Rooted and grounded in Christ

MANDEVILLE, Manchester:

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” Romans 15:4

NOT ONLY did Pauline and Ambie Myers meet and fall in love while enrolled in teachers’ college decades go, but they also solidified their Christian walk together during that period.

Soon after getting married, the two said they became members of the Mandeville Baptist Church and were rooted and grounded by their then pastor.

This special milestone, they said, helped to inspire their zeal and fuel their hunger for knowledge and pushed them to, years later, put together a book on the history of the church and how it applies to the future called ‘The Reformation in Fives’.

“The vast majority of Jamaicans are Protestants, but they don’t understand some of the elements of Protestantism; when it started, how it started and they don’t seem to be informed about their faith, though they are a part of it,” said Ambie.

Protestant Reformation is said to have begun in 1517 when German Theologian Martin Luther catalysed the 16th century movement that made way for the thousands of denominations that exist today.

Having assessed what he described as very little recognition shown for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Reformation in Jamaica, 2017, the couple said they were further inspired to inform faith and put pen to paper.

“We wanted to share about the one church that existed 500 years ago and how that church was broken up, so today we have so many different denominations from the one church. This pandemic could very well cause another set of changes, even another reformation … Look at even church buildings, church may always have to be online. We believe that the time is right to share this information.”

The couple said the book is a culmination of 20 years of reading and faith-based travels around the world.

“We travelled throughout Europe, went to sites, heard from people and got first-hand information. We went to the Vatican, Israel, all over and all of that research was done over 20 years. But it was over the last three years that we decided to put it together after friends and family encouraged us and COVID gave us the time to sit and have it done for us to publish in March of this year,” Pauline added.

The couple say they are hoping that people will become more opened to the information that exists and embrace their religious history.

“I am hoping that the Jamaican believers will want to understand a little better the history of their faith and why we do what we do. Some people get turned off by history, but history informs. The people of God grow when nurtured by history. Without history the people of God live in a vacuum. Many Christians are living in vacuums because they know Bible verses but in terms of having an informed faith, much of that is lacking.”

Having spent a significant part of their years in service to Christian ministry, Pauline said they are looking forward to continuing to serve in whatever capacity God leads them.

“My husband is an itinerant preacher and we are very ecumenical, even though we have our membership at the Baptist church, we serve wherever we are called. Our children, even my daughter and grandchildren in Canada, are also very involved, everything that we do they are supportive. Together we all can achieve more.”