History of Lutheran Ministries in Jamaica

PRE-MISSIONARY TIME, 1990-1993

The Lutheran Hour, Bringing Christ to the Nations, has been aired in Jamaica since the early 1950s. There has been and is good listener response. A large percentage of people on the street recognize the program and speaker names.

The Board for Mission Services of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod reviewed the option to begin work in Jamaica twice during the decade of the 1980s. They declined to do so until 1990 when two laymen and an assistant pastor from Trinity Lutheran Church, Arapahoe, Nebraska, after touring the island, re-opened the question. Dr. Wallace Schulz, former Lutheran Hour Speaker, also supported the effort, after serving as chaplain on several medical missions to Jamaica.

Two additional visits were made to the Island during the next two years by representatives of Trinity, Arapahoe, Nebraska, the Board for Mission Services of Synod and Lutheran Hour Ministries staff. Decisions made following these visits led to the formation of the Nebraska Lutheran Mission Society. An agreement was also drawn between LCMS World Mission and the Nebraska Lutheran Mission Society. The Nebraska Lutheran Mission Society would be the funding agency, paying all costs of a new mission start in Jamaica. LCMS World Mission would be the calling and supervising agency.

ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST MISSIONARY, 1993

The first missionary placement came with the commissioning of Rev. Steven Massey in June 1993 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Arapahoe, Nebraska. He arrived in Jamaica in August 1993.

The initial Jamaican support for this ministry came from three Methodist individuals. Rev. Massey located temporary quarters for the ministry at 1 Morecambe Avenue, #1, Kingston 8. These facilities also served as residence for Rev. Massey during his year of missionary service.

Rev. Massey identified a number of Jamaicans who had genuine interest in this ministry, and conducted worship services, largely for expatriates, during most of the thirteen month period he served as missionary. A number of factors contributed to his return to the States in September 1994.

ARRIVAL OF THE SECOND MISSIONARY, 1994-95

In February, 1993, the Nebraska Lutheran Mission Society and LCMS World Mission Staff adopted a joint Mission Strategy which included the provision for calling a second missionary to the Jamaican field.

Rev. Dr. Erhart L. Bauer, President of the Northwest District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod was called by the Board for Mission Services. He accepted the call to serve as administrative missionary in June 1994, and he and his wife, Anita, arrived in Jamaica to begin their term of service in late November 1994.

In their first three months, the Bauers oriented to the culture and revised the ministry strategy in light of the departure of Missionary Massey. The apartment at 1 Morecambe Avenue became the first Ministry Center location.

Lutheran Ministries In Jamaica, the name chosen for incorporation, began formal worship again under the leadership of Missionary Erhart Bauer on Sunday February 5, 1995, at the Lutheran Ministries in Jamaica Center located at 1 Morecambe Avenue, Kingston 8. Fifteen people attended the service, including many Jamaicans and Mr. Kenneth Peterson, Lutheran Hour Ministries Area Director. Ralph and Jeanette Stensland, retirees from Milbank, South Dakota, USA, served this ministry as volunteers during February and March 1995.

The following three months included regular Sunday worship at the Lutheran ministry center at 1 Morecambe Avenue. Attendance fluctuated between 15-22 people. A discussion of the Lutheran Hour broadcast also became part of the Sunday format. A second location, a room at the Ursuline Convent in Papine, was rented for a six week period for worship on Sunday afternoons. Teaching sessions were introduced at four different locations during this time. Other island locations (Lucea, Montego Bay, Mandeville, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio) were visited and Lutheran Hour respondents contacted in those communities. Lucea became viable as a second community informally identified with Lutheran Ministries in Jamaica. The pastor and a group of 26 worshipers there were operating with the name Christ Church-Lutheran.

The Lutheran Ministries in Jamaica incorporation process was initiated; an Advisory Council was established, consisting of five Jamaicans; and the ministry experienced a steady participation of approximately 25 Kingston residents. Seminarian Peter Kirby was called as missionary for the vacant second position in April, 1995.

The following months focused on instruction and leadership development of the core group. The use of the Ursuline Convent in Papine for worship was discontinued, and a new small study group was started in Portmore. A small Vacation Bible School was held at the ministry center during July. Sunday worship attendance at the Morecambe location grew to a point which required relocating Sunday morning worship to the nearby Jamaica Theological Seminary in early August.

Rev. Peter and Carla Kirby, and children Ian and Amanda, arrived in Jamaica on August 25, 1995, following their commissioning at Trinity, Arapahoe, Nebraska, on August 20. The team ministry effort soon led to expansion of the use of media. Tuesday evening Bible class and Wednesday evening Catechism class were offered during the Fall. The Bauers left the island during September 1995 for furlough in the States

A Friday evening youth fellowship commenced on November 17, 1995 with three girls in attendance. Five other youth would additionally become frequent early attendees.

A Lutheran choir was initiated in Kingston on November 18, 1995 with rehearsal on Saturday evenings.

Exploratory trips in November and December 1995 by the Bauers to Bath Mountain, Westmoreland, and Riley Pen, Hanover, resulted in worship services and Bible study on an infrequent basis in the Bath Mountain area. An independent pastor, already pastoring a small group in the Lutheran name at Riley Pen, began leading the Bath Mountain group in worship as well, assisted by one of our Kingston members.

The Lutheran Hour video, "Red Boots for Christmas," was first shown on CVM-TV throughout Jamaica on December 25, 1995. No acknowledgment of our ministry connection was given that day, but a commercial was generated by the station which ran during cartoons on the following Saturday, offering the accompanying children's book. Over 300 calls would eventually be received for the book.

LUTHERAN MINISTRIES IN JAMAICA - 1996

One-minute devotional radio spots offering Lutheran Hour Ministry booklets began a two-day per week run for six months on Radio Jamaica afternoon and evening broadcasts on January 30, 1996.

