The JBWF was formed on December 10, 1922. Their motto is “Seek, Save, Serve.”

The aims of the Federation are:

• To bind all Baptist Women in the service of Christ, helping one another.
• To strengthen the spiritual life of the members of the Church.
• To make contact with those who are not Christians, and to lead them to Christ.
• To give instructions to women in their homes – how to care for their children, how to live healthy lives, and to assist generally in preparing young people for Home and Family Life.
• To take responsibility for the operation of the Garland Hall Memorial Home working in co-operation with the Local Home Committee.

The motto of the JBUB is “Finding Following Fraternizing”

Purpose

• To project and sustain a programme of work which will have as its ultimate objective the leading of men of the Baptist Churches in fellowship with the JBU into a realization of their obligations and role in Missions/Evangelism.
• To provide a medium through which the men can serve efficiently and effectively in promotingthe full programme of their Church and denomination.
• To co-operate with JBU in the proper administration of its ministries.Objectives-to achieve the values inherent in the Purpose, the Organization seeks to promote among the men and instill into their thinking the following aims and objectives:
• Loyalty to Christ, to the Church, and to its administration
• Co-operation with every agency and organization of the Church and denomination
• Constant emphasis upon the necessity of personal consecration for worthy Christian/Stewardship of home, self, substance and service
• A greater emphasis upon individual and group effort in evangelism
• Visitation to homes for the aged, orphanages, institutions for handicapped, hospitals and other similar institutions with a view to cheering the inmates and extending the gospel of Jesus Christ
• Increased circulation of our denomination’s literature
• To co-operate with the Board of Mission and Evangelism, for the promotion and advancement of Baptist Work in Jamaica and the Caribbean
• An aggressive and continuing effort to reach, win and develop boys, young men, older men for Christ through Christian companionship and guidance
• To help build finances of the church and to facilitate administration by way of regular and generous offerings and tithes
• To help to ensure a progressive growth in Church budgets to meet local needs, and denominational causes, in order that the gospel may be proclaimed to the uttermost end of the earth
• Liberal financial support and patronage of denominational institutions
• A continuing effort through the Brotherhood to promote Christian Fellowship and to enlist, utilize and organize all the men of all our churches in active Christian service.

History

In 1940 the Rev. Walter Foster of Calabar High School assisted by Doris Morant of the Ministry of Education organized the “Young People’s Department”.

A restructured Youth Movement of JBU was launched in November 1983 by the Youth Affairs Committee during the final service of the Bi-centennial Celebrations at Sabina Park, Kingston This Movement was launched in an effort to strengthen the relationships between young Baptists across the island. Through this Movement, Baptist Youth will have a forum for joint action on issues they face and for evangelism.

In 1994 the Jamaica Baptist Union appointed an Assistant General Secretary with responsibility for Youth and Training. In March of the following year, a Youth Department was formed.

The Youth Department in November 2005 saw several changes and additions highlighted below:

• A motto, “Reach, Renew Rejoice.”. This motto speaks to how we as a Youth Department hope to Reach and have a positive impact people’s lives, in order for them to be Renewed by God while we our selves are being Renewed; and finally we can all Rejoice in Christ.
• A vision statement, “Faithful to God’s unchanging Word, in our ever changing world.” This vision statement depict how we as a Youth Department will at all cost, live our lives according to God’s faithful word, despite the pace of our ever changing world.
• A Chairman elected for a two-year term and making room for the immediate past chairman and a chairman elect to sit on the officers’ corps.

Objectives

The objectives of the Youth Department are:

• To inspire witness among young people and engage them in the ministry of missions and evangelism by:
  • informing its member bodies concerning new forms and spheres of work and witness and
  • the use of Jamaica Baptist Unions, Caribbean Baptist Fellowship and Baptist World Alliance
  • Publications and other forms of communication.

• To challenge young persons to maintain an ongoing personal relationship with God as the basis for meaningful involvement in the life of the church.
• To foster better relationships and fellowship among Baptist youth and between Baptist youth and fellow Christian youth.
• To support and strengthen the activities of regional Youth Fellowships Uniformed Groups, Student Affairs and any other group dedicated to the development of youth.
• To facilitate a forum for expressing the views of the young people and for the discussion of issues related to wholesome development.
• To educate young people on the history and beliefs of the denomination in corroboration with the training arm of the Jamaica Baptist Union
• To provide training ground for future church leaders
• Seek in all matters to be supportive of the General Parish Associations, Jamaica Baptist Union through the Youth Department

National Committees:

1. National Youth Fellowships Committee – responsible for overseeing the Baptist Youth Fellowships and Parish Associations of the island, through parish presidents and area council representatives. This also includes planning various meetings and events.
2. National Young Adults Committee – responsible for overseeing the various Baptist Young Adult Groups of the island as well as planning meetings and other events for Young Adults.
3. National Student Affairs Committee – responsible for overseeing Baptist Tertiary Students and planning suitable meetings and/or events for them
4. National Uniform Groups Committee – responsible for overseeing the different Uniformed Groups in our island’s Baptist Churches and plan suitable events and/or meetings for them.

