His nickname for me was "Captain". He started calling me that when I would ask him to facilitate a session at any of the ministries that I was involved with, whether it was at an ISCF Camp workers training, or to bring the Word at a Thanksgiving service I was having for my birthday. He would jokingly say that he was just following my instructions, and no matter how many other obligations or responsibilities he had, he would always make himself available.
He was friends with my father before I started UWI, but our relationship began when I started attending St. Augustine Evangelical Bible Church as a 19 year old. He was one of the teachers of the Young Adults Sunday School class, and those classes were instrumental in building my Christian character at a very foundational stage in my development.
There were no fancy gimmicks to keep our attention - just plain Bible Study - yet every Sunday the room was packed to capacity with young adults, eagerly soaking up the wisdom as he expounded the texts we were studying. Our deep discussions often lasted long after all the other Sunday School classes had finished, and many times they had to chase us out of the building because they wanted to lock it up and go home.
He was a spiritual father to so many - those who didn't have father figures in their lives, as well as those who had fathers who didn't quite reflect the same level of godly living that he did. He would always make the time to listen to us and give biblical counsel. He was also not afraid to rebuke when that was needed, and it would always be done in love.
He was a man of God who was deeply rooted in the Word of God. His Bible would constantly be open on his lap while he sat in church. His sermons were always firmly grounded in scripture, and our minds never ceased to be amazed at the spiritual insights he would expound from familiar passages we have read. He had a way of delivering the Word with the authority of one who knew what he was talking about, and he did, because he would spend hours pouring over the passages he was going to preach on.
He was also a man of prayer. He was dedicated to our church's prayer meetings, and never got tired of encouraging persons to be involved in corporate prayer. He would call it the "Engine Room" of the church, as he recognized that without prayer, we could not move forward.
He was a devoted husband to his wife Marcelle. He loved her loud and was her biggest supporter. He was a loving and caring father to his daughters Christal, Emerald and Jewelle; father-in-law to his sons-in-laws Keon and Sean and grandfather to his grandchildren Kaylon and Katelyn.
I count it a privilege to have sat under his ministry for the past 26 years, and I am grateful for every word of counsel and encouragement he spoke over my life. Even though we will all miss him tremendously, the legacy of Pastor Kelvin S. Mapp will continue to live on in the lives of all of us who were impacted by him.
Acts 13:36
“Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep"
