MESSAGE BY THE MOST REV. DR. THE HON. HOWARD GREGORY,
ARCHBISHOP OF THE WEST INDIES, PRIMATE & METROPOLITAN
AND BISHOP OF JAMAICA & THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
ON THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
OF THE DIOCESE
Two hundred years in the life of any institution is a significant milestone. And, as Professor Bryan just shared with you, the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands has established a rich legacy that is worthy of celebration.
Our history is closely linked to that of this country and the development of the Church in the Caribbean, which today, is a self-governing Province in the worldwide Anglican Communion which has some 80 million members in more than 165 countries worldwide.
Theme and Objectives
We launch a year of celebrations under the Theme: “Yesterday…Today…Tomorrow: Celebrating Service, Guarding Justice, Affirming Hope.”
Our objectives are to:
- Celebrate the creation of the Diocese as a pivotal development in the history of the Anglican Church in Jamaica as it provided for an ecclesiastical structure under the authority of a resident bishop;
- Showcase the achievements and reflect on the shortcomings of the Diocese over the past two centuries, as well as to contemplate and plan for the future;
- Recognise the significance of the anniversary at this time in light of the publicity last year surrounding the decision by the Church Commissioners of the Church of England to establish an Endowment Fund for the benefit of nations that were impacted by the investment of Queen Anne’s Bounty Funds in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, as an expression of its regret for its involvement in this act of sin against humanity;
- Highlight and publicise the outstanding contribution of the Diocese to the development of the nation, especially in the fields of education and social work;
- Encourage Anglicans to sustain and enhance the work and ministry of the Church, not only in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, but also in the wider Province;
- Recognize the contributions of outstanding Anglicans to nation building;
- Address the negative image and public perception of the Anglican Church, resulting mainly from its links with the governing elite during the period of slavery.
Events and Activities
A Calendar of events and activities is being developed to cover the one-year period which will end in February, 2025. Our aim is to involve as many Anglicans as possible in Jamaica, The Cayman Islands and the Diaspora.
On Sunday, February 11, our Launch Service will be conducted at the Cathedral of St. Jago de la Vega, in Spanish Town. The Preacher will be the Rt. Rev. Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the Jamaican-born Bishop of Dover, in England, who has oversight for the Diocese of Canterbury.
The Diocese has invited experienced Hymn Writers to produce a work of not more than six verses highlighting the contribution of the Anglican Church to the society over the past 200 years. The composition selected will be commissioned at a special commemorative Mass during our 153rd Synod in April.
A team of judges is presently reviewing entries in a Poster Competition in which students in the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Forms of Anglican High Schools, as well as Anglican students in other institutions were invited to submit works that capture the theme of our celebrations. The date for the Award Presentation Ceremony will be announced.
The highlight of the year will be the National Service on July 21 at which the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, will be the Preacher. This Service, to be attended by members from across the Diocese, and to which representatives from the Province of the West Indies are being invited, will be held at the National Arena.
That same day, commemorative newspaper Supplements will be published in The Gleaner and The Jamaica Observer.
A few days later, on July 24, the Postal Corporation of Jamaica will launch a Commemorative Stamp featuring St. Saviour’s Church in Harewood, in the Deanery of St. Catherine, which was the first church consecrated in Jamaica.
In keeping with our Mission to “proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God,” our members will engage in a Diocesan Evengelistic Mission between September 2024 and January 2025. The Mission will be organized by our Deaneries which are represented in all the Parishes of our island.
They will work in collaboration with the Jamaica Church Missionary Society, which is our Evangelistic arm, and the Department of Mission and Ministry, based here at Church House.
We close what is expected to be a very active year on February 16, 2025 with a Service at the Spanish Town Cathedral which is the oldest site of continuous worship in the Western Hemisphere.
This is the closest Sunday to February 11, the date on which Bishop Lipscomb was installed in that Church which was then known as the St. Catherine Parish Church.
The Calendar of Events will also feature our churches, schools and other institutions which will observe major anniversaries of over 50 years during the celebration period. For example:
- The St. David’s Church, Yallahs and The St. Andrew Parish Church are marking 360 years of ministry;
- St. Jago High School, in Spanish Town; DeCarteret College in Manchester;
Grange Hill Primary School in Westmoreland; and Half Way Tree Primary are 280, 105 and 100 years, respectively;
- So too, are Nuttall Memorial Hospital, named after the outstanding Archbishop and Statesman, The Most Rev. Enos Nuttall, and the accomplished Diocesan Festival Choir, which was formed to celebrate the centenary of our Diocese in 1924.
- And, there are many more which have made and continue to make an indelible impression on thousands of lives in Jamaica.
The Future – Renewal
The year ahead is not just about the hype and the celebration of our achievements. As we step into a new era, we must also look to the future. For the Diocese of Jamaica and The Cayman Islands, the focus will be on Renewal and Transformation.
In fact, the COVID-19 Pandemic has forced us to stop and take stock of the way we do Church… and we have already begun the process of renewal.
In the past, we were socialized to depend on the ordained and, in particular, those in the hierarchy of our Church. However, COVID has opened up new dynamics which require the involvement of every member.
Our research also shows a clear distinction between urban and rural ministry. Church can no longer be “a one-size, fit-all.” Instead, we are now redesigning programmes and outreach activities to meet the physical and spiritual needs of people where they are.
We have begun to retool and we are taking advantage of the new opportunities for ministry in the 21st Century. As this dual mode Anniversary Launch demonstrates, enhanced technology is one method through which we are engaging our members and taking the Gospel Message outside of our buildings… to Anglicans and non-Anglicans alike… and in fact, to all mankind.
We invite you all to join us in our Anniversary Celebrations… and more importantly, to continue with us on the road to renewal and transformation.
The Most Rev. Dr. The Hon. Howard Gregory, OJ
February 1, 2024
