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The
Sabbath School Department of Central Jamaica Conference
started out as the place where the members of the church
were instructed in the Word of God. Pastor Edwin Hyatt,
Past President, of the Conference, pioneered the Sabbath
School through its early years. Much emphasis was placed
on the study of the lesson, support for mission through
Investment, Birthday Offerings, weekly Sabbath School
Offerings, and Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings.
Millions of dollars have been
contributed by our members in support of missions. Miss
Parchment continued after Pastor Hyatt to cement the Sabbath
School work. It was then that the Conference Committee voted
to establish Sabbath School Federations in the parishes to
foster the Sabbath School work.
Today the Sabbath school continues as one of the most
organized departments in the local churches. Thanks to the
superintendents all over Central who supported the various
departmental leaders over the years; B. L. Henry, Grover
Hyatt, J.P. Wesley, Stevel Beckford, Joseph Hutchinson, Fitz
Mighty, M. St. E. Grey who have conveyed to them the plans,
projections in Unit Evangelism, Branch Sabbath School
etcetera to keep the Sabbath School - the heart of the
church.
From the very inception of the Conference, the Lay
Activities Department or Home Missionary, as it was know
then, began to organize and train church members to witness
in various ways of the love of God. In this Department as in
Sabbath School, Pastor Hyatt let out followed by Pastor
Basil Henry (now Deceased), J. A. Allen, and A. L. Lyle.
During the early 60's laymen were organized for preaching
the Word, the Dorcas Department, that later became the
Welfare Society and now Community Services Department, was
organized to serve the needy case and the funds gleaned from
the Annual Ingathering conducted by the church was used to
carry on this work.
In December 1966 the Conference Committee voted to form a
Layman's Federaton in each parish, as in Sabbath School and
Youth, to have men and women band together for training and
preaching the Word. While the action was not carried through
in total, the laymen were not left without training, because
institutes were conducted yearly to train laymen to preach
and teach the Word.
During the 70's particularly when Pastor Grover Hyatt served
the Department, a series of intensive training was conducted
by Elder K.G. Vaz of West Indies uinon to equip men and
women to serve as Lay Evangelists, Lay Preachers and Lay
Bible Instructors with the necessary certificates to prove
their training. The training continued under Elder H.R.
Bennett of West Indies Union. These resulted in the massive
evangelistic explosion of the eighties when the laymen
joined with the pastors to win souls for the kingdom of God.
After Pastor G. S. Hyatt, the Department was serviced by
Pastors D.E. Kent, J.M. Hutchinson, F.H.E. Mighty, and
presently W. Palmer. Over the years the sisters in the
Welfare Department were uniformed, they rallied at every
disaster in the Conference to give assistance. The 1986 June
flood saw probably the high point of the Welfare Work as the
church rallied to supply bales of food, clothing, and
bedding to the devastated areas. The Ingathering funds were
well utilized over the years to effect this work. The
members year after year rallied to reach their goals which
were increased yearly. |
