History of the Clear Park Seventh Day Adventist Church (1979-2014)

In March 1979 Bro Gerald Dawkins, a member of the Spanish Town S.DA Church, launched an Evangelistic Crusade in the small district of Gordon Pen. This evangelistic series resulted in the start of the Gordon Pen Branch Sabbath School with a small number of believers. This small company of believers was housed in a small building on the premises of Miss Maud Lewis, commonly known as Aunt Maud (now deceased), and who was a convert of the Crusade. 

Evangelist Dawkins worked tirelessly as the temporary building outgrew its members. With the help of Bro George Cameron and the late Bro Lancelot Maxwell, a building was erected at the present site on January 29, 1983. The members volunteered their services and worked tirelessly which resulted in the first Sabbath service being held in the new building on March 29, 1983. Also a Public Address System, donated to the church by Evangelist Dawkins, was received on that Sabbath.

The Branch Sabbath School was recognized as a church on September 15, 1984 with a congregation of seventy- one members.  The building was packed to capacity as friends, well-wishers and future members gathered for the memorable occasion. President Grey was the guest speaker.  Their first pastor was D. Nichols with George Cameron serving as first elder. From then we have steadily grown and blossomed in Christ and as a body.

Several Pastors have ministered to the company, the first of which was Pastor Donald E. Kent who ministered while we were still a Branch Sabbath School. We have also enjoyed the ministry of Godly men such as:

Stone Laying Ceremony    

June 2, 1985

Guest Speaker: Elder K.G. Vaz of the West Indies Union

10^th Anniversary Celebration       

December 22-24, 1989

Everyone in Jamaica felt the effects of Hurricane Gilbert including Clear Park. On September 12, 1988 the roof was blown destroyed. However, the church was insured just two weeks before, hence the money was provided for it to be quickly replaced. On July 1^st 1994, final payment of One Hundred and Twenty-Six Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Five Dollars ($126,795.00) was made for the land adjoining the Church, which was acquired for future expansion of the present building. During this month five (5) fans were purchased and installed for Eight Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($8,500.00).

The original building was simply a rectangle with doors and windows and filled with benches made by Bro. Michael Dawkins. A small porch was added and then the rear of the building was extended creating an area for the children to meet. Bro. Abraham Honeygan enjoys telling the story of what proved to be the catalyst for extending the back of the church. He asserts that before the Children’s Dept was built, the children used to have their meetings outside under a logwood tree or at the back of the church. It was suggested that it was time to build a space for the children to use. The then first elder Bro. George Cameron along with many members did not think it was time. Then one day when Bro.  Honeygan was in charge of Sabbath School, he took the adults outside to have their meeting and allowed the children to have their meetings inside. Within two weeks the construction of the Children’s Dept. started.  

It was built mainly through volunteer labour from the church and community members. Not very much money was spent on labour.  Also, the stance then was that there would be no fundraisers. It would only be built through contributions. Ladies were also allowed to help, they just were not allowed to wear pants when doing so. Sis. Andita Gordon tells of a story where Lydia Smith (Aunty Liddy) walked in a pants all the way from Ensom City but Bro. Cameron would not let her work on it until she could get a skirt. Andita clearly recalls Aunty Liddy on a ladder with her skirt over her pants. Stone for the building was contributed by Alcan in Ewarton and some money for the project came from recycling “pep” bottles an initiative started by Bro. W. Hanlan. In the latter part of 1996 to early 1997, walls to the back and eastern sides were constructed. The septic tank and soak-a-way pit were also installed.

Plans for our current building started with Pastor Nathan Jackson and came into effect with Pastor D.C. Robinson in 2002. Maranatha Volunteers International, a supporting ministry of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and a non-profit organization that receives requests from all over the world to construct various buildings. Maranatha answered our request  and put up the shell of our current building.  The walls were in by December 19, 2002 and the roof was in place by January 2003. Through contributions and fundraising events we tiled the main hall, put in windows, painted and added on Solomon’s Porch-- a project initiated and headed by Sis. Elain Hanlan and put in effect through the Women’s Ministries Department.

