"We Have Come This Far By Faith"

The casting of our foundational vision for the Lucea United Church, which was born in a context of great effort over 180 years ago, has arrived in the 21st century well intact. The major issues those first founders were committed to in the beginning, we are still committed to today: church growth, church and community development, membership maturity, and service to God.

The mission statement of the church which is to Call people to faith in Jesus Christ, Celebrate God's presence through worship, Connect and Commit in caring relationship to foster growth in the knowledge and love of God and Commission every member to serve in ministry.

This has been our mandate over the years and with a church of approximately 250 members we will continue with this mission to fulfil the purpose for which God has called us.

The fulfillment of our perpetual church vision has over the years; explode into five major functions and commitments. To accomplish our mission and fulfill our vision, Lucea Kirk boasts a focus of six areas of ministry. These six areas are: Worship &Fellowship, Membership Care, Children and Youth Ministry, Evangelism & Outreach, Church Growth and Development and Economic Power and Financial Security. These functions undergird our 21st century mission statement: In retrospect of our visionary founders and builders of whom several are still prominent in the minds and spirits of our membership count. These visionary beginners had a mandate from God to be a catalyst in the Anchorage community by becoming a Biblically functioning community for the divine purpose of community transformation.

The new millennium brings with it a challenge to the 21st century, to grow and disciple new converts and to equip them to full maturity in Christ. As members of Lucea United Church, God has called us to grow and continue to develop our membership, equipping adults, training our youth, and pursuing excellence in all facets of our ministry. May we be found faithful.

To each member of our fellowship, thank you for your faithful service, as we are poised in the midst of our 180th celebrations.

Our church proudly parades for this generation and other generations before us, many keepers of the torch of faith. Such symbols of our faithful history are our brothers and sisters who are labouring and have laboured: Rev D.A. Rothnie the longest serving minister for 55 years, Rev Cephas Stern my predecessor, Elder Percival Miller and Sister Lucille Miller, Elder Lester Bernard, Elder Clement Watson and his son Elder Courtney Watson who predeceased him.

Currently, the ministry continues with the effective leadership of Elders Ada Mitchell, Joy Beckford, Jestina Leslie, Tania Watson, Leitha Forde, Sonia Dorman our secretary, Sharon Chapman, Enid Jackson Edgar Brown of blessed memory, Nerissa Symister, Hyacinth Bolton, Enid Gosalves our Organist, Neville and Monica Lindsay, Merlene Shaw- Campbell, Lennox Anderson-Jackson, Jane Malcolm, Rosalind Brown and Lona Gayle our treasurer all serving in our midst. I owe all the elders and officers of this great church a debt of gratitude.

Finally let me, with members and leaders of this church, applaud the journey of the Lucea Church, to a place in history where God has brought us. "We have come this far by faith." With this faith we have blanketed the town of Lucea with the ministry of Christ. With this faith we have penetrated the nation of Jamaica with our trained teachers and lay leaders. "It does not yet appear what we shall be" but we know that it will include developing our community, assisting students through tutorial ministry, supporting families in distress, providing technology and vocational help, evangelizing and disciple duplication, mission and outreach to the lost.

As minister and leader of God's people for the past two years, I want to thank each of our members, our adherents, our leaders, our children and young people, each family of our church, and last but not least, our faithful staff; Administrative Assistant Ms. Keina Kay Donaldson and Care- Taker Mr. Lewis Grant; each of you have made a difference! We have arrived here because you have been faithful in giving your tithes to God, your time to the community of faith, and your love and care to one another in spite of the pressures without and within. As "we press toward the mark for the prize of the higher calling" we know that the journey has been one with God, and so we continue through the next generation as we pass the torch.