Commissions

1. Camps Commission – responsible for the planning and constant review of summer camps.
2. Cultural Commission – responsible for the planning and implementation of Cultural activities especially Area Eliminations and the National Youth Rally.
3. Discipleship Commission – responsible for evangelism and prayer programmes including the planning and implementation of the annual Baptist World Youth Day of Prayer.
4. Sports Commission – responsible for the Sports and Healthy Lifestyle Ministry of the Youth Department and the planning and implementation of annual sports events.
   
   

Training in Christian Education of the Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU) congregations has been the mandate of this department. This training in Christian Education is done through eight areas of ministry:

1. Sunday School
2. Vacation Bible School
3. Music
4. Christian Education Institute
5. Spiritual Empowerment Conference
6. Ministry to Persons with Disability
7. Children’s Ministries
8. Stewardship of the Environment

Christian Education ought to be considered as spiritual formation. “Christian’ speaks to spirituality with certain specificity and “Education” speaks to shaping or more specifically, to persuade or condition to feel, believe, to act in a desired way. Congregation is mentioned above because this community of believers should be seen as the natural place of initiation and formation, where all aspects of congregational life coalesce into one vast latent curriculum. One learns how to pray, praise, witness, and worship, more from living in community with persons and less from a book. The effectiveness of Christian spiritual formation in the congregation is determined greatly by the quality of life together and by the depth and breadth of engagement in Christian practices.

The department’s aim is therefore to make members of our congregations who were competent in Christian practices, having experienced Christian spiritual formation through identity-forming and life-changing participation in practices constitutive of the Christian faith and life.

Electronic Media

1. “Christ for Today” is a broadcast of the Jamaica Baptist Union that can be heard on Radio Jamaica Ltd. (RJR) every Sunday at 6:00 a.m. It is a half an hour programme with a message. It also offers activities that the Union engages in.
2. “Youth Sounds” is another broadcast of the Jamaica Baptist Union, Youth Department. This programme can be heard on Love 101. on Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. It is a fifteen (15) minute programme that deals with issues that affect Youths in Jamaica from a Christian perspective.
3. The Breath of Change – is religious radio station owned and operated by the Tarrant Baptist Church. Some of the programmes are sponsored by the Jamaica Baptist Union

Print Media

This 41 acre campsite/conference centre is situated is located just 1.3 miles from the clock tower in Duncans, Trelawny as you turn South towards Clarke’s Town, with a magnificent sea-view to the north and bathed by refreshing day and night time breezes.

At Nutshell you will be away from the sights and sounds of the busy life of town with its traffic and people. The sign at the entrance to Nutshell says it best, “Come Ye Apart and Rest Awhile.”

There are over 150 beds in Nutshell’s facilities. Most rooms will sleep six. There are two large dorms. We have a few rooms for only two persons. The Baptist Women’s Federation has provided an Executive Suite with private bath, kitchen, bedroom and dining and sitting room. This can be reserved by special arrangement. Contact our Administrator for information.

Each person should bring their own bed sheets, pillow, towels and other personal needs. Nutshell does not furnish these items. Many personal needs can be purchased in the Tuck Shop.

A special place for washing clothes is provided. Irons and ironing boards can be checked out in theTuck Shop. A few sports items can be checked out in the Tuck Shop.

A moderate size playing field is available; it can accommodate football, netball, basketball and volleyball.

At Nutshell we are able to accommodate your conferences, seminars, workshops etc. There are three (3) conference rooms available at Nutshell with seating capacity raging from twenty (20) to over one hundred eighty (180). Additionally, there is the Gazebo (overlooking the sea) that comfortably seats eighty (80) persons.The facility is available to the public and bookings should be made directly through the Centre.

Telephone #:876-954-2440-1

What is JBU Mission Agency?

The Jamaica Baptist Union Mission Agency (JBUMA) is the Agency of the Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU) that leads the churches of the JBU in the Mission of Jesus Christ in Jamaica, the Caribbean and the rest of the World. It functions to remind all Christians that we are in this world to contribute to that which Jesus established and the Apostles advanced. It is living God’s presence of Love, Righteousness, Holiness, Justice and Peace, in the life and circumstances of each person today.

