Eleven Years, Limited Money and an 800-Seat Sanctuary: How a St Mary Church Finished Its Build

• A Church of the Nazarene at Ranch, St Mary, finished an 11-year build in 2017
• The site includes an 800-person sanctuary, five 25-bed dorms and a 120-person campsite
• Donors and local pledges carried the project when money ran short
• The church uses the property for camps, farming help and skills training

A Church of the Nazarene congregation at Ranch in St Mary, which sits between Clonmel and Highgate, has completed a building project that took 11 years, the Jamaica Observer reported in March 2017. Work started in 2006, three years after the congregation began as a mission, and the church was formally organised in 2014.

What the congregation built is far bigger than its current size. The main sanctuary holds 800 people, even though about 25 members were enrolled at the time. The property also has five dormitories that sleep 25 people each, a kitchenette and a campsite for 120 people. The church already uses these to host camps for youth and service groups.

Reverend Ronald Grey, the pastor, said the slow pace came down to money. “There were limited resources and based on the nature of the building that we have, it took some time,” he said. He explained that gifts from donors and pledges from local people made it possible to complete the five dorms. He named partner Dase “Bud” Reedie and the church’s East Jamaica District as key sources of help. “We have come thus far and we are grateful to God for the development of this building,” he said.

The church does not see the building as an end in itself. Working with Pastor Brian Doyley and other members of the mission team, it helps local people rear chickens by supplying tools and medication. It supports farmers growing ginger, sorrel and plantain, runs masonry and plumbing training and gives out back-to-school supplies. It also plans to set up a cooperative for buying groceries.

For churches in rural Jamaica, the Ranch project shows both the promise and the cost of building ahead of demand. A large sanctuary and camp facilities can earn income, host visiting groups and act as a community hub. However, an 11-year build funded by pledges ties up land and capital for a long time. Congregations planning a similar build should secure clear title, phase the construction so each stage can be used as it is finished, and plan how the finished buildings will pay for their own upkeep.

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