Caribbean American Research Foundation

Montserrat is one of the few remaining dependent territories of Great Britain in the Caribbean, and  is one of the Leeward Islands located 27 miles south of Antigua.

The Pilgrim Holiness work on Montserrat has its roots in the Bible Home and Foreign Missionary Society. According to the book The Days of our Pilgrimage: The History of the Pilgrim Holiness Church written by Paul Wesphal Thomas and Paul William Thomas, “O.L King, on Antigua as the superintendent of the Leeward Islands, was responsible for taking the work of the Bible Home and Foreign Missionary Society in 1924. By 1924 there was work on the four islands of St.Thomas and St.Croix in the American Virgin islands, St Kitts and Montserrat in the British West Indies.”

Rev.William Arthur Greenaway, a native of Montserrat, was involved with the work of the Bible Home and Foreign Missionary Society. He was instrumental in obtaining two plots of land to be used for church planting - one plot of land at Providence in St Peter’s, and the other at Davy Hill. The plot of land at Providence was acquired by gift subject to conditions as to use, and the plot at Davy Hill was acquired by gift from the Bible Home and Foreign Missionary Society on whose behalf it was purchased by Rev.William Arthur Greenaway.

On tracing the history and development of the Pilgrim Holiness Church/Work on Montserrat one sees incorporation under the name of the International Apostolic Holiness Union and churches later changed to “International Holiness Church.” On December 15, 1922 by further amendment of the Articles of Association the name of the said corporation was changed to Pilgrim Holiness Church. On April 3, 1936 the General Secretary of Foreign Missions of the General Board of the Pilgrim Holiness Church was constituted a body*** politic and corporate under the name and title of the Pilgrim Holiness and was duly incorporated in the laws of Montserrat. Three churches were established in Montserrat. It is believed that Rev.William Arthur Greenaway pioneered the work at Beulah, Rev.Ted Edgecombe at Davy Hill and Rev. Lynch the work in Plymouth.

The church at Beulah, St Peter’s was the first to be established under the leadership of Rev.William Arthur Greenaway and people from Davy Hill, Cudjoe Head, Baker Hill and other villages in the northern part of the island attended church services at St.Peter’s. These people walked a distance of four miles and more to fellowship with other believers in Christ. The church at Beulah is known for its vibrant Sunday School. Children attended from various denominations.  Former Anglican, Methodist preachers and teachers including the late Bro. Peter Wade, Bro. Richard Wade, and Bro George Baker were stalwarts in teaching and moulding the spiritual lives of children and youths.  For several years during the 40’s and early 50’s Pastor Peter Wade singlehandedly carried the work at Beulah; also Rev. & Sis Richard Allen and Pastor William Allen served the Beulah Pilgrim Holiness Church faithfully.

The work in Davy Hill started in the early 50’s. Members of Beulah who lived in Davy Hill were faithful in their attendance to church. It was felt that another work should be developed, thus Pastor Ted Edgecombe pioneered the work there.

In 1954 Pastor Georgette Rae, a minister from Antigua was sent to labour at the church at Davy Hill. Pastor Rae and her young personal assistant, Sis Iris Peters (now Sis Iris Kirby) worked there from 1954-1956. When Pastor Rae was visited by the superintendent of the Pilgrim Holiness Churches, Antigua, he saw the tremendous work that Pastor Georgette Rae had to do – walking to and from Brades (the village where she lived), a distance of two miles. Back then the roads were very rough and the terrain mountainous and without street lights. The Superintendent felt that it was too much for a single lady to do, especially walking those rough roads, even though members would accompany her home; so the decision was made to close the work at Davy Hill in 1956. The members would jointly worship with the Beulah congregation. The Davy Hill church was reopened in the 1970’s. A team of workers came to Antigua from the United States and they travelled to Montserrat and built the present structure of the church at Davy Hill. Rev. Alvan Frederick and Rev. Fitzroy Knight were instrumental in having the present church structure at Davy Hill built.

The work of the Pilgrim Holiness Church spread to Plymouth, the capital, and there the urban ministry developed. Rev. Lynch pioneered the Plymouth church, and Rev. George Meade and Rev. Whitcliff Joseph subsequently pastored the Plymouth church in the early years of her development.  Two evangelists from Antigua. Sis Lena Oliver and Sis Gwen Woodley, held revival services at the Plymouth church in the early fifties, and more souls were born into the Kingdom of God. including the  twin sisters Josephine and Beatrice Ryner who became pillars of the church. Before them, there were two lay preachers, James O’Brien and George James who were two firebrands, good Sunday School teachers and local preachers.

In the mid-1950’s Rev.Austin Gumbs, a young vibrant minister from Antigua who had just graduated from Bible School, was sent to pastor the three churches.  Along with him came his wife, two children and two young ladies, Vanessa and Agatha. One of the highlights of his early ministry was his extended evangelistic campaign by two young evangelists from Antigua, Stanley Ralph and Reuben Harris, which led to the conversion and development of a cadre of young people who grew up to be lay leasers in the ministry- Josephine and Beatrice Ryner and Miriam Harney. By the 1960’s the three churches on island Beulah, Plymouth, and Davy Hill were fully established.

Various ministries in the church - Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Youth Ministry with the Ryners and Harneys in Plymouth,  and the Allen family at Beulah flourished. The Youth Department of the Plymouth church under the leadership of George Irish was engaged in regular ministry outreach to prison, infirmary and elderly shut-ins. The Annual Missionary Programs were a dynamic part of each church’s activity.

