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Rev.
Devon Merrick Dick, J.P., M. A., B. A.
Denomination/Ecumenical
Relations
 Member
of the Jamaica Baptist Union Executive, Ministerial
Training, Accreditation Committee. Chairman
of Calabar High School Board, Chairman of George
Headley Primary School Board and Chairman of Mead-Haven
Ministers Fraternal.
Community
Involvement
Chairman,
Jamaica National Heritage Trust. Justice
of the Peace since 1990. Member Institute of Jamaica
Council and Social Development Commission.
Weekly Gleaner Columnist.
Born:
April 8, 1961.
Educated:
Calabar High School; United Theological College
of the West Indies; University of the West Indies.
Career:
Mathematics Teacher, Morant Bay High School
1979-80; Pastor Fletcher’s Grove Baptist,
Sandy Bay, Hanover 1985-90. Pastor Boulevard
Baptist Church since 1990.
Married:
Mary Samuels, December 21, 1985; 3 children.
Interests:
Lawn Tennis, Table Tennis, Football, Reading
and Writing.
Motto:
I can do all things through Christ.
Achievements:
In 1991, with the help of the CBF Media Centre,
Boulevard Baptist Church aired thirty seconds
messages on television that promoted Christian
values.
In
1994 the church went on a mission to Cuba.
Rev.
Luther B. Gibbs
Pastor Emeritus, Boulevard Baptist Church
Rev.
Luther Gibbs was born in Gibraltar, St. Ann,
and is the fourth of five children. He
is married to Beryl, nee Parkinson, and has
four children - Paul, Robert, Richard and Janice.
He
attended the Gilbraltar Primary School where
he was successful in the First, Second and Third
Jamaica Local Examinations. He taught for two
years at the Lime Tree Gardens Primary School
before entering the Calabar Theological College
in 1945. He was later awarded a Christian Endeavour
Movement Leadership Scholarship which took him
to England, Wales, Scotland and Germany. In
1970, he studied at the Eastern Baptist Theological
Seminary in the United States of America where
he was awarded the M.A. degree in Religion,
majoring in Adult Education and Church Administration.
His
career in the ministry spans many years.
While at Calabar Theological College, he was
student pastor at the Richmond and Point Baptist
Churches. Hs first church as full-time Pastor
was the Hanover Street Baptist Church. While
there he pastored at the Denham Town and Ebenezer
fellowships, acted as Pastor at the Barbican
Baptist Church and started the work which is
now the Boulevard Baptist Church. In 1975 he
accepted an invitation to serve full time at
the Boulevard Baptist Church.
His
service at the Boulevard Baptist Church spanned
21 years, 1969 to 1990. During this period,
he was moderator for the Phillipo Baptist circuit
of churches, 1985 to 1986, and acted as
Pastor of the Gregory Park Church to 1987.
He
has been dubbed the 'Building Pastor' as he
has been involved in many building projects.
Under his leadership Hanover Street and Ebenezer
churches were renovated and extended and the
Barbican, Denham Town, Boulevard and Gregory
Park Churches were built. He also directed the
building of the Horizon Home which is the Baptist
Home for the Aged, the conference Centre in
Duncans, Trelawny, and supervised the three
additions to the Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU)
headquarters. In recent times he has built the
New Haven Baptist Church and the Buff Bay Manse.
He
has also given sterling service to the JBU.
He was Secretary and subsequently Moderator
of the Kingston and St. Andrew Baptist Association
(KASABA). He served in various other positions
in the Union including Vice-President, 1961
to 1963, President, 1964, and again in 1978
to 1980. He also acted as General Secretary
in 1964 and was the General Secretary from 1991
until his retirement in 1994.
At
the interdenominational level, he has been secretary
and president of Jamaica Christian Endeavour
and also assistant secretary and vice-president
of the Jamaica Council of Churches. He has been
a long standing member of the Kingston Keswick
Council.
He
was made a Commander of the Order of Distinction
in the National Honours and Awards in 1992.
He
is now 'fully' retired and is available for
preaching and conferences.
Source:
The Jamaica Baptist Reporter, April 1995 - Assembly
Issue
HOW
TO BECOME A MEMBER
"For God so loved the world that He gave
his only begotten son
that whosoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life." John 3:16
Membership of the Boulevard Baptist Church is
normally open to three categories of persons.
These are:
1. Persons who have recently made a decision for
Christ
2. Former members seeking restoration to fellowship
3. Practising Christians seeking transfer from
other churches
Process for becoming a member
Candidates for membership will normally be required
to attend a unit of teaching and discussion sessions
called Enquirers' Class on Sunday mornings at
8:00 a.m.
Candidates in category 1. above are required to
give a testimony at a Members Meeting attesting
to their acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour.
Their acceptance for Baptism and to be received
as members of the church, will be dependent on
a positive vote from the members present at the
meeting.