A first anniversary worship service was celebrated on February 4, 1996 at the Jamaica Theological Seminary meeting room in Kingston. Special music and a reading were provided by many members. Rev. Bauer preached the sermon and read a short history of the first service.

Based on the action of the Advisory Council, a tithe (10%) of our 1995 offerings, was sent to LCMS World Mission to assist mission work in Haiti. An additional sum was spent out of our 1995 offerings toward charitable needs in Jamaica, including a special offering for Hurricane Relief in the eastern Caribbean.

Seven adults were confirmed in thier Lutheran faith on Palm Sunday, March 31, 1996. Five of these members continued instruction in a leadership development class on Witnessing and Follow-Through during Summer 1996.

On May 26, 1996, worship services began in Portmore, a bedroom community west of Kingston, in the Westport Community Center. The startup of services followed a year of small group Bible studies Sunday evenings at the home of a faithful member. Those who attended the first worship service included many who had been regularly attending the Bible study.

Videographer Pastor John Burger from Marshfield, Missouri, and photographer Bea Dailey from Pensacola, Florida, visited our ministry on behalf of LCMS World Mission at the end of May 1996 to capture our work on video, slides and photos. A video on the ministry was completed in July 1996, entitled "Paradise in the Son," available from LCMS World Mission.

A Vacation Bible School was conducted with help from a Servant Event team, July 22-26, at the Jamaica Theological Seminary. The 19 member Servant Event team, 15 youth and 4 adults, from Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, West Des Moines, Iowa, served as leaders in the Summer Bible School and as support personnel at the Kingston YMCA Summer program for children. 42 children participated in the VBS.

The Kirbys returned to the States in August 1996 for a month furlough. During their absence the Bauers enlisted the help of more lay leaders for assistance with the worship services.

With the return of the Kirbys in September 1996, a new round of classes began. Pastor Bauer organized a program of adult confirmation, including a group session he led on Wednesday evenings and a number of individual sessions employing both pastors, Anita Bauer and a lay member as instructors. Individual confirmation instruction for two members was completed in October. The leadership development program was adapted to include our leaders in courses in Church History and New Testament Survey in the Jamaica Theological Seminary Extension Studies program which began in October. Pastor Kirby attended with the leaders to assess the program. A number of new youth joined our Friday night youth fellowship, swelling the average attendance from about seven the previous year to ten or eleven each Friday. This group began studying youth confirmation materials for the Bible study portion of the meetings.

Also in September, Mr. Ross Stroh, LCMS World Mission Finance, visited Jamaica to set up financial books for the mission here. These books had formerly been kept in St. Louis.

A first year student at the United Theological College from the Lutheran Church of Guyana was assigned to serve our congregation as part of his field education. He began attending services with wife and daughter.

Attempts were made in the Fall to set up a construction project to re-roof and finish an abandoned government building in Bath Mountain, Westmoreland, for use as a medical clinic and worship center for the Lutheran group there, but delays getting government permission for the project would stall it for years. Funds for reconstruction were requested through LCMS World Relief and for the first three years of clinic operation through Wheat Ridge Foundation. Both grants would be approved in 1997.

The registration of Lutheran Ministries in Jamaica was officially completed with the Jamaican Government during October 1996. The certificate of incorporation was obtained in November. Also during this time, an official name for the Kingston congregation was selected by vote: St. Andrew Lutheran Church, reflecting both the parish of Jamaica in which the congregation is located as well as the first missionary apostle.

A Lutheran Leadership Retreat was held on 26 October 1996 at the Ursuline Convent, Papine, incorporating both our Advisory Council members and other invited leaders. The retreat helped us map out a long term strategy for this ministry as well as the involvement of Jamaican leadership in meeting near-term goals.

On 24 November 1996, the congregation held its first Harvest Festival service at JTS. The members brought in fruit and produce to decorate the worship hall, which was also sold after the service as an additional offering to God. The service also marked the adult confirmation of two members.

In December, leaders completed their courses at JTS. Two leaders completed both Church History and New Testament Survey classes, and another leader completed only the NT Survey class.

On the Sunday before Christmas three of our youth, having prepared themselves through instruction, received the sacrament of Holy Baptism. About this time, four more youth would start attending services and youth fellowship, eventually becoming faithful participants. The youth took an outing to Ft. Clarence beach at the beginning of January.

Worship attendance at our Christmas Day service and the Sundays after Christmas was very good, with 50-60 attending on average.

LUTHERAN MINISTRIES IN JAMAICA - 1997

A new Leadership Development class began in January 1997 on the topic of Biblical Interpretation. Another leader in Portmore would be taught through individual instruction.

The 2nd Anniversary service of Lutheran Ministries in Jamaica was held on 9 February 1997. Because of expected large attendance the service was moved to the JTS Chapel, and indeed about 90 people attended the service. Our membership was very involved, with lots of special music and the sermon preached by a lay leader. The service was marked by the baptisms of an older adult, a youth and a baby, three generations being brought into the Lutheran family.

In March, the Business Manager for the Guatamala and Panama missions, Tom McWilliams, was assigned to visit Jamaica quarterly to assist us with our mission accounts. He was oriented during his first visit to the island and would also make visits in May, July and October 1997.

At our Palm Sunday service, also conducted in the JTS Chapel, 6 new adult members confirmed their Lutheran faith. The service was marked by a palm procession by our Sunday School children and by special music by a ladies duet.

For the second year, we sponsored a three-hour Good Friday service which included some of our laymen in short sermonettes on people of the Passion. Both the Good Friday and Easter Sunday services were well attended. After Easter, Lutheran Ministries asked permission from the Jamaica Theological Seminary to move permanently to the Chapel for Sunday worship, because the classroom we had been using since August 1995 had become too small for the 50+ worshipers attending weekly.

