EXCHANGE BAPTIST – HISTORY

IF ONE should check the history of how some villages are named in Jamaica, one would find that there is an interesting story behind them. Exchange community is no exception.

The district and property was originally known as ‘Prosper Hall’, as existing documents, titles and diagrams will show.The change in name came about as a result of a simple business arrangement. Very often tenants were not able to find cash for rental of small portions of land and would give animals or other valuables instead. The simple practice slowly gave rise to the change from ‘Prosper Hall’ to ‘Exchange’.

It was in the year 1894 that Baptist witness began in Exchange. There was then no place of worship.

Sir Isaac James, a Christian gentleman and a great philanthropist, very kindly donated a portion of land from property known as‘Refuge Hill’. Encouraged by the generosity of the donor, the members along with some help from the community got together to pool their efforts in putting up a building to be used as a place of worship. Little did the members and community helpers dream that the building would not only serve as a place of worship, but also house the first Elementary School in the community of Exchange. The move helped to consolidate Baptist work in the community.

There was a general decline of Baptist work throughout Jamaica during the first 40 years of the century which certainly must have seriously affected the cause in Exchange.

However, as early as 1938, there began to be a noticeable change for the better. It was the year of the arrival of Mr Allan George Richard Byfield (former senator, MP and government minister) and the late Mrs Byfield, as headmaster and assistant, respectively, of the Exchange Elementary School. He was everything but pastor of the Baptist cause. He had an outstanding Christian character, worked tirelessly for the sake of the school, and he became a household name. This earned him a ready place in the heart of everyone, even those who merely heard of him.

We are told that after school and private lessons in the afternoon, he would lead a number of choristers by foot twice per week to the Ocho Rios Baptist Church for practice.

Any history of the Exchange Church that omits the name of A.G.R. Byfield would be a hopelessly distorted one. Before the arrival of Mr Byfield on the scene, the chapel housing the church and school had fallen into a terrible state of disrepair. It had also become inadequate to meet the needs of a growing school population. As a consequence, the school was forced to terminate its ‘tenancy’and seek its own accommodation. It was then that the‘union’of church and school for over 40 years was the brought to a peaceful end.

The church then procured the present site by purchase from Mr Tucker from the area. Ground was broken for the new building in 1958 and although there was slow progress, the work was never abandoned, nor did the members lose hope.

Over all these years, the Fellowship at Exchange operated not independently but as an ‘arm’ or ‘Class’ of the Ocho Rios Church. It was in 1983 that application was made to the Jamaica Baptist Union for the granting of church status to the Exchange Fellowship. It was favourably considered and was thus added to the JBU list of churches.

The church has evolved over the years to include the Youth Fellowship which began in the early 1970s. It began with 18 members and it was also during this decade that the Women’s Federation and Vacation Bible School (VBS) became a part of the ministry of the church.

The church opened its doors for the first time in 1987 to JAMAL classes with 12 students. The 1990s saw the birth of the Brotherhood and the Mutual Aid Scheme which assisted members in sickness or death. It was also during this time – June 3, 1998 to be specific – that major committees were formed. Among them were Stewardship and Finance; Evangelism and Discipleship; Social Outreach, Fellowship and Worship Committees. The church constitution was drafted and accepted on September 29, 1999.

The Exchange church building was further upgraded with the addition of the Annex which was dedicated on January 26, 2014.

Today, the Exchange Baptist Church continues to build on a legacy so gratefully received and which is intended to be faithfully passed on.