In the case of persons being restored, category
2. above, candidates are required to testify as
to the renewal of their faith and their acceptance
for restoration will be dependent on a positive
response from the membership.
In the case of persons on transfer from other
churches, category 3., they are required to present
a letter from the Pastor of the church from which
they are being transferred, indicating that they
were baptised and are members in good standing.
If they were not baptised, they will have to be
baptised before becoming a member.
For further information, contact the Church Office.
Enquirers' Class
The teaching and discussion sessions, Enquirers'
Class, is primarily for persons who are accepting
Jesus Christ as their Saviour for the first time
and need instruction in what it means to be a
Christian. Topics covered include:
Salvation
Baptism
Prayer
Communion
Witnessing
The duration of attendance at these classes is
dependent on the candidate. The candidate should
normally, however, participate in all classes
of the unit. A candidate may attend these classes
for as long as he or she needs to. When the candidate
is certain that he or she has accepted Christ
as Saviour and is ready to live the life of a
Christian, that person is considered ready for
water Baptism as a public testimony of his or
her faith in God and willingness to live in obedience
to God.
Persons for restoration should also attend all
of the classes.
Persons on transfer are also encouraged to attend
these classes, though this is not mandatory.
Baptism
Water Baptism at Boulevard Baptist Church usually
takes place four times per year during the Sunday
morning main service. The Baptismal pool is inside
the church and all persons being baptised are
submerged by the Pastor. Following Baptism, the
new members are officially welcomed into the church
and introduced to the congregation. As part of
this ceremony, The Pastor and Deacons individually
welcome each new member. This service ends with
communion in which the new members participate.
New Members Class
Following Baptism and reception as a member of
the church, these new members are required to
attend further classes and these are referred
to as Survival Kit Classes as that is the name
of the book used for study during these classes.
In addition to studying the topics covered in
this book for their spiritual development, (see
below) new members also learn about the church's
constitution and the general organization and
structure of the church
Summary of topics in SURVIVAL KIT: Five
Keys to effective Spiritual Growth by Ralph W.
Neighbour, Jr. and Bill Latham
Topic: Indwelling Christ controlling all
Key issue: Developing habits, attitudes,
and commitments that ensure Christian growth
Topic: 1 Body
Key Issue: Learning to live in a new relationship
Topic: 2 Natures: The Old and the new
Key Issue: Learning to deal with your inner
conflict of sin
Topic: 3 Aspects of Salvation
Key Issue: Resolving doubts about your
experience with Christ
Topic: 4 Sources of Authority
Key Issue: Finding a dependable authority
for discovering truth and making decisions
Topic: 5 and 6 principle
Key Issue: Learning to share your faith
effectively with lost people
SHORT
HISTORY OF BOULEVARD BAPTIST CHURCH
 The
construction of the Washington Boulevard in
the Pre-Independence era occasioned the build
up of communities from Duhaney Park to Dunrobin
during the 1960s. A small group of Hanover Street
Baptist Church members living off the Washington
Boulevard, met regularly at the home of Cyril
Palmer. Rev. Luther Gibbs, serving as Pastor
of Hanover Street, encouraged these members
to become the nucleus for a new congregation
for a church to be built on grounds donated
by the authorities of Calabar. In 1969 a small
building was erected on the property and Boulevard
Baptist Church came into being with thirty-three
(33) members. So rapid was the growth in membership
that six years later, on September 11, 1975
Rev. Luther Gibbs accepted the call to the full-time
pastorate of Boulevard. He immediately set his
eyes on building a Chapel large enough to accommodate
two thousand (2,000) people. The Chapel was
built to accommodate large groups like Jamaica
Baptist Union (JBU) Assembly. The programmes,
right from the start, were organized to facilitate
outreach activities like dental care, legal
aid, skills training, adult education, counselling,
and care basket. Boulevard has also led the
way in the establishment of Sunday School for
the total population (all age groups) and in
Media Ministry.
When
the Rev. Luther Gibbs retired in 1990 the church
sought and found a young man, Rev. Devon Dick,
who was given the responsibility to fill the
church by evangelism, develop an effective ministry
to the youth and encourage participation of
all members. Since then, he has accomplished
more than was asked. The outreach of the church
has extended to other persons through Jamal-type
programmes, scholarships, care basket, singles
ministry and Media Ministry. New dimensions
focused on research, planning and implementation.
The
Mission Statement of the church beckons all
members to evangelism and mission. Group members
have been on mission to Warsop, Rock River,
Point Hill, Cuba, Guyana, England and, with
a different focus, to the United States of America.
The
establishment of adequate parking facilities,
the expansion and dedication of the Luther Gibbs
Building, the opening of a Library, improvement
of lighting facilities, the expansion of improved
electronic facilities are steps which herald
the growth of a church with a vision.
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