In early May 1997, Dr. Douglas Rutt, new area secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, was formally presented to the church on a visit with Dr. Al Buckman. During their visit an official organizational meeting for Lutheran Ministries in Jamaica was held and visits to potential sites in Kingston for a ministry center were conducted.

In early May two leaders completed the course on Biblical Interpretation. Another leader would successfully complete the course later in the summer. A new course on Preaching was begun with the male leaders in mid-May.

From mid-June to mid-July, the Bauers travelled to the U.S. for part of their third year furlough.

In August VBS programs were held in Kingston, Portmore, Sugarloaf Mountain and Bath Mountain, with 160 children involved. Volunteer help came from a St. Louis Seminary studentand his family and a lady volunteer from Trinity Lutheran in Auburn, Nebraska. Near the end of the Portmore VBS, we received a learning visit by the Renkens of York, Nebraska.

In September, a leaders' class began on the Augsburg Confession. Having completed the course on Preaching a number of lay leaders preached their sermon assignments on a staggered schedule through the Fall.

God answered our prayers for a volunteer couple to work in the area of volunteer coordination with the arrival of Jim and Cathy Frederickson in mid-October. They quickly began planning for a very busy 1998 with overseas volunteer teams. After Jim suffered a mild stroke in late November, they were forced to return to the States on 11 December to seek medical care. A replacement for these coordinators was sought from the Mission Board.

The annual Leaders' Retreat was held the last Saturday in October at St. Michael's (Catholic) Seminary, Papine, setting direction for the year ahead.

The Bauers left for the second part of their third year furlough from the end of November through January, for visitation in the Midwest. Rev. John and Helen Panning from Holland, Michigan came as volunteers to fill in for the Bauers for most of these two months: teaching, training, and assisting with services and sermons. The Pannings' son Steven and family were completing their five year assignment in Kingston as field coordinators for the Mennonite Central Committee and had been very helpful in the establishment of the Lutheran Mission and receiving new personnel.

The culmination of the use of confirmation materials in Friday evening youth fellowship was the confirmation of five of our youth by Pastor Panning in the Kingston service, Dec. 21. A young adult from the Lutheran Church of Guyana was also received into membership by affirmation of faith.

The Kirbys attended the missionary family retreat in Venezuela after Christmas and traveled to observe the city mission in Barquisemeto before returning.

LUTHERAN MINISTRIES IN JAMAICA - 1998

A servant team of seven college youth and professor Dr. Paul Mueller from Concordia University-St. Paul, Minnesota arrived in mid-January to conduct morning devotions and an afterschool Bible program modeled after VBS at Shortwood Practicing School. They stayed in the former volunteer housing and also participated with us in Sunday worship.

In January 1998, church leaders began instruction in Old Testament Survey in Extension Studies at Jamaica Theological Seminary that carried them through June. This scheduled course interrupted the study of the Augsburg Confession. Because of the unavailability of the scheduled instructor, Pastor Kirby was recruited to teach the course for the 50 students involved.

An adult couple was taken through confirmation instruction by Pastor Panning and received into membership in a Kingston service in late January 1998.

The first servant team of thirteen men and one wife from Nebraska congregations arrived in late January to work on the Bath Mountain clinic project in Westmoreland. They were able to get a zinc roof installed, add an additional bathroom for clinic use, and begin the house wiring and plumbing. A team of local welders also installed grillwork on the building windows, doors and carport.

On February 8, 1998, St. Andrew Lutheran celebrated its third anniversary of services with a festival service of worship in Kingston. Guest speaker for the occasion was Rev. Russ Sommerfeld of Kearney, Nebraska, the pastoral advisor for the Nebraska Lutheran Mission Society.

The Friday Youth Fellowship celebrated their first overnight retreat on March 13.

The last two weeks of March we hosted another work team to continue refurbishing at the proposed Bath Mountain clinic in Westmoreland. Two men and a wife returned from the Nebraska team to install windows and doors, and they were joined by a team of five men from Christ Lutheran, Lenexa, Kansas, who finished the internal wiring and plumbing, painted windows, doors and external trim, installed the ceiling and ceiling trim. Waiting for final government permission to use the facility for a clinic halted any further work or refurbishing on the project.

For the third year, we sponsored a three-hour Good Friday service which included some of our laymen in short sermonettes on places of the Passion. Both the Good Friday and Easter Sunday services were well attended.

The Youth Fellowship took a 2 day hiking and camping trip from Norbrook to Hollywell Park with return to Papine during Easter week.

In May, the Advisory Council split off the St. Andrew Lutheran church accounts from the LCMS Mission accounting system, and established checking and savings accounts in the church name. At its annual meeting in early May, the following officers were elected in the first formal election for Lutheran Ministries in Jamaica Advisory Council: Basil Jones (Chairman), Lumembo Tshiswaka (Vice Chairman), Dr. Keith and Merethe Turner, Donna Phillips (Secretary, Portmore representative), and Ricardo Dabee (Treasurer). Claudious Dell was later appointed to the Council as representative for Bath Mountain.

In late May the Kirbys left for a 10 week furlough in the United States, including a month of mission interpretation in several Midwestern States.

During the absence of the Kirbys, Rev. Roselle Gilmore, African-American Lutheran pastor from Portland, was invited to assist in Jamaica and served in June and July, assisting Dr. Bauer with services, teaching and church relations. He was very well received and developed a good relationship with many of the Jamaican laymen.

