People from all walks of life joined together in Grahamstown to mourn the sudden death of Anglican priest Rev Clive Newman, who was described by speakers as "the epitome of Christianity".
People from all walks of life joined together in Grahamstown to mourn the sudden death of Anglican priest Rev Clive Newman, who was described by speakers as "the epitome of Christianity".
Friends and family of the deceased converged at St Phillips Church on Wednesday afternoon to speak about the life of a caring clergyman who was loved by many.
Irene Solomon, a night matron at Settlers Private Hospital said: “We gathered to celebrate the life of an honourable man and a devout Christian.” She told mourners how Newman used to frequent the hospital’s palliative care unit to pray for suffering patients and comfort their families. "The hospital community is mourning with the Newmans; the Lord has got himself a beautiful flower in his garden," she said.
Speaking on behalf of the Settlers Hospital board of directors, Nozipho Mpahlwa said she had known the pastor for a long time. “Clive touched my life,“ she, visibly saddened. Yet she said she believes he is at peace because he had achieved so much in so little time as if he knew he would not be on this earth for long. “It’s God’s will, even though we’ve lost someone who will be difficult to replace,” she said.
Newman’s colleague and friend, Lindile Somandi, said they used encourage and strengthen each other.“He was a good source of inspiration in my life,” he added, describing him as the kind of priest who was a pillar which supported him during the good and bad times. “Today we’ve come to commemorate the life of a brother, but we’re also here to celebrate the jubilant life Clive lead.”
He said that Newman befriended people beyond racial and gender lines. “He befriended even those who do not have friends,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of St Phillips, Zanky Mahlahla, a lay minister at the church, explained how Newman had significantly built up the formerly small congregation in the four years he has been a member, making it was it is today- a large, healthy congregation. “He showed everybody he was Christian through his deeds.”
She said Newman was accessible to all people in the church, so much so that everyone addressed him by his first name, including children. She said that he was a man of his word as he taught them that "God is the person sitting next to you".
“He reminded us that we are not called [to the faith]just to look good in our clerical garments, but to take care of the needy,” said Mahlahla. She added that at some point he helped her to regain her faith when she had felt forsaken by God after experiencing death in her family.
Makana Mayor Vumile Lwana said Newman was a known figure in the community because of the work he did in bringing the National Arts Festival to disadvantaged communities and praying for patients at the hospital’s palliative care unit.
“There is no connection between crime and poverty, this vicious theft of human life doesn’t emanate from poverty,” he declared. He added that crime is turning homes into jails because people are not safe. Meanwhile, police spokesperson Inspector Sherolene Williams said yesterday that they do not know what weapon was used in the murder as they are still waiting for a forensic report.
The funeral will take place at the Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin in Port Elizabeth on Monday 16 November at 2pm.
Parking will be available at City Hall. No flowers by request – donations to be sent to the College of the Transfiguration, Standard Bank. Branch code 050917 account number 082035318. Funds to be used for the continued support of Rev Newman’s community projects and initiatives.