As the work developed local ministry workers emerged and went on to minister in various places like Antigua, Nevis, US Virgin Islands, New York, and Boston, including Rev Lynch who pioneered a Caribbean Christian radio program in the Virgin Islands, Rev Carlton Meade in Nevis, Rev William Meade in Antigua, Rev Donald Bernard in the Virgin Islands, Rev Ann Wade in Boston, Rev Richard Wade an itinerant Evangelist,  Rev James O’Brien and Dr. George Irish in New York; and Dr Ruth Allen,  and Rev Joseph and Edith Daley in Montserrat.

The Montserrat work has had the recent challenge of the ongoing volcanic crisis. One of the effects of this crisis is mass migration. Migration has always had a gradual impact in that young people grow in ministry and later migrate to England, New York, Canada, the US Virgin Islands. The migration of the 1950’s had hit the Plymouth church greatly for the vibrant local preachers George James and O’Brien  when they migrated to England and New York respectively they took along their large families; thus there was a marked decrease when their families left. However, those local ministers who went out from Plymouth, Beulah and Davy Hill continued their ministries abroad thus the work had its impact locally, regionally and internationally. Rev James O’Brien established a church in New York; Rev Ann Wade helped to pioneer the Beulah Pilgrim Holiness Church in Boston along with her sister Edith Wade-Daley and other siblings;  Dr. George Irish established Spiritual Awakening Ministries and Come World Ministries in New York. Rev. Joseph and Edith Daley started in ministry in Boston and later returned to Montserrat and pastored the church at Davy Hill.

Many members of the three churches migrated to England, U.S.A and neighbouring Caribbean islands because of the volcanic eruption. The devastation of the capital, Plymouth, made the church inaccessible, and this led to the natural closure of the church at Wall Street, Plymouth. The North of the island is regarded as the Safe Zone and the inhabited area. The Beulah and Davy Hill churches were used as shelters for people who were evacuated from Plymouth, the southern and eastern villages. The remaining members of the Plymouth church and Beulah and Davy Hill members worshipped as one fellowship/assembly. Church services in the early years of the volcanic crisis were held in the downstairs of Bro and Sis Nathaniel Joseph’s house in St Peters.

The three churches at one time formed a circuit in the late 1980’s and early 90’s,at  and then the two churches Beulah and Davy Hill were circuited during the period 1996-2001. The three local churches had early autonomy in terms of their local operations, programming and finances. They were affiliated and unified under the Antigua District.  Ministers were appointed by the District to serve the churches.  Local preachers and lay workers are appointed by the District at the recommendation of the local Conference of each church.  Bro Beresford Chalmers, Bro Barrington Chalmers, Bro Julian Daniel and Bro Emile Duberry serve their respective churches as lay ministers.

The two churches on Montserrat, Beulah and Davy Hill have their individual Pastor Rev. Dr. Beatrice Allen and Pastor Kellar McFarlane respectively and share a Youth Pastor in the person of Pastor Shane McFarlane.

Both churches are involved in cooperative efforts, crusades, Outreach activities, Quarterly Services and other joint efforts as the need arises.

The churches on Montserrat under the leadership of Rev. Kenford Punter became affiliated with the Montserrat Christian Council and obtained chairmanship of that body; and his successor, Dr Ruth Allen also served as Chairperson for several years.

The churches have experienced a measure of growth and the youth population is dominant in the Beulah church, while Davy Hill is experiencing a growth in its youth development.   This augurs well for the growth and expansion of the work in Montserrat. The energy and interest of the two youthful pastors - Kellar and Shane McFarlane, combined with the experience of Senior Pastor Rev. Beatrice Allen and the support of the laity with their united focus, vision and mission, the Wesleyan Holiness work on Montserrat will continue to progress in fulfilling the Great Commission of the Head of the Church, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Rev. William A. Greenaway         Beulah

Rev. Ted Edgecombe                    Davy Hill

Rev. Charles Lynch                       Plymouth

Rev. George Meade                       Plymouth

Rev. Whitcliff Joseph                    Plymouth

Pastor Georgette Rae               1954-1956         Davy Hill

Rev. Austin Gumbs                 1950’s – 1961    Montserrat Circuit

Rev. Ivan Mason                     1966-1970          Montserrat Circuit

Rev.  Alvan Frederick             1970-1977          Montserrat Circuit

Rev. Nicholas Austrie             1972-1982          Montserrat Circuit

Rev. Kenford Punter               1982-1987          Montserrat Circuit

Pastor Simon                           1983-1984          Davy Hill

Rev. Donald Bernard               1986-1989          Montserrat Circuit

Rev. Malcolm Edwards           1989-1992          Montserrat Circuit

Pastor Richard Wade               1992-1994

Rev. Joseph Daly                     1992-1194          Davy Hill

Sis Ruth Allen (Lay Leader)    1992-1994          Plymouth

Rev. Olson Daniel                    1992-1994          Plymouth

Sis Ruth Allen (Lay Leader)    1996-1997          Beulah

Rev. Joseph Daly                      1996-1998          Montserrat Circuit

                                                  1998-2000          Davy Hill

Sis Ruth Allen (Lay Leader)     1998-2000          Beulah

Rev. Ivy Singh (Evangelist)      2000-2001          Beulah/Davy Hill

Rev. Joseph Daly                       1998-2006          Davy Hill

Rev. Beatrice R. Allen               2000-Present      Beulah

Pastor Kellar McFarlane            2007- Present     Davy Hill

Pastor Shane McFarlane            2008-Present      Beulah/Davy Hill

     (Youth Pastor)