A meeting was convened June 13 in Fremont, Nebraska, toward the re-formation of the Nebraska Lutheran Mission Society with new leadership from a number of congregations in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. The Kirbys were able to attend this meeting and provide input. Wayne Meyer, Manager for Mission Partnerships for LCMS World Mission, also came from St. Louis to support the meeting. Plans were made for a meeting to elect new officers. President-elect Darrel Rathe suggested quarterly meetings of the new Mission Society board.

During a service in July, an older gentleman and a young lady were baptized and confirmed into membership in St. Andrew Lutheran.

In late July, two Kingston youth flew to Atlanta, Georgia as Jamaica's representatives to the 1998 National Youth Gathering, where they were met by Pastor Kirby who acted as chaperone for the group. They participated fully in all the activities of the Youth Gathering and strongly connected with a youth group from Fremont, Nebraska, that had sponsored one of the youth to attend the Gathering.

Earlier in July, an adult chaperone and two youths from Kingston had travelled as Jamaican representatives to the Youth Camp of the Lutheran Church in Guyana after they were turned down for visas for the U.S. Youth Gathering.

During Summer 1998, another Kingston leader completed the course on Biblical Interpretation in individual meetings with Pastor Bauer.

In mid-August two VBS programs were held. In Portmore, 91 children attended an afternoon program at the Westport Community Center, supported by a servant team from Hay Creek and Belvidere, Minnesota. In Kingston, 73 children attended a morning program held at the West Avenue Institute, supported by a servant team from St. John Lutheran, Port Credit, Ontario, Canada. This team also conducted a mini-VBS for the children around Sugarloaf Mountain, east of Kingston.

At the end of August, a farewell service and reception were held for Pastor Erhart and Anita Bauer, who returned to their former home in Portland, Oregon, to continue in ministry for Jamaica from a distance until they retired from active ministry in May 1999. Major projects during these nine months were rewriting an adult catechism and workbook from the old Growing in Christ series, writing relevant tracts focused on issues of Jamaican significance, and promoting relationships with Jamaican communities in the United States.

After the departure of the Bauers, a decision was taken on how to proceed with two same-time services in Kingston and Portmore, since no pastoral replacement for the Bauers had yet been called or sent. The Portmore members and Council decided to keep at least three services each month in Portmore, with the Portmore congregation coming to join Kingston on the last Sunday of each month. Since we had 4-5 men already trained in sermon preparation and Lutheran worship, the alternate service to Pastor Kirby would be manned by a layman under supervision each Sunday.

One of our lady leaders began Christian literacy instruction with a young man from the Grant's Pen area during the Fall, and would add a second student in late Spring 1999.

No formal classes in leadership development were offered in the 1998-99 school year, due to the busy schedules of Pastor Kirby and the leaders, but an informal instruction course in Pastoral Theology was begun with a number of leaders.

In October 1998, Dr. Doug Rutt made his annual visit to the mission field, along with the Manager for Mission Partnerships. They were taken on a tour of the island which included stops in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Bath Mountain.

The last Saturday in October, twenty St. Andrew Lutheran leaders and members met at the West Avenue Institute for our annual Leaders' Retreat. A review of God's grace in the past and goals for the coming year were established.

Our annual Harvest Festival service was held on November 21, with members bringing produce dedicated to God. The produce was sold after the service and proceeds added to the Lutheran Ministries Building Fund.

LUTHERAN MINISTRIES IN JAMAICA - 1999

On January 1, 1999, an active non-member initiated a program of early morning feedings for the homeless street people of Kingston, and a number of other church members and frequent attenders became involved with this ministry, which continued once a month through May.

January 9, a meeting was held in Arapahoe, Nebraska, between the former and proposed officers of the Nebraska Lutheran Mission Society. The following new officers were elected: Darrel Rathe (President), Ron Rathe (Director of Ministries), Steve Mommens (Director of Communications), Steve Bartels (Director of Membership), Betty Renken (Director at Large), Rev. Richard Snow (Pastoral Advisor). Randy Gardner of the former Board was asked and accepted to continue as Treasurer of the Board. A motion was made and accepted to change the name of the Society to the Jamaica Lutheran Mission Society. A training workshop for new officers was set for April 16-17 in Lincoln, Nebraska, with Wayne Meyer as leader.

In January, Les Schmidt, Director of Volunteer Ministries with LCMS World Mission, called with long-term volunteer prospects. After further discussions, Gretchen Radtke was recruited for the position of Volunteer Coordinator and Heather Bostick a DCE Intern, was recruited to assist the Kirbys with home-schooling and to provide leadership for St. Andrew Lutheran educational programs. However neither of these young ladies would be available to the field until late Summer 1999, as both were finishing up their last years at University.

About the same time, the search for a pastoral replacement for the Bauers was narrowed down to Pastor James and Carter Weist of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Davie, Florida. A call was issued to them for Jamaica mission service in mid-February, and they accepted the call within two weeks. Expected arrival on the field would be July 1999.

At a service in late January 1999, two infants were baptized and brought into membership in St. Andrew Lutheran Church.

On February 7, 1999, St. Andrew Lutheran celebrated its fourth anniversary of services with a festival service of worship in Kingston. Guest speaker for the occasion was the chairman of the Lutheran Ministries Advisory Council.

February 15, Christene Brauer arrived for 3 ½ months of volunteer service in the area of volunteer coordination. She had been delayed from service in Brazil and looked to fill our post long vacated since the departure of the Fredericksons. While serving here, she was very active with local volunteer ministries such as homeless feedings and Food for the Poor distributions, as well as youth and choir. She also assisted with communication to teams coming to serve in Jamaica later in 1999.

In late February, Pastor Kirby attended the meeting of Latin America Missionary Counselors in St. Louis.

In March, we received approval from the Ministry of Health for the proposed Bath Mountain clinic. This allowed the Commissioner of Lands to move permission forward for our use of the lands. In late June, the Commissioner issued a letter discussing a 25 year lease to Lutheran Ministries of the property and building.

