Renold E. Rhynie: “Living Epistle”

 

A person and person standing outside

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Rev. & Mrs. R. E. Rhynie

Mr. Renold Edward Rhynie, elder brother of the Rev. Joscelyn Leo Rhynie, former pastor of East Queen Street Baptist Church, was a successful businessman operating in the tourist resort of Montego Bay. As a layperson, he rendered outstanding service to the Calvary Baptist Church where he was a member. He also fulfilled an effective evangelistic ministry in many Baptist churches in western Jamaica. He was well known for his fine Christian character and his sacrificial service for Christ.

While operating in the “dry goods trade” in Montego Bay, he looked for ways to make his evangelistic ministry more effective. To this end, he expressed the desire to acquire a concertina – an instrument that is similar to an accordion – that he desired to utilize in his ministry. Mr. Arthur Robinson of Moston, Manchester, England, donated the concertina and Rhynie learned to play it and used it to accompany his wife’s singing at his evangelistic meetings –See picture above.

Calabar president, Keith Tucker, tells the story of a session of the JBU Executive Committee in 1953 where a letter was read from Mr. Rhynie informing the Union that God had called him to give up his business and enter the full-time service of the kingdom. Rhynie also indicated that he and Mrs. Rhynie felt led to offer as JBU missionaries to Turks Island.

Tucker says that the reception given to the letter was joyful.


A door had opened where none of us could have expected it. The offer was gratefully accepted, an interview arranged, then business was adjourned, and we gave ourselves to prayers of thanksgiving…. The news was, of course, the talk of Montego Bay for many days, and when Mr. Rhynie was ordained at the Calvary Baptist Church, which seats well over a thousand people, it was crowded to the doors and a great crowd stood at the windows and doors unable to enter. Rev. and Mrs. Rhynie left for Turks Island … to the great joy of our churches scattered throughout those Islands, and we cannot but anticipate for them a very successful ministry.

Born  in  Montego  Bay on  November 10, 1907,  Renold  Rhynie  wa s one  year  older  than his celebrated brother, Joycelyn. He was the fifth child of Thomas and Margaret Rhynie. On June 17, 1953, he departed Jamaica for the Turks and Caicos, as successor to Rev. Glenn Walters. This was after a Farewell Service at Calvary Baptist Church over which JBU Chairman, Rev. O. T. Johnson presided.

In 1955, Rhynie was back in Jamaica and served as a Baptist pastor in upper Clarendon at the Thompson Town circuit, where he pioneered in the formation of the Elgin Baptist Church. During the 1950’s and 60’s, he contributed to the educational development of communities in which the churches he served were located. He was Board Chair of Brandon Hill, Thompson Town and Elgin Government Schools.

After 15 years of service in the Thompson Town circuit, Rhynie went to work in the Bellas Gate circuit, where he served for two and a half years. In, April 1968, Rhynie was on the move again. His next place of ministry was of the Waldensia Baptist circuit of churches in Trelawny where Rhynie displayed his usual piety and evangelistic vigour. When the circuit said farewell to him and his wife at a send-off function on May 22, 1975, Rev. Stephen James, Moderator of the Trelawny Baptist Association (TBA), presided. Representatives of the Church Choir, Sunday School, Women's Federation and Brotherhood gave addresses at the function and Deacons Tyghter and Samart, together with Mr. Joseph Jeremiah, treasurer of the TBA, made presentations to the honourees.

Three years later, at the end of December 1978, Mr. Rhynie, aged 71, retired from the ministry while serving in the Ebenezer Baptist Church and its associated churches in St Catherine. He outlived his younger brother Joycelyn and passed away when he was 86.

When he died in 1988, Rhynie’s funeral service was held in the Thompson Town Baptist Church. Presiding minister was Rev. Burchell Taylor, President of the Jamaica Baptist Union and the preacher was Rev. George Simpson. Other ministers participating in the funeral service were Rev. Dr. O. G. Harris, Rev. Roy Henry and Rev. C. A. Jennings. Rhynie was remembered for his committed service as the first chairman of the Clarendon Baptist Churches Association. Dr. Harris characterised his life as “a living epistle,” and tributes were paid to the deceased for the example he provided as a “devoted, faithful, beloved and a dedicated soldier of the Lord.” His body was interred in the Thompson Town Baptist Church yard.

 

 

 

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