Old Harbour pastors defend relationship as apostle’s divorce remains unfinished

A bid to help repair Apostle David Palmer’s troubled marriage has ended with him in a public relationship with the woman who says she once tried to keep that union together. Apostle Kerriann Johnson now calls Palmer her partner, but says that although they live together, they have not had sex because he is still married in law.

The pair now lead His Majesty's Sanctuary Deliverance Ministry together. Both have rejected accusations that Johnson used obeah to pull Palmer away from his wife, saying instead that they believe the relationship was ordered by God. “When I found out David was interested in me, I told him, if it was God's will, then it will happen,” Johnson said.

Johnson told THE WEEKEND STAR that her involvement with Palmer’s marriage was aimed at reconciliation, not romance. She said she prayed for Palmer and his wife, helped them work through quarrels, and paid for plane tickets so Palmer could go to the United States to try to make peace with his spouse. “I did my best,” Johnson said, adding that she believed she went further than expected to assist the couple and had maintained a friendly connection with Palmer’s wife at the time.

According to Johnson, Palmer later needed somewhere to stay after leaving the marital home, and she gave him shelter. She said there was no love affair between them during that period. Palmer gave a similar account, saying, “I had nowhere to go and pastor took me in for one year and supported me the best way she could.”

Palmer said he first came across Johnson’s ministry through online services. After meeting her face to face, he said she asked him to preach at her church, and he eventually accepted. From there, he said, the relationship between them remained cordial, and his wife also became friendly with Johnson. “My wife was okay with the apostle, and they would speak over the phone and laugh with each other, and I remember she told pastor to ‘Take care of David for me’,” he said.

Speaking at the church in Old Harbour, with Johnson beside him, Palmer said his wedding took place in 2023, but the marriage soon ran into difficulty. “The arguments became often. That same year, she sent me a divorce document but I could not sign it as there was an error on it. I stayed with her because I believe that people could change,” he said.

Palmer said Johnson’s faith and kindness attracted him. He denied that spiritual manipulation had anything to do with his feelings for her. “Man don’t run from happiness, but yuh see when you see peace? You will do what it takes to get it. They said Apostle Johnson obeah me to come to her but that is a lie because I would have found love in pastor. Everything I prayed for, I see it in her,” he said.

He added that Johnson encouraged his spiritual growth and helped him focus on his calling. “Apostle Johnson pushed me towards my destiny and that is one thing I love about her. She always tells me to stay with God and that was a plus for me. This was where I started to put my trust in her and, somewhere along the line, I fell in love with her, and this was sometime in 2025,” Palmer said.

The situation has drawn anger from Palmer’s estranged wife, who, Johnson said, had been accusing her for a long time of being involved with him before the marriage was over. Johnson said she initially kept quiet, but later answered publicly after the dispute moved online. Some viewers criticised her livestream comments and questioned whether her language suited a church leader.

Johnson said she stands by the force of her response, arguing that she was not going to be attacked without answering. “I am like the prophet Jeremiah, who was bold and known for speaking as it is, and God has given me that boldness,” she said. She said insulting messages sent to her caused her to react after she had reached her limit.

“So, when she tell mi seh is obeah mi use to hold her husband, mi tell her is not obeah, is mi hole,” Johnson said. “I am not going to let anybody walk over me, and mi just did tired a she a accuse mi seh mi and the man deh, and we never deh, suh mi just give her summen. Did it bun har? Yes! Did I achieve what I wanted to? Yes!”

Johnson said the controversy has not damaged the church, as members already knew about the tensions and the background to the dispute. “This has been a long battle and they would have known the history that would have led up to this. That which was meant to break me is giving me strength, as our ministry is growing,” she said.

She said she and Palmer are dating, but waiting until his divorce is completed before marrying and becoming sexually involved. “We are dating, but we haven’t had sexual intercourse, but, after we get married, we will. As soon as the divorce paper sign, yes, we gonna get married,” Johnson said.