In early April, we celebrated Good Friday service with a three hour morning service, again accented by lay preachers with short sermons on the Seven Words of Jesus from the cross. Easter service was also a special celebration.

At the Lutheran Ministries Annual Meeting in early May, the following officers were elected to the Advisory Council: Lumembo Tshiswaka (Chairman), Dr. Keith Turner (Vice Chairman), Merethe Turner (Secretary), Ervin Lyle (Treasurer), Donna Phillips and Claudious Dell.

At a service in mid-May, three infants were baptized into membership in St. Andrew Lutheran Church.

May 25-27 St. Andrew Lutheran Church sponsored its first citywide outreach in evening meetings at Stephanie Hall, near Half Way Tree. Invited speaker was the Rev. John Nunes, from St. Louis, Missouri, who had been born and spent early years in Jamaica, but later migrated to New York state, where he became a Lutheran and later studied for the ministry. He was joined by a team consisting of his wife and son, another layman from St. Louis, and two laymen from Dallas, Texas. In addition to their outreach presentations, they did a lot of evangelistic and social ministry in areas of Barbican Road and downtown. The outreach meetings were not well attended, but it was a good training experience for our church members. One positive development was connection with an unchurched community in Liguanea area of Barbican road, where we have provided follow-up Bible studies and seen significant growth.

In May, Les Schmidt called with another volunteer prospect, a nurse who was interested in a year's service in Jamaica. Checks were made with the FISH clinic (Foundation for International Self-Help) in Papine whether they could place a nurse into medical service. The Director said they were in need of a registered nurse at the main clinic in Papine. However, due to financial and work constraints the volunteer nurse was never able to come fill the position.

A proposal had been made to LCMS World Relief at the February Missionary Counselor’s meeting to fund a microcredit loan program for women in Jamaica. World Relief approved our project proposal and funded the program with a $10,000 grant, with funds arriving during summer 1999. Eleven loans of $600 or less would eventually be granted to participants to help them start or improve home businesses. New volunteer Gretchen Radtke would assume management of this program, called Jumpstart, upon her arrival on the field.

The last week of July, Pastor James and Carter Weist and their children Tianna and Camden arrived in Kingston to begin missionary service. The plan was that they would spend about a year in Kingston doing Pathways missionary orientation and learning the culture and people before moving to Montego Bay to begin church planting work there.

The first week of August, long-term volunteers Heather Bostick and Gretchen Radtke arrived in Kingston and began their roles as educational missionary and volunteer coordinator, respectively.

The first and second full week of August, two VBS programs were held. In Kingston, 80+ children attended a morning program held at the West Avenue Institute, supported by a servant team from Christ Lutheran, Norfolk, Nebraska, a couple from St. Louis and a single volunteer from Chicago. In Portmore, 50 children attended a morning program at Bridgeport Comprehensive High School, supported by a servant team from Christ Lutheran, Lenexa, Kansas.

In September, Pastor Kirby attended the meeting of the Latin America Missionary Counselors in Miami, where an overall strategy for Lutheran Missions in the area was developed.

During October, three infants were baptized in services at St. Andrew Lutheran.

November 21, an adult woman was confirmed into membership in St. Andrew Lutheran church. An adult and five youth and children were also baptized in the morning service. Then in the afternoon, a number of members traveled to Penfield, near Gordon Town, St. Andrew, for the baptism of an adult and two youth in the Hope River. Pastors Kirby and Weist participated in the baptisms.

In late November, Jamaica hosted its first missionary family retreat, inviting missionaries from Puerto Rico and Panama, with Dr. Richard and Lois Kapfer (Iowa West) as retreat speakers. The retreat was held at FDR Resort, Runaway Bay.

LUTHERAN MINISTRIES IN JAMAICA - 2000

On January 30, 2000, an adult and youth were baptized at Penfield in the Hope River by Pastor Kirby.

In early February 2000, St. Andrew Lutheran celebrated its fifth anniversary of services with a festival service of worship in Kingston. Guest speaker for the occasion was Rev. Richard Snow of Auburn, Nebraska, the pastoral advisor for the Jamaica Lutheran Mission Society.

During the Spring, the Advisory Council voted to transfer remaining Jumpstart loan funds and loan payments as they came in to COPE, a non-profit microcredit lending agency, through whom we could recommend applicants. This decision was taken because of problems being experienced by the ministry in making Jumpstart collections on the first round of loans.

In May, four youth and an adult were confirmed into membership at a service of celebration at St. Andrew Lutheran, Kingston. Heather Bostick had provided confirmation instruction for these new members.

The Kirbys departed in late May for a two-and-a-half month furlough in the United States, including the Germany trip. They would visit supporting congregations throughout the Midwest for a month of the furlough.

The first two weeks of June, Kevin Williams and Naomi Dixon traveled to Germany with Pastor Peter and Carla Kirby to attend an International Lutheran Youth Conference hosted by our sister church in Germany and represented by 15 Lutheran churches around the world. They attended the Kirchentag of the SELK in Bochum, spent four days at a Lutheran country parish and then traveled to Homberg for the Youth Gathering meetings. The trip also included a visit to the Luther sites of Wittenberg and Wartburg.

On June 25, two adults and a child were baptized by Pastor James Weist at St. Andrew Lutheran.

During 2000, the Executive Director of LCMS World Mission proposed a restructuring that would replace the regional leadership of Area Secretaries (five covering the world) with deployed Area Directors (ten) living in and covering a smaller mission region. His proposal was accepted by the Board and implemented during summer 2000. Jamaica became part of the Caribbean area, including Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Haiti and Cuba missions. Rev. James Tino, a missionary in Venezuela, accepted the call to be Area Director in July. He would remain in Venezuela for a year and then relocate to Miami for better access to all countries in the region.

