Chronicles of Our History

The Holiness Born Again Church of Jesus Christ, Apostolic (HBAC), began in wartime courage and apostolic conviction, and it has been carried forward by generations who turned stones of memory into steps of destiny. What began in Savanna-la-Mar now reaches across Jamaica and into the diaspora, bearing witness to God’s sustaining grace.

From Wartime Witness to Worldwide Witness

During the tumult of World War II, the call to evangelise came into sharper focus. On October 20, 1940, Deacon John Santimore Watson and Sister Joyce Evet Watson, serving within the Pentecostal Church at Spalding under Bishop Redland Victor Green, answered God’s summons to bring the gospel to Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland. They travelled from Manchester by truck, pausing at Luana, St Elizabeth, for prayer, a rhythm of dependence they maintained throughout their lives. They proclaimed a message centred on repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, and a life committed to holiness. In those early days, every prayer stop and every street-corner sermon became a stone of memory, and each new convert turned that memory into a step of destiny.

Initiation: A Home Above, a Sanctuary Below

The first evangelistic service was held at Saddler’s Fountain, “The Pump”, adjacent to the courthouse and police station in Savanna-la-Mar. Curiosity soon gave way to conviction as hearers embraced the apostolic message. Worship then moved into a Lodge house at 5 Barclay Street, known as “Big Apple,” where the Watsons lived upstairs and established the worship centre on the ground floor. In time, Bishop John S. Watson forged an alliance with Bishop Randolph A. Carr of the Rehoboth Church of God in Christ, Apostolic (Baltimore, U.S.A.), and he was appointed overseer for Jamaica as the work took the name Church of God in Christ Jesus Inc. Congregations multiplied, while like-minded assemblies at Carisbrook and Darliston joined hands with the growing fellowship. A memorable testimony from Darliston recounted that the first baptismal candidate emerged from the water filled with the Holy Ghost, a seal that the work was indeed of God.

Organised Steps and a National Voice

As the movement matured, Bishops Monroe Saunders Sr, Sydney A. Dunn, and John S. Watson established the First United Church of Jesus Christ (Apostolic), appointing Savanna-la-Mar’s 5 Barclay Street as the national headquarters for Jamaica. The fellowship’s reach was deepened through the Voice of Holiness radio broadcast on RJR (Radio Jamaica & Rediffusion), which aired on Sunday nights and brought the message to homes across the island. Choirs travelled to 32 Lyndhurst Road, Kingston, to record, transforming song and sermon alike into national markers, stones of memory that helped a generation take its next steps of destiny.

Planting Across the Parishes

The thrust of expansion carried the work into St Ann, Hanover, and Westmoreland through Elder (later Bishop) Sydney A. Miller, the first “son” of Bishop and Evangelist John S. Watson’s ministry. He was sent to Retirement, Brown’s Town, succeeding Elder Brownie (himself a product of Savanna-la-Mar), and proved an outstanding worker whose ministry produced congregations in Cross Roads (Kingston), Standfast (St Ann), Grange (Hanover), and Grange Hill (Westmoreland). His steady church planting inspired many, and together with Evangelist T. Miller, he raised three sons, Bishops Ludlow (Canada), Samuel (U.S.A.), and Delroy (Jamaica) Miller, who have extended that legacy into a new generation.

In Central Jamaica, Bishop Rudolph S. Morris proved uniquely gifted in establishing churches at Heartease (1950), Bellefield, Greenvale, Porus, Brokenhurst (all in Manchester), and New Hope (Trelawny). Under his oversight, together with the enduring labour of leaders such as Elder M. Wilson and later Bishop Norman Nunes, the central region became a tapestry of congregations whose shared memory continues to propel their shared destiny. Bishop R. V. Green of Spalding began the Bellefield work in 1939. Elders R. Davy, R. Donaldson, and M. Wilson spearheaded that ministry until Elders Davy and Donaldson migrated to Canada.

In 1965, Elder M. Wilson, under Bishop Morris’s leadership, continued the work. Elder Norman Nunes, consecrated to the office of Bishop in 2016, worked alongside Elder Wilson for many years during his illness and was appointed pastor of the Bellefield assembly in 1996.

