Gatekeepers need to rise again for the sake of family, community

By Klysha Best

Before a large gathering at St Charles Borromeo RC Church, Winston Garcia posed a question that cut to the heart of every family’s hidden struggle: What happens when the gatekeepers fall asleep?

Speaking at the Healing, Deliverance and Spiritual Warfare Summit 3, hosted by the People of Praise Community, Garcia delivered a sweeping message on intergenerational sin, spiritual authority, and the urgent need for families to reclaim their God-given role as gatekeepers in a world he described as “wide open” to darkness. His topic was ‘How to Receive Healing from Intergenerational Sin, Sickness & Bondage’.

“Sin has a long tail,” Garcia declared. “When you feel it finish with you, there are residue affecting different generations from things that have happened in the past.”

Intergenerational sin, he explained, refers to the sins committed by generations gone before, and the lingering effects that follow. While families often dismiss recurring negative patterns as “just how they stop,” Garcia insisted: “That’s not from God. With God, all things are possible, and He will put a stop to the stop.”

The heart of Garcia’s message centred on “gatekeepers”, individuals entrusted with spiritual authority over families, homes, and communities.

“In every family, God has given authority to people to be gatekeepers,” he said. “To keep out the darkness and to bring in the light. Unfortunately, a lot of our gatekeepers don’t even know that they are gatekeepers.”

He listed fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, godparents, teachers, and even neighbours as those called to this role. “Long ago, neighbours used to be gatekeepers. But now everybody is to their own. You can’t tell who the gatekeepers are. They have abdicated their responsibility.”

The result, he warned, is a visible crisis. “Families are breaking down. Communities are breaking down. You see the violence in schools? The door wide open, the gate wide open. Anybody could come in. The evil one has a free reign.”

Drawing on Matthew 28:18, where Jesus declares that “all authority has been given to me in Heaven and on Earth,” Garcia reminded attendees that this authority extends to believers.

“You have been enlisted as a disciple of Christ. You have a sheriff’s badge marked gatekeeper. We’ve got to know who we are. We’ve got to know what our job is.”

Garcia urged participants to develop a “radar system”, spiritual discernment powered by the Holy Spirit.

“Our radar system is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit pumps us up with gifts, tongues, interpretation, prophecy, word of knowledge, discerning of spirits. We have a radar already, but we’ve got to start using it.”

He also listed behaviours that often go unnamed as sin but are nonetheless destructive: arrogance, manipulation, jealousy, insecurity, stubbornness, and negativity.

“What are you comparing yourself with somebody else for? You are unique. You’re special. You are the apple of His eye. Don’t compare yourself with nobody.”

Garcia walked participants through the seven deadly sins and the virtues that combat them. “Pride, you fight pride with humility. Greed, you fight greed with generosity. Lust, you fight lust with chastity. Envy, you fight envy with kindness. Gluttony, you fight gluttony with temperance. Wrath, you fight wrath with patience. Sloth, you fight sloth with diligence.”

He also addressed “familiar spirits”, demons that study an individual’s weaknesses across generations and “trauma spirits” that refuse to let go of past wounds. Yet he offered hope for those with addictive personalities.

“Addictive personality is not bad because you could be an addict for God,” Garcia declared. “You could be an addict for the Blessed Sacrament. Turn it around.”

As the session closed, Garcia’s voice rose with urgency. “Gatekeepers are waking up and we are realising what our true identity is and we’re ready for action in the name of Jesus.”

He pointed to resources for deeper healing, including the St Michael Centre for Spiritual Renewal, assuring the audience: “We’re not talking by guess here. We’re standing on solid ground.”

“Lift up your hands and say ‘yes’, Lord,” Garcia concluded. “You have been enlisted as a gatekeeper.”

Other speakers at the summit were:

Thora Mootoo – ‘What holds us in Bondage?’ and ‘Steps to Breaking Bondages’

Fr David Khan – ‘How to Receive Deliverance from Curses & Spiritual Attacks’

Fr Raymond Francis celebrated the closing Mass.