Origin And Growth of The Missionary Church

Association in JamaicaRev. Teddy A Jones

What Do You Know?

• Share with us what you know about the History of The MCA

RIDDLE ME THIS…RIDDLE ME THAT

What’s The Big Deal?

• Those who do not know their history are bound to repeat its mistakes in the future

• It helps us to understand how we got to where we are and where we are going

• To be obedient: We study the history of God’s people as a simple act of obedience to the Word of God. The Scriptures repeatedly instructs the faithful to explore and search out the historical accounts of those that have gone before us. Job 8: 8- 10

What’s The Big Deal?

• To understand God: The study of Church History is not only the study of the historical Church but also the exploration of God’s active involvement with His own people in our world. Knowing the acts and ways of God in working with His people throughout history provides us with a better understanding of God Himself.

• To develop humility: Our, current generation suffers from pride-filled perspectives and attitudes when we declare that we are the greatest generation of believers in the history of the world.

What’s The Big Deal?

• To be renewed: The Scriptures declares that our God is the same, yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Understanding His ways of renewal and revival in the past, prepares us to receive His work of grace and liberty in our own midst today.

• To be communal: Church History reminds us that we are part of a larger, eternal community of believers. The Scriptures describes these saints of old as cheering us on from heaven (Hebrews 12:1). These saints are not dead in Christ, they remain alive in Jesus.

What’s The Big Deal?

• To be encouraged: The good example of the believers that have gone before us encourages us to imitate them as they have imitated Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:1). They remind us that it is possible to not only serve God well in this life, but to endure right until the end.

• To boldly step into the future: We are only able to move with confidence into the future if understand our past. One can use the example of a swing or pendulum to explain this principle of truth. In order to “swing” into the future, we must first “pull” back by studying our history – in doing so we will have enough momentum to move beyond the struggles and challenges of our own time and embrace God’s purposes and blessings for our future. (1 Cor. 10:11)

What’s The Big Deal?

• To give glory to God: The ultimate and most important reason to study Church History is that it facilitates true and extravagant worship of our God. Our hearts are filled with awe and wonder when we explore the mighty acts of God in the past.

• We are a people of history, a history of God’s passionate and loving involvement in our world. May we once again commit to study and learn from the great work of God in and through His people in ages past.

Adapted from CBN.com's Christian Leadership Feature

What’s The Big Deal?

• In Large measure were it for the insight of Rev. David Clark the MCA’s origins and growth may have been lost forever.

• This evening is important. You are a part of the history. You must ensure that this history is never lost.

OUCH!!!!! – MCAJ’S WEBSITE

REV. DAVID B. Clark

• We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Rev. David B. Clark for the best available written material on the Origin and Growth of the MCAJ.

• First published in 1980 “The Missionary Church in Jamaica”

• Revised and updated in 2011 “Origin and Growth of The Missionary Church Association in Jamaica

“Better to be a doorkeeper in the House of Jah”

• William Campbell was his name

• “While I was the Pastor of the Devon Church I came to realize that the old caretaker of the Church was probably the only person living who had actually known about the early beginnings of his church, not by hearsay, but by actually being having been there. Looking back now, as I begin the challenge of writing this history, I realize it was unfortunate that I decided that if I did not act while I had the opportunity, that knowledge would be lost forever.” (Clark 2011, 2)

MCA Hall of Famer: William Campbell

• Landscaped the church grounds

• Rang the bell for every service

• Opened the doors and windows

• Set up the pulpit area, Offering receptacles

• Stored these items after church

• Could neither read nor write

• Did not know his age (appeared to be in his 80’s)

• Knew all there was to know about Devon Missionary Church

Origins as told by William Campbell

• William was most likely born in 1860

• The Church started sometime between 1873 – 1876

• The Devon Church is what we now know as Devon Missionary Church.

• This Church predates the ‘Missionary Church Association in Jamaica’ as we shall see later on.

• The oral tradition gleaned from William proved invaluable to Rev. Clark as he complied the history of the MCAJ.

Earlier Documentation: JTS TERM PAPERS

• In 1966 Colleen Scarlett: “The Missionary Church in The West Indies”

• IN 1970 George Neil McFarlane: “The Roots of The Missionary Church Association in Jamaica”

A HISTORY FROM CHILDHOOD MEMORIES & THE PASTORATE

• “Much of the history I propose to write comes from my own childhood memories, followed in later years by my personal involvement as pastor of the Devon Church, and for over thirty-seven years in the making of history…” (Clark 2011, 3)

• The Missionary Church Association (USA) became involved in the Jamaican Church in 1949

• Let the records bear that the origin of the MCAJ predates the help received from North America.

PLANTING THE SEED – William Campbell’s Oral Tradition

• Manchester hillside community called Devon

• The Devon church The Devon Alliance Church The Devon Missionary Church

• Last half the 19th century [1850 – 1900] – Island wide church growth

• Preacher George David Gayle came to Devon to preach.

• George MAY have been an ordained minister of the Baptist Church

• He made no attempts to establish a Baptist church in Devon

• He was greatly discouraged by the established churches

• He was taken to task for serving communion without a licence

PLANTING THE SEED – William Campbell’s Oral Tradition

• “If he had really been an ordained Baptist minister, would he not have had a licence, and therefore had the authority to serve Holy communion?” (Clark 2011, 8)

• Mr. William Gibson donated the plot of land. “Brother Gayle” built a cedar shingle roof structure that stood directly in front the current structure that houses Devon Missionary Church.