Bishop Morris’s gift for church planting was evident predominantly in central Jamaica, and in the early years he also stood with Bishop John S. Watson to assist the work in Savanna-la-Mar. After Bishop Watson’s passing, Bishop Morris served as Island Bishop of this great ministry, from which many bishops, pastors, ministers, and ministries emerged. Bishop Ernest Foster succeeded Bishop Morris, and Bishop Keith Morris (Bishop Rudolph S. Morris’s son) later succeeded Bishop Foster as pastor of the Heartease group of churches. Pastor Clement Dennis of Somerset, Manchester, was brought into the fellowship by Bishop Keith Morris in 1998; since Pastor Dennis’s transition, Elder Okein Dennis has carried the mantle of leadership.

New Horizons and Sister Works

As the years advanced, Bishop John S. Watson and several Jamaican ministries parted ways with the First United Church of Jesus Christ (Apostolic) and charted distinct organisational paths, yet the shared apostolic heritage remained unmistakable, stones of memory still guiding steps of destiny. In Kensington (St James), Elder Bennett was sent by Bishop Watson to establish the work. Though the assembly experienced seasons of waxing and waning, steadfast help came from Elder Segree of Westmoreland and others under Bishop Sydney A. Miller’s leadership. Evangelist Henderson and Evangelist Urelda Stewart were especially significant; Evangelist U. Stewart pastored the church until she was called to be with the Lord in 2010. Saints from West Green, Montego Bay, including Elder Lindon Stewart, contributed during and after her passing, and the work was subsequently led by Elder Cecil Lewis.

In Whithorn (Westmoreland), the church was started by Mother Lewis (mother of the late Bishop J. R. Lewis), who herself hailed from Spalding. After she became ill and migrated to Kingston, the congregation went through its own waxing and waning; Elder Octavius Wallace was sent by Bishop Watson to revive and pastor the flock, ensuring that the lamp of prayer never went out. Mayfield (Manchester) likewise had its seasons and remained under our ministry while still part of the Church of God in Christ Jesus Inc.

From Long Hill, where Overseer J. A. Wallace, a son of Savanna-la-Mar, was pastoring, new plants were produced at Culloden and Belmont (Westmoreland) and Flagaman (St Elizabeth). In Stettin (Trelawny), Bishop Henry came into fellowship in the early 1970s and later added the Bamboo Spring church, which broke ground on July 30, 2001, with Bishop Zachariah Nepal as the presiding bishop.

The Oneness Apostolic Assembly of Jesus Christ, under Bishop Harold and Mother Ruthlyn Dixon of Bog Walk, St Catherine, entered fellowship in 1969 after previously serving within the United Pentecostal Church. During a church anniversary, Bishop Dixon lost everything, including his home, in a fire. Through faith and resilience, he continued, expanding the ministry in 1972 to Federal Road, Spanish Town, and serving as chairman in the early years. After Mother Ruthlyn’s passing in 1985, Bishop Dixon married Sister Yvonne Anderson. In later years, Bishop Harold Dixon and Evangelist (now Overseer) Yvonne Dixon convened the United Apostolic Fast/Prayer Fellowship; following his passing, Pastor Yvonne Dixon continued and expanded the fellowship to an international level. By God’s guiding hand, a new and beautiful tabernacle was built and dedicated at Jew Pen, St Catherine, in December 2018. Through every addition, revival, and restructuring, HBAC remembered its roots and kept stepping forward in faith, turning local testimonies into lasting foundations and local efforts into steps of destiny.

Three Decades of Growth and Development

A pivotal international link formed in 1972 when Bishop John S. Watson allied with Bishop John Barber of Alabama, opening a door for ministry in Toronto. Bishop and Mother Watson commenced the work there and installed Elder Walter Bond as pastor. Elevated later to the office of Bishop, he remained pastor of the Church of the First Born until his passing in 1994, after which Bishop Ludlow Miller and Evangelist Sonia Miller took up the mantle. Many ministers and brethren from across Jamaica assisted in building a tremendous ministry, turning stones of memory abroad into steps of destiny for new congregations.

Upon Bishop Watson’s passing in 1978, Mother Joyce E. Watson, who had first sensed the call to Savanna-la-Mar, was chosen to lead the local work, assisted by Elder Zachariah Nepaul. In this period the Balaclava church under Elder R. Henry was revived (today pastored by Elder Christopher Pusey), and notable leaders emerged, including Bishop Derrick H. Smith of New Covenant Apostolic Church International, with Refuge Temple in Myersville, St Elizabeth, among its works.

