Church of the Redeemer, Jamaica

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]

The Church of the Redeemer
The Church of the Redeemer, corner of North and Duke Streets, Kingston, Jamaica, 1963.
17.975753°N 76.790062°W / 17.975753; -76.790062
LocationKingston
CountryJamaica
DenominationMoravian
Websitewww.jamaicamoravian.com www.techadvancejamaica.com/moravian.html
History
StatusChurch
Founded1918 (1918)
Founder(s)Jonathan Reinke
Consecrated1918-05-08
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Completed1918
Construction cost£3,124
Clergy
Minister(s)Rev. Marsha Edwards-Brown

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.

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]
1951-1957S U Hastings[7]
1957-1959Ben Muncaster[8]
1959-1977Neville S Neil[4]

Notes and references
  1. Hastings & MacLeavy 1979, p. 138.
  2. Hastings & MacLeavy 1979, p. 139.
  3. Hastings & MacLeavy 1979, p. 140.
  4. Hastings & MacLeavy 1979, p. 145.
  5. Hastings & MacLeavy 1979, p. 141.
  6. Hastings & MacLeavy 1979, p. 187.
  7. 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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