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| Majesty Gardens |
Majesty Gardens is one of Jamaica’s inner-city communities, in the west of Kingston. Some 2,000 people live there in extreme poverty, mostly in corrugated iron shacks.
David Chang’s ministry in Majesty Gardens began with his applying for a job on Marcus Garvey Drive. Having failed to get the job, he decided to go and visit a woman who used to support him during his badman days in Majesty Gardens. While he was there he found himself ministering to four teenagers. A week later when he went back three more came along listen to him and the ministry grew from there with more and more people coming.
A concert followed, resulting in many children responding to the gospel. Some of these children are still serving the Lord today, five years later. These children attended Sunday School at Covenant Community Church, Liguanea, and many continue to do so.
The breakthrough came when OSJ became fully involved and put on about five gospel concerts. David describes it as if a church service was being held right in the heart of the community.
Prior to the concerts, people from up the road didn’t mix with people from down the road. The concerts broke down the barriers and brought the community together. To use David’s phrase, the concerts ‘rake up’ the community—ploughing the fields ready for seeds to be planted. In fact, after these concerts, someone who had been using the land for dance sessions allowed the church to use it instead, as he could see the impact OSJ’s concerts were having.
Many people became Christians at the event in December 2001 and that is when the idea of planting a church in the community was born. OSJ provided chairs and Food for the Poor provided a canvas roof. Pastor Harry Walcott added his support by teaching the new Christians. Many of the men have become Christians as a result of the testimonies of the DJ’s.
Covenant Community Church, Liguanea, led by Pastor Errol Findlay, carried out several initiations in the Majesty Gardens area and no doubt have prepared the way for the fruit and the impact now being experienced in there.
Some of these initiatives include house-to-house visits to residents, interaction in the lanes and street corners with hardened ex-convicts, praise marches through the community, the transportation of adults and children from the community on Sunday mornings to church and the staging of concerts and youth Bible study in the area.
“By the grace of God, when labour pains were being felt
by those involved on the ground in the ministry and it seemed as if there was
not enough strength to give birth, along came OSJ as a God-sent midwife to enable
the birth of Covenant Community Church, Majesty Gardens, to become a reality.”
Pastor Errol Findlay
Although the Christians had been meeting previously for some time, the church was formally established as Covenant Community Church, Majesty Gardens in January 2003.
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| The Covenant Community Church, Majesty Gardens |
A service at Covenant Community Church |
Some 32 people have been baptized since David began his work—five more were added to that number on 14 Feb 03, and a further three on 28 Feb 2003. Others have renewed their faith resulting in a church which now comprises around 45 committed people plus visitors.
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| David Chang, pastor of Covenant Community Church in Majesty Gardens |
There is now a developing ministry programme, with regular meetings most evenings…
| Tuesday | One-to-one counseling
for socioeconomic problems and help with applying the Bible to everyday
issues, etc |
| Wednesday | Bible study |
| Thursday | Talks on the Bible with
questions and rap sessions |
…and at the weekends:
| Saturday | Prayer and fasting
at 10am |
| Sunday | Since January 2003
there has been a church service 9-12am and an evangelistic service from
6:30-9:30pm |
Alongside the church activities, OSJ is facilitating the development of a football league. The young people are encouraged to join a football team in order to teach them teamwork and other life skills and to provide a productive focus for their energies. This ministry is headed up by Carl Cargill.
OSJ has helped to fund people to go back to school in order to resit their ‘O’ levels. One girl was helped to move to one of the top high schools in the country. Wayne Rochester is providing extra lessons to prepare for the GSAT exams. OSJ has also assisted a few people in setting up a small business venture.
The fledgling church is working through many relationship issues—lots of the people have been in common-law or purely sexual relationships. The Christians are having to learn about God’s model for families, and this is challenging both to them and to their partners, who may not yet be Christians. They really are having to stand up for their new beliefs and make the changes that are necessary to continue their journey of discipleship.
Majesty Gardens is an area in which David Chang once caused trouble, but now he acts as a unifying and cleansing element. As minister of the church, he is very much seen as a leader of the area. When people have problems—physical or spiritual—he is the one to whom they turn for help. David, who once had to ask someone to write letters for him, now writes references for others, especially those who are trying to get jobs.
These are some of the ongoing issues the church is facing:
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| Five people from Majesty Gardens were baptised at Caymanas Bay on 14 Feb 03 |
Pastor Harry Walcott talking with two residents of Majesty Gardens |