Trinity Moravian Church, Jamaica

Trinity Moravian church houses a congregation of the Jamaican province of the Moravian Church. It was established in 1954 as part of the bicentenary celebrations of the Moravian Church in Jamaica.[1]

Trinity Moravian Church
Trinity Moravian Church in 2002
Map
18°00′22″N 76°48′25″W / 18.0061°N 76.8070°W / 18.0061; -76.8070
Location29 Montgomery Avenue, Kingston 10
CountryJamaica
DenominationMoravian
Membership300+ (2006)[1]
History
StatusChurch
Founded1954 (1954)[1]
Consecrated1956-01-18[1]
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Groundbreaking1954[1]
Completed1956[1]
Specifications
Capacity400[2]
Clergy
Bishop(s)Stanley G. Clarke
Minister(s)Winston Jones, Patrick Coke (Supplementary), Marion McCreath

Church building

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The foundation stone was laid on 1954-12-09,[1] and the building was dedicated on 1956-01-18 "with the then Governor, Sir Hugh Foot, Prime Minister Norman Manley, Bishop Kneale and Br. Ben Muncaster Muncaster all taking part".[1]

The land in Richmond Park on which the church was built belonged to a prominent Roman Catholic family, one of whose members, Sam Carter, later became Roman Catholic Bishop of Jamaica.[1]

Richmond Park was a newly developed housing area inhabited largely by professional and business people.[1] The church was strategically placed near the border between Richmond Park and less prosperous areas.[1] Church members came from all the neighbouring areas so that the congregation provided a meeting point for people from different social and economic groups who might not otherwise have met.[1]

While the church was being built, services were held in a nearby home so that when the church was opened, communicant membership was already 61, rising to over 400 by 1966, with large numbers of young people and children in Sunday School and youth organisations.[1]

Manse

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The manse, to the north east of the church was completed in 1961–1964.[3]

Hall

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The church hall was opened at about the same time as the church,[citation needed] and was extended c. 1971.[citation needed]

Organ

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An electric organ was purchased for the opening of the church.[citation needed]

Clergy

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1954-1956 S U Hastings[4]
1956-1959 Ben Muncaster[4]
Robert Cuthbert (assistant)[4]
1959-1964 S U Hastings[4]
1964-1973 Fred Linyard[5]
1973-19??
c2008-2011 Trevor Dawkins[6]

2011- Jermaine Gibson

Ministry

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From the very beginning, the strength of the congregation has been in the large number of faithful and highly competent members who have given leadership in the various areas of congregation life. Without a capable Board of Stewards (Committee) and the Board of Elders, who assist in the pastoral care of the congregation, ministering effectively to a congregation such as Trinity would be near impossible.[1]

In more recent years, in addition to the regular worship, the work among young people and with women's and men's groups, two of the main outreach services offered by the congregation are a Skills Training Centre, where students learn about clothes making and food preparation, and a weekly feeding programme catering for around 40 needy people.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Fifty Years On Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine, Fred Linyard after Easton Boyne & Marion McCreath, Moravian Messenger, 2006-01.
  2. ^ Kingston travel guide, TravelChannel.com.
  3. ^ Hastings & MacLeavy 1979, p. 142.
  4. ^ a b c d Hastings & MacLeavy 1979, p. 144.
  5. ^ Hastings & MacLeavy 1979, p. 146.
  6. ^ Shirlhome is 25 Archived 2008-03-08 at the Wayback Machine, Barbara Ellington, Jamaica Gleaner, 2008-02-29.

Bibliography

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  • Hastings, S U & MacLeavy, B L (1979), Seedtime and Harvest (A Brief History of the Moravian Church in Jamaica 1754-1979), The Moravian Church Corporation
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