In late July, Heather Bostick traveled with two Portmore youth to Guyana to attend the Youth Camp with the Lutheran Church of Guyana and to meet members of the church.

The second and third week of August, two VBS programs were held. In Kingston, 91 children attended a morning program at the West Avenue Institute, supported by a servant team from St. John Lutheran, Hutchinson, Minnesota and led by Pastor Rod Dunker, who had come with a VBS servant team previously in 1998. This team also conducted a mini-VBS for 25 adults and children around Sugarloaf Mountain, east of Kingston, three afternoons during the week. In Portmore, 125 children attended a morning program at Bridgeport Comprehensive High School, supported by a servant team from Holy Cross, Kearney, Nebraska and the Ribando family from LeMars, Iowa.

In August, Pastor Jim and Carter Weist moved their family and household to Montego Bay to begin church planting work there. They had found a suitable rental home near Ironshore and began building contacts and starting Bible studies in preparation for church planting.

Also in August, Kevin Williams and Naomi Dixon received acceptance to attend Concordia University, Mequon, Wisconsin, USA on church worker preparation scholarships. They departed the same month to begin studies, with Kevin in pre-pastoral work and Naomi studying elementary education.

At the beginning of September, Lutheran Ministries received a letter from the Ministry of Lands granting us a 25-year lease for the proposed Bath Mountain, Westmoreland, health clinic site. Negotiations would continue for another six months on the lease price.

On September 24, 3 children of a member were baptized at Penfield in the Hope River by Pastor Kirby.

In October, Heather Bostick announced that she would have to return to her home in Texas to care for an ailing grandmother, cutting short her volunteer service in Jamaica. She departed the island on October 15.

Also in October, Jamaica Theological Seminary offered us the rental of a large home on ¾ acre grounds they had recently purchased but were unable to develop at this time. After discussion with the council and staff, it seemed prudent to move the ministry office and Kirby home into this larger facility. Rental began from December 1, and the 1 Morecambe and Oaklands properties were vacated in December.

In November, four infants from the Barbican Road community where we have Bible study were baptized in the service at St. Andrew Lutheran, Kingston.

November 28-December 2, Jamaica again hosted the missionary family retreat at Holiday Inn, Montego Bay, inviting the mission team from Puerto Rico and the James Tino family from Venezuela. Dr. Erhart and Anita Bauer returned to lead adult and children’s sections, respectively.

At the Christmas Eve service, an adult and infant from the Portmore congregation were baptized at St. Andrew Lutheran Church.

LUTHERAN MINISTRIES IN JAMAICA - 2001

In January 2001, Pastor Jim and Carter Weist announced that they would be returning to the States, due to continuing health problems in trying to have more children. Carter had struggled with two terminated pregnancies in the Fall of 1999 and 2000. Their church planting work in Montego Bay would be put on hold pending the call of additional missionaries to continue the work.

In late January, Rev. James Tino came to Jamaica to work with our staff on a major revision of the mission strategy for Jamaica. The new strategy would form the basis for funding and personnel requests. A draft strategy was submitted for review in late February.

In early February, Dr. Velma Rynearson arrived for a 5-day visit to discuss medical issues on the field and visit our proposed Health Clinic at Bath Mountain. We also visited the FISH clinic with her to talk about mutual work.

Pastor Jim and Carter Weist returned to a stateside call in late February.

In late February, three ladies took confirmation vows to join St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Kingston.

Gretchen Radtke completed her two years as volunteer coordinator in June 2001 and returned to the States, where she interviewed and accepted a position with Lutheran Hour Ministries International.

In early July, the Kirby family flew to San Jose, California to make mission presentations for the biennial Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Convention under the theme, “Because He First Loved Me.”

The Greene family of Ricketts, Iowa came to Jamaica in late July to assist the Kirby family in leading Vacation Bible School for the children and youth on Sugarloaf Mountain near Gordon Town, St. Andrew.

In late July, Giselle Gregory and Darian Davidson of Kingston joined Kevin Williams (attending college) and former volunteer Gretchen Radtke (chaperone) in attending the LCMS national Cross Cultural and Youth Gathering in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

On August 4th, new volunteer teacher, Eunice Florip, arrived for a two-year assignment homeschooling the Kirby children, and doing educational ministry.

In August, the Kingston Vacation Bible School was held at a new venue, our ministry center at 20 West Avenue. Over 75 children participated. Volunteers from Springfield, MA, and Worms and Scotia, NE assisted.

The Portmore Vacation Bible School was again held at the Bridgeport Comprehensive High School in August. Over 150 children participated. It was our largest VBS group ever. A servant team from Ashippun, Wisconsin provided the leadership.

In September, Pastor Kirby began a new fall leadership class on the sacraments with 8 Lutheran leaders. He also taught a course on Romans for the Jamaican theological Seminary Extension Studies Program.

The annual Fall leadership retreat was held Saturday, October 20, at the Lutheran Ministry Center. It dealt with commissioning leadership and membership topics. About 20 Lutheran members and visitors participated.

The last Sunday in November, St. Andrew Lutheran held its Harvest festival worship service and sale. A tent was erected next to the Lutheran Center garage to house the service.

On December 12, long-term volunteer Carol Osmon arrived in Jamaica to assume her role as volunteer and social ministry coordinator. She had recently returned from a 2-year volunteer assignment at the Themba Schools in South Africa.

The two Sundays before Christmas witnessed the baptism of 4 infants and children into the family of Christ and into St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Kingston.

In addition, in December, the Lutheran Ministries received its first distribution of bulk food under a new USDA- sponsored monthly food distribution program through “Food for the Poor.” This was a great blessing to our needy members and other contacts.

