SDA church family celebrates centenarian Andrew Campbell

WESTERN BUREAU:

Glowing tributes and congratulatory messages flowed at the Mt Salem Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in St James on Tuesday, as relatives and church members gathered for a luncheon honouring 100-year-old Andrew Campbell of Lilliput, also in St James.

Despite being visually impaired and requiring a wheelchair for mobility, Campbell, a retired builder and former elder of the Mt Salem SDA congregation, briefly expressed gratitude for the luncheon marking his centenary. The occasion was highlighted by tribute messages from Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, Labour Minister Pearnel Charles Jr, and Pastor Vincent Rose, president of the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

“I am thankful to everyone, to the Mt Salem brethren and to everyone else, so much so that I cannot explain myself. I give thanks in the name of Jesus, and I thank you all for coming,” a tearful Campbell told the gathering.

“There is nowhere like home, home sweet home. I’m pressing on the upward way, new heights I’m gaining every day, still praying as I onward bound. Lord, plant my feet on higher ground,” he added, referencing a verse from the church hymn Higher Ground.

In his message to Campbell, which was read aloud at the function, Allen said reaching 100 years of age was a monumental achievement that should be celebrated by loved ones.

“You will count among the small and distinguished group of persons to enjoy the blessing of attaining your 100th birthday. Celebrating a centenary is indeed a very special occasion, and I trust that you will be surrounded by loved ones who will help to make it a truly wonderful time for you as you embrace life and the many blessings you have enjoyed along the way,” said the governor general.

Born in Maldon, St James, on August 11, 1926, Campbell was the fourth of nine children for to Joseph and Eletia Campbell. The new centenarian spent much of his childhood with his grandmother in the Vaughnsfield district of St James after his mother relocated to Kingston following his father’s death.

In 1953, at age 27, Campbell, who attended Maldon Primary School, moved to Montego Bay and worked for several years as a carpenter. During that time, he helped build houses for the Government of Jamaica along Francis Isabella Road in Mt Salem and in the Cornwall Gardens community.

He was a founding member of the Mt Salem SDA Church when it was established in 1968. A year later, he married Mabel Blake, now deceased, and together they raised nine children, including three from previous relationships. The family would later grow to include 10 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

During Tuesday’s celebration, son Roger Campbell recounted how his father was strict but devoted to raising his children in the fear of the Lord.

“Thanks be to God for my father, who brought us up in the church. He was very principled, and we could not make any mistakes in church, and I am still trying to live that way as an adult. Papa, thank you for all you have done for us all these years,” said the younger Campbell.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com