An American missionary couple, who served in Anguilla over forty years ago, and strengthened the Church of God (Holiness) at its original location in the historic Upper Valley, returned to the island to see the progress of the ministry and to renew acquaintances.
On Sunday, September 6, the visiting Pastor Lonnie Witt and Mrs. Leta Witt were welcomed at a special service at the now greatly established and growing Church, located at the Queen Elizabeth Avenue in The Valley/Stoney Ground area. In addition to the regular membership, a number of persons from the community were invited to the service. Among them were retired Bishop of the Church of God of Prophecy, David Rogers, and Mrs. Naomi Rogers who lived next door to the small mission house where the Witts resided in Anguilla.
A note to The Anguillian from Pastor Philip Gumbs, who was baptized at a young age by Pastor Witt, and rose to become the current leader of expanded Church, stated that the missionaries served in Anguilla from 1974 to 1979. “During their years of faithful and sacrificial service, they were able to stabilize and strengthen the congregation; and during that time, Lyle, their second son [of three children], was born in Anguilla,” he added.
Pastor Witt and his wife reside and serve in Gravette, a small laid back town in Arkansas, where he has been pastoring a branch congregation of the Church of God (Holiness) for the past twelve years. The Witts addressed the Anguilla congregation on Sunday, telling of their pleasure to have served on the island and encouraging Pastor Philip and his Church members to remain steadfast in the ministry. Pastor Witt also used the occasion of his sermon to stress the diverse meanings and requirements of “holiness” as it relates to the work of the Church.
Speaking afterwards to The Anguillian, Pastor Witt reflected on his and his wife’s years of service in Anguilla: “Those were very different days,” he recalled. “They were the days when electricity was just coming down to The Valley and the Church did not have electricity. We used a kerosene lamp at the mission home which had none of the modern-day conveniences. The people were warm, loving, friendly, and very accepting of us despite our American birth and ways – and it was a wonderful privilege to live here.”
He continued: “We were pleased to build upon the [membership and spiritual] foundation of the Church which was already built before we came to Anguilla. The current Pastor of this Church was converted during those times, and I had the privilege of baptising him at Crocus Bay, along with other people, and that was a blessed time.”
About the growth of the Church, Pastor Witt commented: “We are certainly pleased with the progress we have seen – the building, the facilities and the added number. We cannot take any credit for that. All the credit goes to God.”
Asked what message he had for the people of Anguilla, he replied: “Keep the absolutes foremost in their lives. They need to remember that the Word of God is the foundation that has made stable society for history. The English Government was built on Biblical principles as was the Government of the United States. I regret to say that we have slipped from some of those things, but we need to remember that we will have to give an account to God with what we did with those absolutes.”
The very small Church of God (Holiness) in Anguilla, of which Pastor Witt spoke earlier, had an initial membership of several Anguillians, some of whom are now deceased. They included Teacher Lee – a retired Teacher at the Old Boys’ School – a sibling of Brother Dudley Gumbs, (Pastor Philip’s father) who, along with others, served the Church in its formative years.