LUTHERAN MINISTRIES IN JAMAICA - 2002

A college team from Concordia University Mequon, Wisconsin visited Kingston and Montego Bay from January 13th-20th. Students and Kingston members, Kevin Williams and Naomi Dixon assisted them. During their visit, they did 3 days of shift devotions at Vauxhall High School. They also visited religious and cultural sites.

On January 15th, Pastor Kirby and seven leaders began a new leadership class on “Values, Society and the Future.” This class was completed just before Easter.

In March, we began a distribution of over 8000 By Kids For Kids school kits organized by Lutheran Hour Ministries and contributed by Sunday School and Vacation Bible School students in U.S. and Canadian Lutheran Churches in summer 2001. Rev. Rudy Schaser of Volunteer Opportunities and Debbie Armbrister, a Lutheran schoolteacher and writer for By Kids For Kids came with former volunteer Gretchen Radtke to help distribute the kits to students in six Kingston public schools February 28-March 12. Then local staff made arrangements to distribute kits in two smaller schools for deaf children and one school for mentally challenged students. So altogether we distributed kits to nine Kingston public schools that serve the poorer segment of students. The children were delighted and thankful to receive the kits.

On March 14, Rev. Bruce and Amy Lesemann accepted the call and appointment to serve as evangelistic missionaries in Jamaica. The Board for Mission Services issued the call February 6. Rev. Lesemann is a 1997 graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and served his first call as evangelistic missionary among the Tagakaulo people on the island of Mindanao, Philippines. The Lesemanns have one daughter, Abigail, born in November 2000. They will team with the Kirbys to expand the churches in Kingston and Portmore.

There has also been a lot of movement in the proposed Health Care Center in Bath Mountain, Westmoreland, western Jamaica, this past year. Last summer the government of Jamaica agreed to a 25 year lease for the property, and the lease was signed by the government and Lutheran Ministries in July 2002. With the lease, we can now move forward again with construction on the site. We began seeking U.S. construction teams to come down and put up a fence, do interior finishing and furnishing work and add water and sewage systems to the building.

With a Lutheran Hour goal of 800 evangelistic contacts this fiscal year, we advertised Lutheran Hour booklets and Bible studies in newspaper ads and a bus ad. We also ran five animated children's Christmas programs on Jamaican television at Christmas 2001 and received over 60 requests for the Red Boots and Puzzle Club Christmas Mystery books. We also got two programs on two television stations for Easter 2002.

The last Sunday in April, a man and a women took confirmation of their Lutheran faith and joined the St. Andrew Lutheran congregation in Kingston.

Pastor Kirby baptized three infants into the same congregation in separate services in January, March and May, 2002. One of the infants, born to a family from the Lutheran Church in Antigua, had heart problems and died at three weeks. He was given a Christian funeral attended by Pastor Kirby and members of St. Andrew Lutheran.

In late April, Carol Osmon announced that she would be completing her service in Jamaica at the end of May and returning to her home in Gresham, Oregon. She departed the island on May 21 for a debriefing with Area Director James Tino in Miami on her way to Oregon.

In April and May, Pastor Kirby led a short course in the Leadership training program on Christian Caregiving, with eight leaders participating.

The Kirbys took a study leave in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, during June 2002. In their absence, Pastor Rod and Tina Dunker and sons came to serve St. Andrew Lutheran, Kingston. While here, Pastor Dunker visited some schools to promote the Children's Chance book distribution of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation and helped to form a men's ministry.

Rev. Bruce and Amy Lesemann and daughter Abigail arrived in Jamaica on July 3rd after a two-day orientation with Rev. Tino in Miami. During the next six weeks, they located rental housing and a vehicle and completed registration with the Jamaica government.

In late July, two returning residents took membership in St. Andrew Lutheran, Kingston, after studies with Pastor Kirby.

In August, we held our Vacation Bible School programs in Kingston and Portmore. About 70 children participated in the Kingston VBS, over 100 children at the Portmore VBS and another 40 children at a rural VBS east of Kingston, and all the children learned that with God all things are possible as we took them to circus school. Servant teams from Christ Lutheran, Lincoln, Nebraska, and Emmanuel Lutheran, New Haven, Indiana, came to assist us with the Bible School programs.

In early October Pastor Bruce Lesemann began a leadership course on Sermon Preparation with our lay preachers. Pastor Kirby began a course shortly thereafter in the Jamaica Theological Seminary extension studies program on The Life of Christ. And at the beginning of November Miss Jacqueline Blair began teaching a course on Church History with a number of our lady leaders.

After six years of searching, we located and purchased land in Kingston for a Lutheran Mission center and Kingston church hall. The sale of the 1 1/3 acre piece of land on Upper Waterloo Road was completed on Reformation Day, October 31. The land is vacant, so our next step will be drawing up plans and getting the buildings constructed to meet our ministry needs. Praise God for providing this perfect location in His time.

Gordon Petersen, a layman from Longview, Texas, was recruited to serve as volunteer and construction coordinator for the Jamaica mission in September. He made an initial visit to Jamaica for orientation from October 19 to November 2. While here he supported a visit by Darrel Rathe, Mission Society president, to travel to Bath Mountain clinic site and make an assessment of teams and equipment needed to complete construction at the clinic.

In mid-November, Lutheran Hour Area Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Rev. Art Simmons, travelled to Kingston to lead a two-day seminar on "Equipping the Saints," an exercise in evangelism through building relationships. The seminar was attended by about 20 of the Kingston and Portmore Lutherans.

November 17, Mr. Vincent Clahar, 72, was baptized into the Christian faith in the Hope River at Penfield, St. Andrew. The following Sunday he and Marcia Williams were received by adult confirmation into membership in St. Andrew Lutheran, Kingston. Ms. Williams had been instructed by Pastor Kirby and Mr. Clahar by Eunice Florip.