Since the old building had to be knocked down in order to build our current one, we took out a mortgage –which was paid off in 2013 – and bought the land across the way on December 1, 1999. A tent was erected which is where we worshipped beneath its blue and white canopy for the period of a year (2002-2003).  Relocation to our current building began with a Vesper service on April 7, 2003. Members formed lines and marched singing while coming from two directions toward the church; one set from the tent site and the other from Gulf Heights.  We have been worshipping in this building since.

However, we have yet again changed the tapestry of what we own by buying the house beside us on July 18, 2006. It cost $4.7 million. We took out a loan of $6 million which we are in the process of paying off. The house and the land has been put to good use by allowing us more space for parking, social events, pathfinder drills and a means to help some of our members who temporarily need a place to stay until they can find and maintain places of their own.

Programs:

• Vacation Bible School- started by Sis. Anderson in 1979/1980 at Aunt Maud’s. Children from the church congregation and community attended.
• Pathfinders’ Club- started by Sis. Anderson and assisted by Sis. Sonia McWilliams and Bro. A. Honeygan. Their first investiture service was in 1984 where 29 pathfinders were invested. A Drum Corp was started by Bro. Anthony Hall in 2003. Many practices were held where pathfinders tried to learn to beat the side, tenor and bass drums. We actually acquired the five drums later that year –three side drums, one tenor drum and one bass drum. The original members of the Corp are:

• Music Day- this became an annual event since its first appearance in 1993. This was started by Sis. Marcia Wright who also started the first children’s choir-then called the Clear Park Children’s Chorale- in January 1990 and the Junior Youth Choir in 1992.  Their first production  was “Story of Ruth” on Children’s Day in the A.Y Program on May 30, 1992.  The Junior Youth Choir also sang for the first time. Songs: “At the Battle’s Front” and “Yes, Lord Yes”.
• Back to School- this started through simple kindness Sis. Josephine Moore also known as Grandma Moorie (now deceased) used to travel every year. Whenever she came back around late August she brought back several goodies for children to carry to school such as exercise books, pens pencils, erasers, sharpeners, rags, pencil cases etc… This was taken over by the Children’s Dept who still take care to provide our children with some help to go back to school and expanded on through the Education Dept. They installed an Education Fund in 2012 which is supplied by contributions from members of the congregation. It is used as a scholarship for tuition, books, uniforms etc… for students who need it. This year (2014) through their efforts they were able to procure the first desktop computer for Primrose Early Childhood Centre.
• Branch Sabbath School- our church is the fruit of a Branch Sabbath School program. We have started two that no longer operate: one in Ensom City started by Sis. Lolly Richards and Sis. Newman and one on Gordon Boulevard, where the pastor of a small apostolic church was baptized in 2003. It was decided that the church would not just close its doors, instead the congregation there would become Heaven Bound Branch Sabbath School.

We currently have one that is operated by the Eltham Park Phase 3 Small Group, which some of our current members come from. 

Primrose Early Childhood Centre

Previously known as Primrose Basic School. The school was started within the same period as the church by Sis. Elva Gayle. She was the first principal of the growing school.

When our current structure was built in 2002- 2003, the name of the school was changed to Primrose Early Childhood Centre and was registered as such with the Early Childhood Commission in 2007. Its vision statement says:

“ To become the best early childhood institution in Jamaica, promoting Christian values and educational excellence”

Its mission statement says:

“ To provide quality Christian education, to develop and use the best teaching strategies available to enhance the learning of each student to help him/her fulfill their potential”

They currently boast 58 students.

Clear Park Seventh Day Adventist Church has existed for thirty-five years now helping to spread the message in our little corner of the world. Many have passed through and passed on yet still we stand. We are still God’s church and we will ever go forward. At the last Business Meeting held in the 2^nd quarter of 2014, our membership count was eight hundred and ninety nine (899).