History

It is the early 1960s – a turbulent time for our nation as we surge towards independence from our colonial masters. Attempts at a West Indian Federation had failed culminating in the early demise of the Federal Parliament headquartered in Trinidad; but on a different front, people with a different agenda were in fact coming together in total dependence on God. These people, though diverse in many ways, had one thing in common – a love for God and a commitment to serve him. One group was located at 83 Waltham Park Road, under the oversight of a Pastor Davidson; another was meeting in a small building at the western end of a property at 65 Waltham Part Road, shepherded by the late Deacon Samuel Jones and his wife and the third group was to be drawn from the well-established New Testament Church of God congregation at 1 Jordan Road, under the pastoral care of the late Rev. S. A. Robertson.

In 1963 the three congregations, all located in the Kingston 11 area, came together at 65 Waltham Park Road and the Rev Robertson became the first pastor of the flock. The church soon became, and still maintains the position of ‘Headquarters church’ of the New Testament Church of God in Jamaica.

Pastor Robertson and his wife took on the care of the small but vibrant congregation. His tenure, though brief, sought to consolidate the many positives within the group – dedication, commitment to God, discipline and a holiness standard. Though at this point in his declining years, his message rang out:

"And I brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency

of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of

God. For I determined not to know any thing among you,

save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in

weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my

speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s

wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That

your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man but in the

power of God." (1st Cor. 2: 1-5)

The ministry of Elder Rob, as he was affectionately known, was characterized by a spirit of humility, and as he handed the baton to a younger man, he gave to him a people ready for the uphill task of taking the church into new growth and development.

His successor, The Reverend Guy S. Notice accompanied by his wife Azelma, came to the young congregation from a successful pastorate in Lucea, Hanover in 1964. The team spirit was strong as pastor and members worked together to build on the solid foundation, already laid.

Throughout his tenure, Rev. Notice exercised a great passion for the youth of the church. Under his ministry, the Sunday school was to see phenomenal growth, ranking among the top three in the Caribbean.

His passion for education gave birth to Tutorial College – a secondary level institution (now defunct) and a basic school to serve children in the church and wider community. That school later became the Waltham Educational Centre – a multi-educational centre serving children 3 to 12 years old. The Basic School department was soon to be recognised as a Model Centre by the Ministry of Education. Economic difficulties forced the closure of the complex in July 2011; the facilities will house the Kid’s Choice Preparatory School effective September 1, 2014.

Rev Notice’s work among the young people flourished even more with the appointment of assistant pastors – first the late Rev. Lindsay Arscott, then a student at the Jamaica Theological Seminary (JTS) and later, Bro. Winston Thompson who was also a student at the JTS. One of the high points of those years was the establishment of a youth club – a first for the denomination in Jamaica and an activity that would soon spread nationally. Rev. Notice also had a passion for souls and outreach programmes, and during his tenure the Waltham Park Road district grew from four to eight churches and the membership went from 347 to over 900.

In the meantime, God, in his infinite wisdom, realizing the tremendous growth that was ahead for the church at Waltham Park Road, had a building in preparation for his people. The Island Overseer at the time, the Reverend Luke Summers, was leading a team in the building of an Island Tabernacle, which was to be the venue for national conventions and major events of that nature. The building, the largest of its kind in Jamaica at that time, was built to accommodate 3,000 persons. In many ways ahead of its time, it was structured to facilitate easy platform/audience contact as well as convenient expansion.

The building to the Western end of the property referred to earlier was by now bursting at the seams and it became the responsibility of the Rev. Guy Notice to transfer the congregation from that small building to the larger and more accommodating convention hall in which the congregation now sits. The congregation, the pastor and Sister Notice settled down in the new surroundings. But there were some shortcomings with the building serving as a regular place of worship and the people set their minds to work at some improvements.

But, as is usually the case with us, in 1969 the Notices moved on, so in the short six-year span the congregation was losing another pastor.

Ironically, a favourite phrase of Rev. Notice in his early years caught up with him as he left Waltham Park Road. “Bell a ring now, school call” was definitely “school call time” for him as he left for further study abroad.

Rev. Notice completed his studies in the area of criminology and theology. He later returned to serve the church in Jamaica as Principal of the Bethel Bible College and later as Island Overseer. He retired from the pastorate of one of his many church plants - the Central New Testament Church in Orlando, Florida; he went to be with the Lord on March 24, 2014.

Later that same year the Rev. and Mrs. Alanzo Palmer succeeded the Notices at Waltham Park. Their two sons completed the family. Like his predecessor, the Rev. Palmer came from the Western end of the island and his fame as “a man who can preach the word” preceded him. Under his tenure the church continued to grow. He had a special love for music and it played a significant part in his ministry. It exemplified the importance of using talents for the Lord as his messages were always enhanced by his songs accompanied on his guitar.

The congregation had settled into their new home, but with no immediate need for expansion of the building, plans were put in place to enclose it. A major task, it was successfully carried out and stands as one of the outstanding contributions of the Palmer years.

In 1973 the Palmers were called to service in St. Croix, Virgin Islands and once again the people of Waltham Park Road had to make way for new church management.

