George Richard Henderson: What a Legacy

 

George Richard Henderson of Bethtephil, St James  

Bethtephil Baptist Church

G.R. Henderson was born to George and Mary Henderson in London, England on April 12, 1818.  After being commissioned by the General Baptist Missionary Society in England, he commenced service in Jamaica in 1842. In Jamaica, he met and married Caroline Rose Drayton. The couple raised nine children, several of whom either became ministers or married ministers.

Henderson’s main place of ministry was the Bethtephil/Hastings circuit. The Bethtephil Church was once in Retirement, but later, under the leadership of Rev Peter Schoburg, was relocated to Chatham in St James. A faithful pastor, Henderson built up the churches and helped instil in them a passion for mission.

After he retired, Henderson went to live quietly at Bariffe Hall in St Mary, where he died on June 7, 1898. After his death, Henderson’s widow went to reside with G. E. Henderson, her son, in Brown’s Town. Four years later, Mrs. Henderson passed away on July 17, 1902, after completing sixty years of service in Jamaica. Her primary area of ministry was in teaching.

The Hendersons’ contribution to JBU-associated churches is hard to overestimate. In 1889, while G. R. Henderson was serving at Kettering (Duncans), Trelawny, G. E. Henderson was pastor at Brown’s Town, Bethany, Sturge Town and Stepney, W. D. Henderson at Port Maria, Oracabessa and Mt Lebanon in St Mary, and C. E. Henderson at Spanish Town and Sligoville.

An entire blogpost will be devoted to G. E. Henderson of Brown’s Town, who was twice JBU chairman. The same could be done for W. D. Henderson, whose farewell service in 1930 at Friendship Baptist Church in St Mary took place after his 47 years of service in the circuit. For nearly 60 years, W. D. Henderson served the Oracabessa and Islington Baptist Churches. For part of that period, he also pastored the Port Maria, Oxford, Three Hills and Hampstead churches. When he died in 1947, he had enjoyed 15 years of retirement and was in his 97^th year. W. D. Henderson was once Chairman of the Port Maria Loan Bank and President of the Oracabessa Citizens’ Association. He was JBU Chairman for several terms. Meanwhile, J. R. Henderson served faithfully at Ocho Rios and St Ann’s Bay. Another of G. R. Henderson’s sons, Dr George Courtnay Henderson, was District Medical Officer for Gordon Town. In 1885, he resigned this office and commenced a successful medical practice in Kingston.

Of course, there was also John E. Henderson, the brother of G. R. Henderson, who was a missionary from the United Kingdom who commenced serving in Jamaica in 1840 and whose main place of work was Montego Bay. An entire blogpost will be devoted to his contribution, which includes five terms as JBU Chairman

After he retired, G. R. Henderson went to live quietly at Bariffe Hall in St Mary, where he died on June 7, 1898. After her husband’s death, Mary, G.R. Henderson’s widow, went to reside with her son in Brown’s Town, where she passed away on July 17, 1902, after completing sixty years of service in Jamaica. Her primary area of ministry was teaching.