Church of the Redeemer, Jamaica

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The Church of the Redeemer
Redeemer 1963 FL.png
The Church of the Redeemer, corner of North and Duke Streets, Kingston, Jamaica, 1963.
Church of the Redeemer, Jamaica
17°58′33″N76°47′24″W / 17.975753°N 76.790062°W / 17.975753; -76.790062 Coordinates: 17°58′33″N76°47′24″W / 17.975753°N 76.790062°W / 17.975753; -76.790062
Location Kingston
Country Jamaica
Denomination Moravian
Website www.jamaicamoravian.com www.techadvancejamaica.com/moravian.html
History
Status Church
Founded1918 (1918)
Founder(s)Jonathan Reinke
Consecrated 1918-05-08
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Completed1918
Construction cost£3,124
Clergy
Minister(s) Rev. Marsha Edwards-Brown

The Church of the Redeemer is the oldest Moravian Church building in Kingston, Jamaica, and houses a congregation of the Jamaican province of the Moravian Church. It was opened in 1918. The name, which is unusual for a Moravian church, was bestowed by its builder Jonathan Reinke "because he did not want people to speak of Reinke's church". [1]

Contents

History

First building

Kingston's first Moravian Church (at 23 Hanover Street) was a large house which was adapted for the purpose and consecrated on 1893-04-14. [1] This building and the Mission House next door (at 25 Hanover Street) were destroyed in 1907 by an earthquake. [2] Two shed's were erected to replace them while a new Church building was constructed. [2]

Present building

The building at the corner of North Street and Duke Street was consecrated by Bishop Westphal on 1918-05-08. [3] The total cost of the building, site and out buildings was £3,124. [3]

Manse

A new manse, on the north side of North Street a block to the east, was completed in 1927 at a cost of £921. [3] The manse site was sold to the Gleaner Company for £4,000 in 1949 [2] and a new manse purchased in Antrim Road, Vineyard Town. [4]

Hall

The Mary Morris-Knibb memorial hall, 1963. Mary Morris-Knibb Hall 1963.png
The Mary Morris-Knibb memorial hall, 1963.

A church hall was opened on 1930-12-30 by Lady Stubbs, wife of the Governor. This was destroyed by the hurricane of 1951. [5] A replacement hall was opened in 1962-02-28 at a cost of £16,000. [6]

Organ

A pipe organ was installed in 1932, reconstructed in 1945 and destroyed during the 1951 hurricane. [5] A replacement was installed in 1953 at a cost of over £3,000. [7]

Clergy

1893-1894Bishop Hannah [1]
1894-1896G H Lopp [1]
1896-1928Jonathan Reinke [1]
1929-1932John Kneale [5]
1932-1939W M O'Meally [5]
1939-1944W A Kaltreider [5]
1944-1946John Kneale [5]
1946-1947J P Davidson [5]
1947-1951H T Cuthbert [5]
1951-1957 S U Hastings [7]
1957-1959Ben Muncaster [8]
1959-1977 Neville S Neil [4]

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hastings & MacLeavy 1979 , p. 138.
  2. 1 2 3 Hastings & MacLeavy 1979 , p. 139.
  3. 1 2 3 Hastings & MacLeavy 1979 , p. 140.
  4. 1 2 Hastings & MacLeavy 1979 , p. 145.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hastings & MacLeavy 1979 , p. 141.
  6. Hastings & MacLeavy 1979 , p. 187.
  7. 1 2 Hastings & MacLeavy 1979 , p. 142.
  8. Hastings & MacLeavy 1979 , p. 144.

Bibliography

Hastings, S U & MacLeavy, B L (1979), Seedtime and Harvest (A Brief History of the Moravian Church in Jamaica 1754-1979), The Moravian Church Corporation

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