The Palmers later went into ministry in West Palm Bay, Florida. They have both gone on to be with the Lord.

In 1973, the leadership of the Church was now in the hands of Rev. D.A Archer and his wife Avis. With their six children, they moved into the hearts and lives of the congregation at ‘65’. Their stay was very brief (1973-4) as within a year he was transferred to the Escarpment Road Church and then to the Montego Bay church where he had earlier pastored.

During his tenure he made his mark as a dynamic preacher and teacher and made a significant contribution to the spiritual development of the membership. His roots went deep into the church, as the son of a pioneering pastor. Rev Archer encouraged the membership to respect and give honour to our heritage. He has since moved on to higher service; Sis Archer continues to serve as the Lord leads.

With the departure of the Archer family, speculation was rife as to who would replace them. As always, earnest prayer went up and God sent to us on this occasion, the Rev. and Mrs. A.W.C. Kerr and their three children. Rev. Kerr came to ‘65’ in 1974 having served at county and district levels and at the time, serving as a member of the Island Executive Board. He was also pasturing the Escarpment Road Church. “A dynamo for God” would be an apt description of this “man of God”. His eight-year tenure at Waltham Park saw tremendous strides in church growth and property development. The two tenets that governed his life, “God is able” and “The money is there, it is just to put it together” propelled the church into successful action on many occasions, notably among them, the paving of the entire grounds.

Rev. Kerr had the dream of a packed out Sunday morning service; he did his part towards fulfilling that dream… but then, in 1981 he moved on to work in the USA. He retired from a successful pastorate in Brooklyn, New York and has since passed on to higher service.

For a few months the church experienced some degree of turbulence, a not unusual situation in a vibrant, growing organization. However, stability was just around the corner, as again, God answered our prayers and sent to us chosen servants – the then Island Overseer, Rev James Douglas and Sister Douglas - as interim pastors. They were followed by the Rev Wellesley Blair and Sis Yvonne Blair.

Rev Douglas will long be remembered for the foundation he laid in sound financial management and administration. This is not to detract in any way from the continued work in the area of Christian development as Rev. Douglas both preached and taught the word with resultant fruit.

Rev. W.A. Blair and his wife Yvonne followed with their distinctive brand of ministry and under God took the church to great spiritual heights. For Rev. Blair, growth meant among other things, the sending forth of workers into the harvest field and one notable highlight of his ministry was the setting up of an education grant to assist young people who felt a call to ministry and desired to attend Bible College.

He later served the denomination as Director of Evangelism and Administrative Bishop for Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. He is now in his third as Administrative Bishop.

.In October 1982, the authorities under God thought it prudent to send us a pastor from out of the East, the Rev. Fedlyn A. Beason, and in the usual way, with open arms and a few reservations, Rev. Beason, Sister Beason, and their children were received at Waltham Park.

The Rev. Beason was a member of the Island Executive, the National speaker for the radio programme “Real Life Broadcast”, and a prominent figure in Portland where he had been serving in varying capacities in church and community – what would he be like?Over a period of ten years, ‘65’ discovered a man of God whose fervor bordered on fanaticism. Having a good foundation, laid by those who went before him – he proceeded to build. Major highlights of his tenure included the construction of extended classrooms for the Waltham Park Road Infant Centre, the block housing the James Brown clinic, the administrative block housing the church offices, the purchase of the Waltham Park Home for the Aged and the Waltham Park Parsonage, and the institution of the Annual golden Agers’ Christmas Dinner.

Rev. Beason was ably assisted with music ministry of Sam Wisdom and Lindel Schreves.

Rev. Beason never failed to remind the congregation of God’s faithfulness.

Like Pastor Kerr, Pastor Beason had a dream of a packed out Sunday morning service. He came closer to the fulfillment of that dream than did Elder Kerr but once again he had to move on. In 1991 he was appointed Island Overseer – a position in which he served for eight years. He went on to the position of Caribbean Field Officer with his base in Miami. Dr Beason is presently the Senior Pastor for the Davy Community Church in Florida.

On his departure, the thoughts of the people turned again to God with the plea: “Father send us a man.” In September 1991, we welcomed the Reverend Ronald A. Blair, Sister Evon Blair and their four daughters. Reverend Blair was no stranger, coming as he was from his position as Island Overseer. Prior to that he had served as district pastor and was the island’s first Youth and Christian Education Director. His anointed messages served to encourage his people and one particular series has left a lasting impression on many of our people. “It is not the end of the book – it is only another chapter” Those who did not know soon learnt that this chosen servant of God always came with a message from God and his constant theme of MARANATHA served to make his flock mindful of their need for constant readiness. His evangelical fervour blessed by God bore tremendous fruit and the dream of his predecessors – a packed out Sunday morning service – became his reality and was borne out by the introduction of two services each Sunday.

The physical plant saw remarkable improvement as well with the construction of a two-storey multi-purpose block to house a church hall, offices, tuck shop and a training area. Assistance to the church community took on new dimensions with the launch of the 65 Waltham Park Road New Testament Church Of God Thrift and Investment Club – a financial facility set up to provide soft loans for members of the church family.

