tragically, his precious wife, Evelyn died of breast cancer and he suddenly found himself a single father to five children.
While living in Pembroke Hall, he began holding regular cottage meetings at a neighbour’s house. This resulted in the establishment of a church which continued for several years.
Despite working full-time and being a single dad, Dr. Douglas never lost sight of his first love, to study and teach theology.
At the age of 63, he started the Degree programme part-time and upon retiring, became a full-time student. He wasted no time in pursing his Master’s Degree in Theology with an American college, and when he migrated at age 71 to join his wife in the United States, he pursued and obtained his Doctorate in Theology. All the while he worked as a Security Guard.
It is still amazing to think that, while being in his seventies, and working long hours he managed to start and incorporate his own college – The Trinity Theological Seminary. Through the Seminary, he was able to train pastors, deacons and lay ministers, and indeed anyone who thirsted for a deeper knowledge of the Word. He found an advocate in Pastor Chin, who was convinced he had found a treasure, and was very instrumental in these developments.
As he got older and was truly retired, Dr. Douglas continued, along with Minister Marleen, to teach and hold regular cottage meetings at his home on East New York Avenue, until his health began to fail. After battling colon cancer for some months, Dr. Douglas passed away peacefully on October 1, 2020. His wife’s testimony is that on the morning of his passing, he lay in bed singing and worshipping the Lord.
We, his children remember him as being a disciplinarian, who held regular devotions at the family table in his effort to pass on to us his love of the Lord, and taught us how to use knives and forks. He loved cooking tasty soup on Saturdays, using the biggest pot and complaining when we could not finish it all. We remember he would spend many hours reading his Bible and his many books, and making notes. We are grateful, as are many, to have shared in his life’s journey and being inspired by his unwavering committed to rightly dividing the Word. He was never a complainer, even during his sickness, but merely saw it as God’s will for a journey he must take.
Dr. Douglas is survived by his loving family, his many friends and well-wishers.
To God be the Glory for a life well lived!
