Phillippo Baptist Church
Encyclopedia
Phillippo Baptist Church is named in honour of its first minister and founder, Reverend James Phillippo
, a Baptist
missionary
who arrived in Jamaica
in 1823 and campaigned for the abolition of slavery and for the establishment of "Free Villages
" for emancipated slaves. The church is located on the corner of William and French Streets, in Spanish Town
, Jamaica
.
Rev. Phllippo built the Church in 1827 to replace an earlier one which he had built which was burned to the ground by plantation
owners (planters), who were vehemently opposed to the preaching of religion to slaves. Phillippo died in 1879 and is buried, with his wife and son, in the churchyard. There are two tablets in the Church building dedicated to his memory.
Also located on the Church grounds is a stone slab which marks where some of the shackles of slavery are buried. The slab is inscribed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Church.
The Church was damaged during Hurricane Dean
in 2007
, which ripped the roof off the building, and required $25m ($300,000 USD) in repairs. The Church was closed for 20 months and underwent significant restoration, reopening in June, 2009. At the official reopening ceremonies of the Church, Prime Minister Bruce Golding
said "Phillippo Baptist Church represents a great part of the nation's history, therefore, we need for all to be aware of the pride and joy it gives to see the restoration done. James Phillipo was even denied permission to preach to slaves several times, but this did not stop him from setting up the church. Golding also noted that the church played a major role in the fight for the abolition of slavery, and that even by today's standards is still an impressive architectural creation.
James Phillippo
James Phillippo was a Baptist missionary who campaigned for the abolition of slavery.-Early years as a missionary:...
, a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
who arrived in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in 1823 and campaigned for the abolition of slavery and for the establishment of "Free Villages
Free Villages
Free Villages is the term used for Caribbean settlements, particularly in Jamaica, founded in the 1830s and 1840s independent of the control of plantation owners and other major estates.-Pioneering the concept:...
" for emancipated slaves. The church is located on the corner of William and French Streets, in Spanish Town
Spanish Town
Spanish Town is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica from the 16th to the 19th century...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
Rev. Phllippo built the Church in 1827 to replace an earlier one which he had built which was burned to the ground by plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
owners (planters), who were vehemently opposed to the preaching of religion to slaves. Phillippo died in 1879 and is buried, with his wife and son, in the churchyard. There are two tablets in the Church building dedicated to his memory.
Also located on the Church grounds is a stone slab which marks where some of the shackles of slavery are buried. The slab is inscribed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Church.
The Church was damaged during Hurricane Dean
Hurricane Dean
The name Dean was used for five tropical cyclones in the Northern Atlantic Ocean:*1983's Tropical Storm Dean, which struck the coast of Virginia, causing minor erosion and flooding...
in 2007
2007 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season was an active Atlantic hurricane season that produced 17 tropical cyclones, 15 tropical storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. It officially started on June 1 and ended on November 30, dates which conventionally delimit the...
, which ripped the roof off the building, and required $25m ($300,000 USD) in repairs. The Church was closed for 20 months and underwent significant restoration, reopening in June, 2009. At the official reopening ceremonies of the Church, Prime Minister Bruce Golding
Bruce Golding
Orette Bruce Golding MP served as Prime Minister of Jamaica from 11 September 2007 to 23 October 2011. He is a member of the Jamaica Labour Party.-Biography:...
said "Phillippo Baptist Church represents a great part of the nation's history, therefore, we need for all to be aware of the pride and joy it gives to see the restoration done. James Phillipo was even denied permission to preach to slaves several times, but this did not stop him from setting up the church. Golding also noted that the church played a major role in the fight for the abolition of slavery, and that even by today's standards is still an impressive architectural creation.