A man with a passion for music, Rev Blair had able assistance in this area through the services of an Assistant, Pastor Darvind Graham. Pastor Graham was also responsible for the Youth activities of the church. Following Pastor Graham’s departure, the position was taken by Pastor Stevenson Samuels. He with wife Larene and their two daughters joined the Waltham Park family in 1998. For Pastor Steve it was like coming home since he actually grew up in the Waltham Park Road church. The congregation was pleased to welcome the young pastor who one of his peers described as “The Reggae Preacher…The Radical…the Revolutionary…an innovator”

In 1998 Reverend Blair left to take up a second term as Island Overseer, a first in the denomination. He was succeeded by the Rev. John Hardy, a member of the Island Executive Board. Reverend Hardy, accompanied by his “Rosebud” – Rose - and their two sons melted into life at Waltham Park Road. Rev. Hardy had a burden for his people – he wanted to see them living for God while being prepared as well to meet the challenges of everyday life. A man of the word he had a passion for education and training and encouraged his members to make use of all available opportunities. He was responsible for providing some opportunities for training under the aegis of the Church.

He improved the physical plant by creating additional office space and, very notably, the erection of a Red Cross on the main building.

Pastor Samuels continued his complementary work during the Hardy years. Those who did not know this dynamic young man of God would be fooled by his love of laughter and sense of humour. But he was very serious about God’s business and displayed it in his work in the church. He had a special love for music and, with the assistance of Chief Musician at the time, Bro Othniel Lewis he worked to develop a music ministry worthy of emulation. Some of his innovations in this area include:

the Waltham Park Music School,
the Tertiary Students “Back to School Blessings” Service and
the development of a Mass Choir that merged the young and the not so young

In 2002 when the Rev John Hardy left us - a richer people for his having been with us - Pastor Steve remained and was part of the team that welcomed our next Pastor, the Rev Donald Roberts in November of that same year.

Two years later Rev Samuels left to take up the position of Secretary General for the denomination and now is Senior Pastor at the Escarpment Road, New Testament Church of God.

As always, the “Church that is one big family opened its arms and heart to our new pastoral family - the Rev Roberts, his wife Esther and their two daughters.

Pastor Roberts came out of central Jamaica and, like his predecessor was a member of the Island Executive Board. An innovator, his work at Waltham Park has been characterised by new and effective approaches to ministry all geared towards the development of a productive laity. He expressed a strong belief in the priesthood of believers and worked assiduously towards helping them to understand the concept and live within its possibilities. He believed in his people and stretched them to heights of achievement based on his confidence in them.

One very important aspect of his ministry has been his unswerving commitment to presenting the phenomenon of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and His subsequent indwelling as the source of not only spiritual gifts and manifestations but of the twin virtues of a good character and integrity. Pastor Roberts left no stone unturned in his effort to see believers at 65 living out these virtues in their everyday lives.

He placed a strong emphasis on relationships, and among other things, Waltham Park experienced the development of a Couples Ministry, A Singles Ministry, and the Simon and Anna Senior Citizens groups – all with the objective of creating better relationships within families and among our people in general.

He had a passion for ministry to men and has left a strong witness in the annual domino tournament and “Bar Talk” – interaction between Christian men and their peers in the healthy spread of bars along the Waltham Park Road.

He was ably assisted in his many efforts by Pastors Nigel Martin and Leopold Porter.

The Rev Roberts and his family left us in 2008 for an appointment at our sister church at Clifton, Manning’s Hill Road. He currently serves as Director of the Bethel Bible College.

In November of that year, Pastors Leopold Porter and Nigel Martin were part of the team that welcomed back the Rev Dr Ronald Blair, his wife, the Rev Evon Blair and the family when they joined us for their second time round. This time, Bishop Blair came with a strong focus on spiritual development. Well needed adjustments were made to the interior of the sanctuary and a vibrant Cradle Ministry was launched.

The ending of the year 2012 brought news of a transfer once again. So ‘65’ bade goodbye to the Blairs. The official service saw us saying “Goodbye” to the Rev Nigel Martin and Mrs Martin as well. It was indeed the end of an era.

We offer special thanks to all the wives who have served us and those who continue to serve, over these many years.

Sunday, January 2 2013 the congregation at 65 Waltham Park Road welcomed the Rev Dr Roy Notice, his wife Vinette and daughters Danielle and Joelle. The eighteen-month incumbency has highlighted the importance of excellence in worship and service and a strong emphasis on development of our youth. Dr Notice is very pleased to be part of this celebration and in his own words…. “the best is yet come!”

e-mail: [email protected]

July 14, 2014

REMEMBERING AND HONOURING: THE FIRST 50 YEARS

A history of the New Testament Church of God

65 Waltham Park Road, Kingston 11

1963-2013

This presentation must not be seen as an exhaustive account of the birth, growth and development of the Church at 65 WalthamPark Road, but rather as an example of what can happen when God’s people work together for the development of His Kingdom.

Our Pastors

Lead Pastors

Associate Pastors

Youth Pastors

Music Pastors