The former Long Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church building, popularly known to SDA parishioners as Shemei, was devastated by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The old galvanize-roof building was a simple bungalow type elongated structure, 60 feet by 32 feet, with a side wing of 18 feet by 16 feet. Its demise has given way to what will be a much more complex full-service facility, as the members and its church’s headquarters have decided to rebuild bigger and better.
While the original building was a one-floor humble sort of house, the upcoming structure is designed as a magnificent two-storey edifice that offers all the aesthetics and conveniences of a modern state-of-the-art church. With excavations completed, work has now started on the basement floor. (A groundbreaking ceremony was conducted in August 2021.)
The Contractor, Mr. Earnest Fleming, said: “We are now working on a building that will have 11,935 square feet of space when it is done. This is a big difference from the former building which had only a 2,208 square foot capacity. This building will be much better reinforced with lots of steel. A portion of the roof will be concrete, but the major part of it will be a tongue n’ groove design with rafters, covered with high grade “galvalume”. Of course, it should be strong enough to withstand the force of heavy storms like Irma.”
When speaking to Pastor Lester Jules, who is in charge of both Shemei and Jireh (the sister church in South Hill), it was learnt that the cost of the new building will run in the region of US$455,000.
Pastor Jules spoke with The Anguillian and commented about the progress of the ongoing project: “The building started in January this year,” he said, “and we expect to have it completed in about two-and-a-half years.
“The funding of the project will come from three sources. We are expecting some assistance from the Conference [Headquarters]. Every month the churches contribute offerings to what is called the Conference Development Fund. This is a special fund at the conference office where local projects are financed. Then, we are relying on our local church savings to help to supplement, as well as we are reaching out to the local Island Council of the church for some support. In addition, we are looking towards the other churches on the island to help us in the area of labour.”
He said that recently labour on the project was carried out by brethren from New Life Church in East End, as well as members from the Mount Fortune Church. “And, indeed, the men at Jireh Tabernacle are cognizant concerning the project which is in their area, so they do pitch in to give a hand on occasion.”
Pastor Jules was asked what was the church was planning in terms of evangelising to win souls for the church and the Kingdom, considering that there is a trend of having large church buildings with only a few regular members in attendance. He answered: “As the church, we have been given the mandate by Jesus to be out in the community to witness to people, to reach them and teach them God’s plan of salvation, so that we can in turn generate membership as believers come into the church.”
He said that the two churches which he oversees have rolled out a plan through the Community Services and Personal Ministries, and that this plan will take them out in the community to make an effort in meeting the needs of the people, present the gospel to them, and point then to Christ and His church.
As part of this plan, the Pastor stated: “We are also taking an initiative to go to the schools in the community with a lunch programme so that children who have difficulty obtaining lunch, while they are in school, can rely upon the church to meet that need. By this means, the children would become more acquainted with the church, and this would give us an opportunity to evangelise as well.”
As regards the Shemei Church building project, Pastor Jules said that it will be completed by 2024 or early 2025.