• Mr. Gibson and Brother Gayle came a bitter conflict which led to Brother Gayle being imprisoned for 3 months along with a Cuban, Moralez!

PLANTING THE SEED – William Campbell’s Oral Tradition

• Gayle left a teacher in charge of the work in his absence

• When he returned the land had been repossessed by Mr. Gibson

• Gayle built another structure, where the current church building stands. That structure was just a thatched booth!

• Once again the residents accused him of serving the sacraments without a licence and sent for the police.

• Gayle fled the community before the police arrived.

• No one knows if he had even been a Baptist minister who perhaps had been defrocked.

• “The seed of the Word of God had been planted, and the vine that grew has spread across Jamaica, a true indigenous movement, taking the Gospel in its simple truth to all who would hear.” (Clark 2011, 9)

TENDING THE PLANT

• While Gayle had been having his problems another seed was being planted in St. Ann, Brown’s Town in particular.

• Dr. James Johnston, founder of The Jamaica Evangelistic Mission, a medical missionary arrived in Ja. From Scotland.

• His preaching focused on Eternal Life, Assurance of Salvation and The Second Coming.

• Scores of persons from St. D’Acre, Sterge Town, Discovery Bay, Runaway Bay and Bamboo came to faith.

• The struggling Devon Church sent out a Macedonian Call for help. Three ladies: Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. White drafted and sent a letter to Rev. Johnston to visit Devon and help them.

TENDING THE PLANT

• With Rev. Johnston in the US at the time, Mrs. Johnston sent Deacon, Mr. Grady to survey the work at Devon.

• Mr. Grady and another helper from Mount Moriah took over the work which sparked new enthusiasm into it. They made good progress.

• Rev. Johnston refused to accept and land as a gift, insisting that the church should purchase. The present property of Devon Missionary was thus purchased.

• Not long after the long, hilly travel from St. Ann to Devon and the needs of his growing ministry in St. Ann caused Johnston to end his assistance to the Devon Church.

TENDING THE PLANT

He Another Doctor, George Hargreaves took up the slack.[ Hargreaves Avenue and Hargreaves Memorial Hospital in Mandeville are named in his honour].

He personally financed the erection of the present church building

The building was completed in 1891 and called New Farrington [presumably after a the town by that name in Devon, England]

The stone clock tower was added in 1922 to house a 75 yr old three sided clock bought and shipped from England

Dr. Hargreaves’ stay at Devon was also short due to him being transferred to work in St. Ann. He however made sure preachers were sent, and even paid one of them, George Hall 4 shillings each time he preached.

TENDING THE PLANT

• Sadly, despite being credited with the eradication of typhoid fever in Manchester and environs, Dr. Hargreaves lost his faith during WWI. “No one knows why, but after the conclusion of the war he had no interest in, nor contact with the work of Christian missions in any way.” (Clark 2011, 12)

• During the interim years various persons assisted with the leadership of the church: Arthur Benson, Albert Briggs, Albert Limens, Richard Whitby. “Where they were from and who sent them is not known!...but each of these people had a part to play, a message to give, and a life to live, in the careful tending of the young plant now slowly growing in Devon…” (Clark 2011, 12)

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKING

• The arrival of Rev. David McKillop in 1895 signalled the end of the Devon Church not having the backing of any denominational or Mission board and the beginning of expansion into other areas of the island.

• According to Devon member Mrs. Alice Roberta Brown, who was acquainted with the Church during the time of the McKillops, the church grew and advanced as the “fire burned brightly.”

• The Sunday School grew to the point where thatched-roof booths had to be erected to accommodate the large number of children who came.

• This was the “Christian Education Complex” of the year 1900.

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKING

• Rev. McKillop introduced the Christian and Missionary Alliance of New York, to Jamaica and before long the work was more or less adopted by them, and became the Alliance.

• It is not know if the McKillops were from that organization or just acquainted with them. Neither is there any record that they belonged to any Missionary Society at all.

• The seemed to have had the financial means to be self supporting and there is evidence of them spending on the support of the work

• It would seem that the Alliance didn’t take charge of the work until 1910, after the McKillops departed. “There are no records to shed any light in this subject.” (Clark 2011, 14)

EXPANSION BEGINS: COLEY MOUNTAIN

• The first outreach of the Devon Church was to the district of Coley Mountain.

• The meetings started in a cottage owned by William Coley in 1897

• In that same year a 40x20 church was built

• This was demolished in 1902 and a better structure erected under the supervision of a schoolmaster, “Teacher’ G. S. Morgan

• This building became a church sponsored school

EXPANSION BEGINS: COLEY MOUNTAIN

• The government later assumed responsibility for the school and subsequently a new school was built across the road.

• The old school building was remodelled into a parsonage.

• The foundation for the a new church building was laid in 1904 on the brow of the hill. Rev. McKillop laid the corner stone, but returned to Canada before its completion.

• For the next three years, one Rev. Thrift supervised both Devon and Coley Mountaion Churches. There is no record of his work either at the NY headquarters of the Christian and Missionary Alliance nor in Jamaica.

• In late 1909 the Christian and Missionary Alliance sent Rev. and Mrs. George H. A. McLare for two years of practical on site training before continuing to Missionary work in South America. Two years became 34 yrs!

PRESENTER CONTACT

• TEL.|WhatsApp: 876 826 1500

• EMAIL: DreamBuilder@TeddyAJones.com

• SKYPE: ghettopriest1

• WEBSITE: www.TeddyAJones.com