Paul H. Williams - Sunday Gleaner Writer

Paul Williams Photos Allison Morris points to the marble plaque mounted in honour of her parents and grandmother in St John’s Parish Church in Black River, St Elizabeth.
December 14, 2025 by Paul H. Williams - Sunday Gleaner Writer

Of St John’s Anglican Church and Allison Morris – Part II Way back when

ALLISON MORRIS is mourning the destruction of Black River, Elizabeth, by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa. It is like a loved one has passed. There was substantial damage to her own family house and yard. The historic town, situated beside the Caribbean Sea, is where she was born, grew up, lives, and operates a tour business, ‘Way Back When’. Her connection to this storied place goes way back to about seven generations.

Read more
Photo by St John’s Anglican Church in Black River, St Elizabeth, after it was destroyed by Hurricane Melissa on October 28.
December 9, 2025 by Paul H. Williams

St John’s Church history

“175 years seems like a good long time for this church building to have been in existence. But when you consider that worship has been taking place in this place for 300 years (give or take a few…
A section of the field hospital established at Black River High School by Samaritan’s Purse. 
December 9, 2025 by Paul H. Williams

‘We always come with Jesus first’

IN LESS than 48 hours after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, Samaritan’s Purse airlifted the first members of a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and tons of…
Revivalists from across the island gathered in worship and celebration during the inaugural National Revival Conference and Church Service, hosted at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre on May 28, 2025.
December 9, 2025 by Paul H. Williams

Formerly enslaved people created Revivalism

FROM THE Catholics to the Baptists to the other denominations, Christians from Europe and American came to the West Indies to Christianise and save the souls of the Tainos (the natives) and enslaved…
The East Queen St Baptist Church is said to have grown out of the first church in Jamaica to be built and led by a black man, the African American George Liele.
December 9, 2025 by Paul H. Williams

Black Americans established the Baptist Church in Jamaica

DURING THE American War of Independence, enslaved black people were promised their freedom if they fought for the British against the separatists. When the British lost the war, these enslaved people…
December 9, 2025 by Paul H. Williams

From missionaries to Rastafari

FOR YEARS, there has been the saying that Jamaica has the highest number of churches per square mile, according to The Guinness Book of World Records. I am yet to see for myself that record. A quick…
News
December 9, 2025 by Paul H. Williams

Enslaved African converted by the Moravians

THE SERIES started with, among other things, the question of how a formerly enslaved African, Aniaso, renamed Archibald John Monteath, came to be buried in the Carmel Moravian Churchyard in…