At the same time, Elder Jasper Martin and Evangelist Joyce Martin, faithful members of the Savanna-la-Mar church for many years, were called to start a church in Siloah, St Elizabeth. Elder Jasper, an extraordinary architect and builder, helped shape many of our churches, including the edifice at West Green, Montego Bay. After his passing, Evangelist Joyce Martin continued as pastor. Special mention is due to Mother Margaret Morris (wife of Bishop Arthur Morris), Elder Logan Morris, and Mother Inez James-Murray for the sponsorship they provided to this ministry. The Annual Youth Camp was established in 1979, and the National Youth Department, with a coordinator and president, commenced service in 1980, forming a training ground where young believers turned memory into mission and mission into leadership.

As governance matured, Pastor Joyce E. Watson and the leaders of the ministry severed ties with Bishop John W. Barber. 

Pastor Watson, together with Bishops Rudolph S. Morris, Sydney A. Miller, Zachariah Nepaul, and Harold Dixon, agreed to work collaboratively and invited Bishop Raymond O. Murray, a son of the soil who served ten years as a deacon under Bishop Watson before migrating to the U.S.A., to head the fellowship. After Bishop Murray went to be with the Lord in 1993, he was succeeded by Bishop Jabez R. Lewis of Baltimore, Maryland. Although from Rehoboth Apostolic (Boston) and Bethel United Church (Baltimore), respectively, these leaders were referred to as International Presiding Bishops. Throughout his ministry, Bishop Jabez R. Lewis remained a consistent, loyal, and kind leader until his passing on December 9, 2017.

Administrative consolidation followed the registration of the Constitution (1981), due in large measure to the tireless efforts of Bishop Zachariah Nepaul and Evangelist Imogene Morris of Savanna-la-Mar, who made repeated journeys to and from Kingston, sacrificing time, effort, and finances to secure the work. Pages 4–5 of the Memorandum and pages 7–8 of the Articles of Association of the Holiness Born Again Church of Jesus Christ, Apostolic, of Jamaica Limited, dated 26 October 1981, list the names and addresses of the original subscribers. The signatories were Rudolph Samuel Morris, Joyce Evet Watson, Zachariah Nepaul, Sydney Alexander Miller, Harold Dixon, Octavious Wallace, Imogene R. Morris, and Hubert Perry, who served as witness. Their signatures, laid like cornerstones in ink, still support the steps we take today.

Bishop Wilbert Morris stood faithfully with Bishop and Mother Watson and later with Bishop Nepaul; he enabled his wife, Imogene, to assist voluntarily in establishing the Constitution, ably engineered and constructed the Watsons’ residence at 5 Barclay Street, and, at Mother Joyce E. Watson’s request, accepted the call to pastor the Lucea church. Following the passing of Bishop and Evangelist Morris, leadership of the Lucea assembly was transferred to Elder James Bryant and Evangelist Dr Donette Morris-Bryant.

Special mention must also be made of Mother Inez James-Murray and her sister, Missionary Martha Jackson. Mother James-Murray was invaluable to her home church in Savanna-la-Mar and a vibrant missionary across many assemblies; many pastors, leaders, and bishops, including Bishop Joseph Williams, were brought to the kingdom through her ministry. Her marriage to International Presiding Bishop Raymond O. Murray and migration to Boston, U.S.A., did not diminish her contributions to Jamaican churches. Missionary Martha Jackson strongly supported Mother Joyce E. Watson’s ministry in Montego Bay and Lucea.

Mother Joyce E. Watson passed in 1985. Prior to this, Bishop Rudolph S. Morris and Bishop Harold Dixon had served as Island Bishop and Chairman, respectively; Bishop Rudolph S. Morris was called home in 1990. The constitutional title “President” was then adopted, and Bishop Zachariah Nepaul was chosen. Under his leadership, many churches were strengthened in fellowship, and Sunday Schools, anniversaries, and regional convocations flourished through visionary, team-centred leadership. For his outstanding spiritual leadership, humanitarianism, and community involvement, together with his substantial contribution to completing many church buildings within Holiness Born Again and beyond, the Government of Jamaica bestowed upon him the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) on October 15, 2001.