In early December, Lutheran Hour Area Director Ken Peterson made a visit to Jamaica to update and review the local office. During his visit, Patrick Jones was identified as a good candidate for the position of Lutheran Hour Coordinator in Jamaica. Patrick accepted the post and began work for the Lutheran Hour on January 1, 2003. In the first months of his work, Patrick would begin meeting media response, church referrals and fundraising goals. He would do an excellent job of follow-up on respondents and bring creative ideas for outreach to his position.

The Kingston Youth Fellowship sponsored a post-Christmas 3-day retreat at Bethel Retreat Center south of Mandeville, Manchester. About 18 youth and Pastors Lesemann and Kirby attended.

LUTHERAN MINISTRIES IN JAMAICA - 2003

In early January, another group of college students from Concordia Mission Society at Concordia, St. Paul, Minnesota, along with professor Dr. Paul and Joy Mueller came to Kingston for school ministry. They worked morning and afternoon shifts at New Day Primary and Junior High school for four days, doing Christian music and crafts with the students. They also did a devotion at St. Hughs Prep School as a part of their ministry and participated in St. Andrew Lutheran worship service and Sunday school.

Between January 23 and February 18 we hosted three construction teams from Nebraska congregations that completed the work on the clinic and community center at Bath Mountain in western Jamaica. The first team installed a septic system and rainwater collection and pumping system and applied paint to the building. Second and third teams installed a tile floor, cabinets, furnishings and the remaining plumbing and electrical installation, built a storage shed behind the clinic and installed a barb wire fence around the property. Because of the novelty of the project, it gave team members a great opportunity to interact with and witness to the residents of Bath Mountain. The teams held four worship services for local residents in the in-progress facility.

The St. Andrew Lutheran congregation was blessed to celebrate an adult baptism the last Sunday in January. Christine Blidgen had been attending our Portmore services for the past year and was baptized into the Christian faith that day.

The Kingston youth had an election of officers in February. Giselle Gregory was elected president along with 6 other officers. The officers began having bi-weekly board meetings and planning for their own meetings and activities.

New member Vincent Clahar suffered a heart attack in February and was promoted to heaven. St. Andrew Lutheran, Kingston, sponsored his funeral, and he was buried in rural St. Catherine.

Patrick Jones continued creative outreach ideas with the Lutheran Hour in the Spring. He held a young men's cricket competition and movie night fundraiser on Ash Wednesday. He helped to get two children's videos on Jamaican television at Easter and participated with a fair booth at a local Kingston fair.

Building plans for the Kingston church/ministry center site development were completed by the architect in March. These plans were reviewed by the Advisory Council and Kingston congregation and approved for implementation. Later in the Spring they were submitted to the Kingston Town Planner seeking building permits to begin construction.

On Palm Sunday, three Kingston members were commissioned as leaders in the Lutheran Church in Jamaica. After completing 17 courses in our leadership training program, Claudious Dell was commissioned as evangelist and Ancella Gregory and Jacqueline Blair as deaconnesses in the Lutheran Church in Jamaica.

The Bath Mountain clinic and community center was dedicated the Monday after Easter, April 21, and Kingston leader Claudious Dell, who is originally from Bath Mountain, was commissioned and installed as evangelist and caretaker at the clinic. He began doing outreach in the Bath Mountain community and working to start ministry among youth.

In mid-May, Ken Petersen visited Jamaica to check on the progress of the Lutheran Hour and review work with Patrick Jones. Unfortunately, dropping revenues forced the International Lutheran Laymen's League to cease support for 18 of its international offices, and Jamaica was one of those offices to lose support. Therefore, Ken's visit became the occasion of this announcement of office closure. Lutheran Ministries determined not to close the Jamaica media office, but to seek private support to continue this outreach and follow-up in support of our church planting work. The Mission contacted the Jamaica Lutheran Mission Society to see if they would receive and send on overseas gifts in support of Jamaica media ministry, and they agreed to do so later in the summer.

Christine Blidgen and another young mother, Dorothy Williams,did confirmation studies through the Spring, and with Ian Kirby were confirmed and took membership in St. Andrew Lutheran Church on May 25.

On June 30, the Peter Kirby family completed eight years of ministry in Jamaica and departed the island for a final 6 month furlough in the United States. They were called to serve Zion Lutheran Church, Carlinville, Illinois, and were installed February 2004.

August: Kingston and Portmore VBS weeks were led by teams from Texas, Tennessee and Kearney, Nebraska. Both locations had attendance of about 70 children. The groups did a fine job of leadership.

August 31: The children of the Sunday School participated in the First Annual Sports Day at St. Andrew Lutheran Church. It was held after the church service and there were 100 and 200 yard dashes, relays, sack races, and lime-on-a-spoon races. The congregation members were there to cheer them on.

September: Rev. Rod Dunker of Battle Creek, Iowa spent a week here. He and the staff (Patrick Jones, Ancella Gregory, and Eunice Florip) delivered Luther's Catechisms, One Hundred Bible Stories and Big Books about Jesus to eight area schools. The material was received with gratitude.

September 28: Christen Blidgen's baby was baptized at St. Andrew Lutheran.

October 20: A group of 9 members went to the Bath Mountain Clinic site to do some clean-up and to encourage Claudious Dell in his work there.

November 14: The second annual Harvest Supper was held with about 200 served. The ladies did all the preparation under the leadership of Ancella Gregory.

November 30: The Harvest Service was held at the ministries office. Children brought baskets which they placed at the altar. The members also brought fruits, vegetables, and baked goods. Following the service, the members enjoyed fellowship and the sale of the many products brought.