How do we fulfill our mandate?
The ministry of the Mission Agency is done by a Council led by; a Chairman, a Director/Secretary, a Programme Coordinator (staff), a Secretary of the Council, a Treasurer of the Council and Conveners of committees. The ministry is funded by the donations of; individuals, churches, and a JBU Budgetary allocation.

Mission

The Mission Emphases are:

 Mission Volunteer Programme (MVP)

The JBUMA Mission Volunteer Programme (MVP) seeks to prepare a cadre of volunteers from JBU churches who will assist churches and circuits with various aspects of the Mission of Jesus Christ. Volunteers might also be assigned as personnel for the mission to advance the programme of the JBUMA. Traditional areas include; Vacation Bible School (VBS), Evangelism, Sunday School, Youth Ministry and Disaster response.

Would you like to be a JBU Mission Volunteer? Enlist today.

JBUMA Mission Fund

The targeted amount is Twenty Million Jamaican Dollars as a Deposit. The interest of which is to be used to assist churches with; the purchase of church land, disaster response, church buildings expansion, the Mission Volunteer Programme, purchase of additional Tents, finance the mission to Haiti, Panama, Guyana, Cuba, Turks and Caicos Islands, , and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Sports Evangelism.

JBUMA Mission Fund “Giving Plan”: In order to achieve the above target, a monthly contribution is being requested from the following:

• Each Church Budget – JM$1,000.0
• Each Member – JM$100.00
• Each Pastor – JM$500.00

Ministries

Urban and Rural Ministries

This is a new and evolving area of the JBUMA through which we seek to sensitize our constituents of the peculiarities and distinctives of ministry in the Urban and Rural geographic locales.  It is hoped that this emphasis on Urban and Rural ministry practices will greatly assist the JBU in training and preparing Pastors and people for more effective mission engagement throughout Jamaica, the Caribbean and the rest of the world.

Evangelism and Discipleship

This area of ministry entails; Evangelistic services, Schools of Evangelism, Discipleship Training, Leisure Evangelism, Sports Evangelism, etc. There will be collaboration with the MVP in identifying people for the various activities and events.

Health and Outreach

• Kingston Gardens Ministries

The Kingston Gardens Health and Outreach

Centre, 5 West Avenue, Kingston 4,  owned and operated by the Jamaica Baptist Union Mission Agency (JBUMA), for those who live in and around the community.

Some of what we are doing there include:

• Training of Health Care Assistants
• CXC Revision classes
• Health Fairs
• Youth For Progress—Youth Fellowship
• Children’s Ministry, etc.

• 100 & Park Lanes, Red Hills Road Ministries

The JBU and the Bethel Baptist Church, HWT, began its mission to the communities in January 2002, in response to a political upheaval that resulted in death, fire and the two communities in dispute. In 2009, we are happy to report that there is evidence of a greater commitment to Peace and Unity among these communities.

 What’s the mission here? Working for Unity Justice, Peace and Love through the following areas:

• Sports Evangelism—Football
• Sunday School
• Peace and Reconciliation Initiatives
• Collaboration with the Jamaica Council of Churches in other peace initiatives.
• Re-establishment of a Basic School

Disaster Awareness and Emergency Response (DAER)

This ministry is one of awareness and response to all types of disaster.

The JBUMA is in the process of establishing a Disaster Agency that will; enlist and deploy volunteers, identify, store and distribute items of need after a disaster and offer timely suggestions  in preparation for and awareness of disasters.

Partnerships

Partnerships are seen as a relationship between equals in the Lord. They are usually of a mutual nature. Such Partnerships are between churches of the JBU; JBU and non-JBU Churches and JBU and other Unions and Conventions.

The JBUMA Partnership Programme facilitates a relationship for a specific period of time.  Our partners share the fundamental things that make us Christians. All we have from God are equally shared. There is no basis for domination of one partner by the other.

JBU Horizon Home

This area of ministry caters to the increasing needs and growing population of geriatrics in the society today. The Home is located at 9 Sullivan Ave., Kingston 8, and has a capacity of 18. Here, female geriatrics or senior citizens, live together and are assisted from day to day by a staff and management committee.  

Training in Discipleship & Ministry Programme (TDM)

This training Institute seeks to provide opportunities for the training and development of Church Leaders.  The curriculum includes subject areas that will expose participants to essential and critical areas of training for the mission of Jesus Christ today.

Jamaica Baptist Historical Society

The Jamaica Baptist Historical Society seeks to recapture Baptist history wherever and however it might be available for presentation to interested persons. The JBU Resource Centre or Library is a repository of historical documents.