Signature Builds and Continuing Ministries

Among HBAC’s most prominent edifices, the complex at Catherine Hall, Montego Bay, conceived under Mother Joyce E. Watson and executed under Bishop Zachariah Nepaul with Elder Jasper Martin as architect and contractor, stands as a testament to collective sacrifice. Bishop Cecil Roache served as its first pastor and briefly as President (2007–2009) before his passing in 2017; Elder Winston D. Chambers now leads the assembly. The onsite John Joyce Watson Early Childhood Institute (ECI) honours the founders by preparing the next generation. Other ministries have moved steadily from strength to strength.

At Wiltshire (Anchovy), St James, Elder, now Overseer Ladley Cameron took over the work started by Brother Sylvester Bennett and turned it into a flourishing church. In Little London, Westmoreland, the congregation built in 1980–81 under Bishop Joseph Williams continues to thrive, echoing the early groundwork of leaders such as Bishop Raphael Jones and Bishop Monteith. In St Elizabeth, Elder Leonard and Missionary E. Marks established South Hampton, reactivated Flagaman, and spurred new growth at Content-Goshen, under Pastor R. Samuels (later Samuels-Marks). The Gravel Lane work, refurbished by Bishop Zachariah Nepaul, has been reborn as The Restoration Centre (TRC) under Elder Valton-Steve Myrie. A Sunday School at Sheffield, Negril, planted by Pastor Patrick and Evangelist Tracey Campbell, has become a vibrant church and edifice. In 2018, Elder Winston D. Chambers initiated a series of open-air services in Orange District, in St James, as part of an outreach initiative. What started as a simple move of faith soon blossomed into a thriving Sunday school, drawing participants from as far as Guilsbro, a community located beyond Latium. On September 27, 2020, the inaugural service was held, and through tireless evangelism and unwavering consistency, the ministry has continued to grow and flourish, with Elder Keron Chambers appointed as pastor.

In the Central Diocese, Bishop Alan G. Saunders established Good Intent (Manchester), from which Overseer Stephen Garricks and his wife launched churches at Windsor Heights and Bernard Lodge (St Catherine). Overseer Stephen Garricks played a key role in integrating the Yallahs assembly, founded by Pastor Paul Gardner in March 2022, into our family of churches in 2023. Pastor Jasset McKenzie founded Liberty Hall HBAC at Four Paths, Clarendon, while Elder Linton and Dr Elaine Morris established a ministry in Orlando, Florida. At Christiana (Job Lane), Manchester, where Bishop J. S. Watson had earlier begun the work, the church has been revitalised in recent years under the burden of Bishop Joseph Williams, with the late Elder Vernon Harper as the first pastor after resuscitation and Elder Anthony Morris now serving in that capacity.

Present Structure and Forward Vision

As of 2025, the Holiness Born Again Church of Jesus Christ, Apostolic, is registered with the Registrar of Companies and led by Bishop Dr Evan O. Nepaul, who has served as president since 2009. The church is organised into Western, Central, and Eastern dioceses, with thirty-two assemblies overseen by a team that includes Bishop Dr Evan Nepaul, Bishop Joseph Williams, Bishop Keith Morris, Bishop Norman Nunes, Overseer Ladley Cameron, Overseer Clive Linton, Overseer Stephen Garricks, and Overseer Yvonne Dixon. Governance is vested in the Board of Bishops and the National Executive Board, while the National Auxiliary Branch, comprising the National Youth, Men’s, and Women’s Departments, works cohesively to fulfil the mission of the church. In all these structures, the church continues to honour the stones of memory as it advances deliberately along steps of destiny.

From the historic base at 5 Barclay Street, a number of ministries were directly seeded. These include Retirement, Brown’s Town (St Ann); Long Hill and Culloden/Whitehouse (Westmoreland); Stewart Town (Trelawny); Gravel Lane, Montego Bay, from which the saints later moved to West Green; Old Road, Lucea (Hanover); Balaclava (St Elizabeth); Grange (Hanover); and Grange Hill (Westmoreland). Each of these works stands as a local testimony to how memory becomes mission and mission becomes momentum.

Provenance & Credits: The original Chronicles of Our History was first published in 2020 and was penned by the late Evangelist Imogene Morris, Elder Lloyd Vaughan and Overseer Yvonne Dixon. The 2025 rendition, Stones of Memory, has been carefully curated by the 85th Anniversary Planning Committee, in collaboration with the National Secretariat.