Returning to glory yet again ... - Fire-ravaged St Ann’s Bay Methodist Church being rebuilt

The St Ann’s Bay Methodist Church has a rich history. Significantly, the church was established on Emancipation Day, Wednesday, August 1, 1838, the day all slaves were finally made free in Jamaica.

Emancipation was a victory the Methodists in Jamaica celebrated, the church having played its part in the liberation process, after starting its mission on the island back in 1789.

Later, the (St Ann’s Bay) church was to become the childhood church of Jamaica’s first National Hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey (1887-1940), whose birthplace was just a few hundred metres up the road.

But the church, located on Bravo Street in St Ann’s Bay, St Ann, was destroyed by fire in 1898, some 60 years after it was built. It was subsequently rebuilt.

Moving forward, 120 years later, in February of 2018, the church was again razed by fire, which not only destroyed the building but also all its contents, including a 110-year-old pipe organ.

Once again, the Methodists vowed to rebuild.

“It’s a loss, which is not only physical in terms of the building, but it’s also a loss in terms of the people’s sense of who they are because this church has meant so much to people. It will be rebuilt, but that sense of loss is great,” then head of the Methodist Church in Jamaica, Bishop Everald Galbraith, said at the time.

And so it is. In a relatively quick turnaround, work is on in earnest at the site, aimed at returning the structure to its Georgian best and having it ready to host church service once again, by the end of 2019.

“I think that is what is hoped, that we can get it completed for use within this year, that is what we’re working towards,” the church’s district property manager (DPM) told Family and Religion.

“The bulk of the expenditure and the bulk of the work, which is really reroofing the building, is done, so we’ve passed the worst in terms of what needs to be done.”

On Wednesday, when Family and Religion visited the premises, workmen were seen toiling feverishly, as they took aim at the year-end deadline, even as rain continued on the outside.

The rebuilding process actually began a few months ago, after the church engaged the services of a restorative architect whose task was to ensure the building retains it Georgian identity, even as several areas had to be modernised.

One significant change sees the use of several steel beams on either side of the building, stretching from the ground up, to support the new roof, which has retained the gable shape of the previous roof.

The original design had the roof sitting directly on the cut-stone walls, which could hardly be replicated while maintaining a sound structure.

With the roof now on, the ceiling has also been inserted and is currently being sprayed by the workmen.

“The roof is on and it’s actually sealed inside already. The building is fully covered and we’re now preparing to install windows and doors,” the DPM said.

After that, the flooring will be addressed, pews will be built, thus making the building usable, enabling the congregation to move back in, from the church hall which has served as worship centre since the fire.

From all indications, the deadline will be met and service will be held in the church before the end of this year.

The rebuilding of the St Ann’s Bay Methodist Church, once again, represents a return to glory for an institution that has played a significant role in the history of Jamaica. More important, though, it shows God at work for His people, as they work for Him.