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Carrot Bay SDA Church breaks ground for ‘modern’ church building
The modern church building, to cost some $1.6M, will be erected on land behind where the old church stood to facilitate more parking space.
The design of the building, to include a number of ‘sustainable features’, was done by local architect Mr Steve E. Augustine and the construction will be done by James Todman Construction Company.
Among those present at the Groundbreaking Ceremony, which was live-streamed on the North Caribbean Conference (NCC) Facebook page, was Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1), along with Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), who is also responsible for Ecclesiastical Affairs; Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9); Minister for Health and Social Development, Honourable Carvin Malone (AL); Minister for Transportation, Works and Utilities, Hon Kye M. Rymer (R5); Junior Minister for Tourism, Hon Sharie B. DeCastro (AL); Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Hon Shereen B. Flax-Charles (AL) and Deputy Speaker, Hon Neville A. Smith (AL).
‘Something special when you break ground’- Premier Fahie
Premier Fahie thanked the members for investing in one of his churches since childhood and pledged an undisclosed amount of money towards the church building fund. He noted that the amount will be disclosed at another time.
“I am deeply pleased and deeply appreciative and as Minister of Finance the money is already released.”
Recalling fond memories of attending Vacation Bible School, often conducted by Sister Ingah Smith, Premier Fahie said it was since then when he was 7 years old, he had heard of plans to build a new church. “All I can say is thank God we are where we are now.”
He added there is something special when you break ground to start a building project. “The Lord helps you to finish. When you break ground you break all the delays,” adding that when you break ground obstacles are also broken.
According to the Premier, getting to the point of ground-breaking is also very significant as sometimes, “the church has politics more than politics itself.”
Kudos were given to the Architect, Mr Augustine, as according to the Premier, he was impressed with the drawing and that it was a “beautiful drawing.”
Not just about a building
“I want to say from the top of my heart this has my full support. Whatever I can do, whatever we can do, we are going to do it.
“You see this is not just about the building. This is about the community coming together for a cause for God. This will not only bring the people together for church but it will bring us together even tighter as a community and as children of God.”
The charge
Hon Fahie’s recollection of memories relating to the Carrot Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church caused President of the North Caribbean Conference, Mr Desmond F. James to remark that when he heard Hon Fahie speak he would have thought it was a member of the church speaking.
Mr James charged the members of the church to not build a church in vain but to ensure that Jesus is in it and that the members make greater efforts to win more souls for Christ.
SDA church building history
According to senior church member and Carrot Bay resident, Mr Arundell Donovan, the Advent message came to the Virgin Islands in 1901 and that the first SDA church was located in Sea Cows Bay before relocating to Road Town.
Some 30 years after some members of Carrot Bay became Seventh-day Adventists and began holding church service at the residence of Mr Alexander Donovan.
A church was subsequently built of wood from the hillside on land donated by Sarah Donovan and in 1954 the now BVI Seventh-day Adventist School (now located in Sea Cows Bay) in the VI was built on the same land, close to the church.
A new concrete church was subsequently constructed and after it became unsafe for use after the hurricane of September 2017, it was demolished in December 2019.
Members currently worship at its Youth Centre located next to the Post Office in Carrot Bay.
According to Mr Donovan, the new church will be built on land that he had sold to the church some years back.
New & sustainable features
Chairperson of the Building Committee, Mr Samuel K. Jones said the new church will include a baptistery, which is a new feature, an area for Children’s Sabbath School, Treasurer’s room, storage room, kitchenette, mother’s room, sound control room, and will be built with a lot of sustainability features.
The building will be fully insolated and will use only LED lighting.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination, which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in Christian and Jewish calendars, as the Sabbath, and its emphasis on the imminent Second Coming (advent) of Jesus Christ.
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