The history of the Methodist Church in Jamaica began in 1789 with the arrival of Dr. Thomas Coke in Port Royal. His journey was accompanied by drunken and violent Kingstonians who nearly murdered him.
Methodists have traditionally been, and continue to be, strongly committed to education. The church currently supports 31 elementary schools and four secondary schools. St. Andrew High School for Girls, Excelsior School, York Castle High School, and Morant Bay High School are Methodist. Finally, the church supports two vocational colleges.
Jamaican Methodists today are part of Methodists in the Caribbean and Central America (MCCA), a group headquartered in Antigua. The Methodist district in Jamaica is divided into 27 counties, which are further divided into 172 parishes across the island. According to the 2001 census, just over 50,000 Jamaicans identify as Methodists.
The Ocho Rios Methodist Basic School, located on the grounds of the Methodist Church, was founded in 1948 but only recognized in the 1950s. The school is run by the Methodist Church and has four teachers and 75 students.
The pastor of the Ocho Rios Methodist Church is Reverend I. Michael Llewellyn.
Unfortunately, the mass had just ended that morning. But we witnessed what kind and loving people these Methodists are. We were immediately given cake, and there were plenty of explanations about the church and their faith. Don't worry, this was far from being influenced or religiously fanatical. The people were simply happy and in a good mood. I don't think they had even smoked yet. That came in the afternoon on the beaches with their families... 😉
Translated by Google •
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