Pastor Rodney Gordon dies at 48

The religious community is in mourning tonight after the loss of one of their own. Today I spoke with the grieving family members.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Shortly after three this morning, President of the Baptist Association of Belize and well known personality, Pastor Rodney Gordon died after suffering from a massive heart attack.

Diana Gordon, Wife
?Well about four o?clock he woke up and he was breathing kind of heavy and I just rubbed my hand over him and prayed for him and then he got up went outside came back and I ask him if he needed a pillow to keep, to jack him up because I realise that the heart was bothering him. And he said its okay and he went back to sleep. And while I was going off into a little doze he started with a convulsion. That is when I jumped up, we tried to pray and rub him over and things like that. We called the ambulance about eight minutes after three and when they got here about ten minutes later he was already dead.?

Pastor Gordon was only forty-eight years old. Gordon?s passing has left many in shock as most assumed he was strong and healthy. Gordon, however, was not well. Five years ago he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and placed on medication. Just recently as last week he visited the doctor.

Diana Gordon
?His heart was still enlarged and he had the fluid around his heart and he was suppose to have gone back on the tenth to get another visit with the doctor.?

Rodney and Diana Gordon were in Belize City for the birth of their granddaughter and it was at his daughter?s house that he died.

In 1981, Gordon entered the ministry and became a Christian. For a number of years he was pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in Belize City. Four years ago he and his wife moved to Independence Village where he carried on his work as Pastor of the Mount Zion Baptist Church. Diana Gordon says they were not prepared for such a sudden loss.

Diana Gordon
?We didn?t make any preparations we didn?t make any preparations. As a matter of fact even though he was complaining sometimes about his heart condition I was hoping that I would go before him. I think a lot about it was kind of selfish. I didn?t want to deal with this. But we really never talked about it.?

Though Gordon?s health was failing, he remained strong in his convictions; even if it meant being criticised for some of the issues he protested … issues such as the arrival of a cruise ship of gay passengers in Belize in1998.

Diana Gordon
?His pastoral ministry was to see people get saved and come to the Lord and one of things he always talked about not only being in the church but he had a social calling also. He wanted to be out there and see what he could do to make a difference in people?s lives.?

Terry Gordon says his brother touched many people?s lives, but to him Rodney was a supporter and role model.

Terry Gordon, Brother
?He led me into the Baptist faith and was always there for me could be whatever part of the night I could call him with whatever problems I may be having. It could be two in the morning and he would just up and get up and pray for me you know that was the kind of person that he was in my life.?

As the family mourn the death of their loved one, they will honour one wish they say Gordon made to them.

Diana Gordon
?We plan to take the body back to Independence because that was his wish to be buried out there. Independence was where he was born, so he wants to go back to Independence we are planning the service there.?

The funeral service for Rodney Gordon has been tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, March twenty-first at two p.m.