“Look What the Lord has Done!” Everton Park Celebrates 125 Years!

While many worshippers spent the weekend of December 26-28, 2025 in praise and thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness throughout the year, members and well-wishers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Everton Park had an extra reason to celebrate - 125 years of Christian witness and God’s faithfulness to the church. The Anniversary and Homecoming Celebration was hosted under the theme ‘Look What the Lord has Done.’

 

With humble beginnings in Temby District, Above Rocks, St. Catherine, Everton Park has maintained a steady presence throughout the years with community involvement and the promulgation of the gospel. The pioneers, Bro. Thomas Allman Sr. and Bro. David Killingbeck, were the first from the community to accept the Advent message after missionaries A.J. Haysmer and D.E. Wellman visited in June 1989, despite criticism and prejudice from community members.

 

The weekend commenced with a Vesper Service which featured beautiful music and provided trips down memory lane with stories of faith and perseverance from past and current members. Executive Secretary of the East Jamaica Conference and pastor of the Everton Park district from 2014 to 2016, Pastor Melvin Francis, presented the message under the caption ‘A Movement of Destiny’. He spoke of Jesus’ visit to Caesaria Philippi with His disciples just before His crucifixion where He declared the church would be built on Him, the Rock, and that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it, and noted that celebrating 125 years is a testament that God has been with His church.

“When our two leaders were struck by lightning in 1902, many people believed that the church would go under, that the light would be put out, but 125 years later, this church is still standing by the power of Almighty God,” Francis said.

 

He noted that throughout the years, the church has remained focused on its mission even amid challenges, and that by the power of the Holy Spirit, God has used men and women to spread the gospel. He shared that historically, the gates of a city back were a place where judgments were issued and important decisions were made; however, at the gates of Hell, Satan meets with His demons to strategize attacks on the Church.

 

“This is where they would do briefing and debriefing, to plan to attack the church and discourage the members and to get the church confused. However, Jesus remains undefeated. You may look around and feel that evil is winning, but evil will not win. The church will triumph,” Francis declared.

 

The growth of the Church through the years gave birth to four other congregations. He encouraged the brethren to remain faithful so that we can be part of the triumphant Church at Jesus’ return.

On Sabbath, the worshipful atmosphere was boosted by the presence of members and friends of the Church, including members of the clergy within the community. During his congratulatory greeting, Pastor Lymano Wishart of the Parks Road New Testament Church of God commended the church for its active presence within the community.

 

“Beyond the walls of the sanctuary, your ministry has added to the immeasurable power of God at work in this community through service, compassion, moral witness and faithful presence. Your impact cannot fully be measured by numbers or years but by the transformed lives and quiet testimonies that trace their roots back to this fellowship,” he shared.

 

George Durrant, Pastor of the Salisbury Plain Gospel Chapel, shared fond memories from evangelistic campaigns hosted by Everton Park, and noted that he, along with several others in his congregation, are products of the work of the church.

 

“The work that you have done I’m sure is not only local but also international because there are persons overseas who got saved through the ministry and they are not local, so you are an international church,” he said with a chuckle. He encouraged the church to continue the work because there are persons who need to hear what we have to share.

 

Ninety-six year old Bro. Alvan Smith was recognized as the eldest member and received recognition for his contribution to church life in the earlier years.

Guest Speaker, Pastor Windel Montaque, prefaced his sermon by expressing how good it was to be “home”; the first district he served after leaving Seminary. His message, titled ‘Faithful Then, Faithful Now, Faithful Forever’, highlighted the journey of Israel and their rescue from Egypt because of the covenant God made to their fathers and His love for them.

 

“Israel had no plan, they had no farming tools, they had no cattle, no land, no storage, no storehouses, but they were never destitute,” said Montaque.

 

He continued by sharing that despite God’s provision, they murmured, complained and doubted His power, and because of their ingratitude, unbelief and rebellion, an entire generation did not enter the Promised Land.

 

“When you forget God’s faithfulness, ungratefulness becomes normal. We are on the brink of eternity, and the same thing is happening today. Let us be careful that an entire generation does not make it into heaven,” Montaque cautioned.

 

He then encouraged the congregation to be thankful for the blessings God continues to provide and not to allow them to quench their dedication to God. He spoke of simpler times when members never had much but they remained joyful and committed to the cause.

“When we were going to school or church some mornings, it was the basil mint tea and a slice of bread…you couldn’t afford margarine; in those days it was a cut of butter…but we were the happiest people going to praise God just the same. Nothing stopped us,” he recalled.

 

He reminded the congregation that the same God who took us through 125 years will take care of us until Jesus returns and that we should pursue a relationship with Christ to take us through to the end.

 

The service ended with a call for members to recommit their lives to Christ, followed by a drill and march display by the Stratus Pathfinder Club.

 

Sis. Abigail Smith, member at Everton Park, expressed satisfaction with the weekend’s activities and was hopeful about the future.

 

“Everton Park SDA continues to stand tall as a beacon of home within our community and as long as we continue to let Him lead, we will continue to do great and mighty things,” she said confidently.

 

Elder Dwight Hylton from Macedonia SDA shared in the worship service and gave his feedback about the weekend.

 

“I think it was a good programme. The God of Heaven and earth indeed is a sustainer and we have come this far by faith,” he said.

 

The AY segment was filled with the melodies from the Eternity Singers of Washington Gardens SDA which had members nodding their heads and singing along. The weekend culminated with a family picnic at Renu River’s Edge which provided a serene space for fun and fellowship.