About us
History
The Brethren Movement commenced in Dublin, Ireland on or around 1825. Listed among some of the early leaders of this movement were: William Stokes, Edward Wilson, A.J. Cronin, H. Hutchinson, J. Parnell (Lord Congleton), J.G. Bellett, and John Nelson Darby. From Dublin, the movement spread to England and the first Brethren Assembly was established at Plymouth in 1831, hence the popular term, "Plymouth Brethren". The movement is now commonly referred to as "Christian Brethren".
The Brethren seek to assemble in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to maintain the apostolic pattern and simplicity which marked the churches of the days of the apostles (Romans 12: 4-8). There are two main Christian ordinances which are observed by the Brethren, i.e. baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism by immersion signifies that the believer, having died with Christ, is buried with Him in baptism and also risen with Christ to walk in newness of life. The Lord's Supper is a memorial feast, instituted by the Lord Himself exclusively for His own. In the observance of this supper, believers remember Him. The emblems show His death until He comes. The Brethren have no ordained ministers, but are administered by responsible brethren called elders or overseers.Over the years, the movement spread and missionaries were sent out to plant churches around the world, including the Caribbean (West Indies). The mission work was registered under the designation "Christian Missions in Many Lands". Grenada was no exception and several churches were established on the Island including Calivigny Gospel Hall in the early 1900s, meeting in a small thatched hut.
Believers, who hailed from Laura and Corinth, joined those from Calivigny, Marian, Westerhall and surrounding areas in the early days of the Church. Among those early Brethren were: Jack Banfield, Walter Banfield, Evans Rouse, and T.A Gilbert. They met in a wooden structure until this building was destroyed by Hurricane Janet on September 22, 1955. Another building was constructed in the late 1950s, with help from believers in the United States and locally, and remained intact, apart from some minor refurbishment over the years, until September 07 2004, when it was destroyed by the passage of Hurricane Ivan. During those years, the leadership of the Assembly was held by, Edward Smith, E.G. Rouse, Byron Latouche, Magnus Neptune, Ivan McSween (all deceased), Keith Banfield (Elder Emeritus) and currently, Ronald Simon. The Calivigny Gospel Hall, flourishing under the theme "The Joy of The Lord Is Our Strength" -Neh. 8: 10, boasts a vibrant Sunday School, Youth Group and Women's Fellowship, which holds a grand concert-style programme the last Thursday of August on an annual basis. The Sunday School has been home to many children from communities around Marian, Calivigny, Morne Jaloux and Westerhall and the Lord has been pleased to bless with generations within some families like the Banfields', the Rouses', the Smiths', the Neptunes', and the Simons', offsprings of some, who continue in leadership roles in the assembly.
Following the passage of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, the believers joined the fellowship at the St. George's Gospel Hall, for a period of time until an offer was accepted from Lewis Rouse, to occupy space in a building which was the brainchild of the late E.G. Rouse, at Calivigny. The Assembly met there until July 15th of 2007, when the new Sanctuary was dedicated. The ground-breaking ceremony for the new facility took place on September 11th 2005, and work commenced on September 12th. The work faced many challenges in its early stages, but the Lord provided great support when one of the Members of the Calivigny Gospel Hall, Oliver Finlay, volunteered his services to oversee and manage the project. The building is not yet fully completed but with the help of the Lord and the generous contribution of brethren locally and abroad, the work is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
Should you wish to send a donation towards the completion, kindly forward to:
Calivigny Gospel Hall Building Fund
C/O. Mr Ronald Simon
Woburn P.O.,
St. George's,
Grenada
The new facility was dedicated to the work of the Lord on July 15th 2007.
We crave your continued prayerful support for the growth of the ministry on this landmark site, and for the conversion of precious souls, such as with the early church. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved....Acts 2: 47.
{ From the Desk of the Elders - with excerpts from: S.E. John, Matthew Thekkel and F.F. Bruce}.
WE BELIEVE
WE BELIEVE the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God, verbally inspired and our only infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice.
WE BELIEVE in one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
WE BELIEVE in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, His sinless life, His atoning death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension, His imminent return for His Church and His coming again with His saints to reign on the earth.
WE BELIEVE man, created in the image of God, became a sinful creature after Adam’s disobedience to God’s command, and is under the judgment and wrath of God, and has within himself no possible means of salvation.
WE BELIEVE in Salvation by Grace through Faith in the Lord Jesus: that salvation is neither merited nor secured by virtue or work of man, but all who believe in Him are declared righteous on the grounds of His shed blood, and apart from Christ there is no possible salvation.
WE BELIEVE in the regenerating work and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy and victorious life.
WE BELIEVE that the Ordinances given to the local Church are: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper …
baptism by immersion portrays the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ;
the Lord’s Supper is the partaking of the Bread and the Cup as a memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ.
WE BELIEVE in the Priesthood of all Believers: that Christ is our Great High Priest and through Him every saint has direct access into God’s presence without the need of a human priest.
WE BELIEVE that it is the responsibility of all born again believers to evangelize the world in carrying out the Great Commission.
(Download "Things Surely Believed ....")
Questions People Ask about us?
? Why do women wear a head covering at your services?
? What is The Gospel Message?
The Gospel in summary:
The Bible explains that we are all born in sin and as sinners, all are in need of God's salvation. There is a broad way that leads to destruction and a narrow way that leads to life (Matthew 7:13, 14). If we remain in our sin, we remain on the broad way that leads to destruction. God sent His Son (the Lord Jesus), so that all may believe on Him and be on the narrow way that leads to life. Many try and find their own way to warrant a place in heaven. The Bible teaches that the work has been done. The Lord Jesus sacrificed His life, so that we may live. His blood was shed on our behalf and for our sin. We must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved (Acts 16:31)?
How to become a Christian:
This is an important question. We hold a weekly meeting that gives you the answer. Join us on Sunday night for 60 minutes from 7.00 pm, and you will find the answer. At this meeting you will not be button-holed, asked for money, or pressurised in any way.
If you cannot wait that long then here are some brief answers.
Firstly - What is a Christian?
A Christian is someone who is a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a person who has a relationship with God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
Secondly - Why become a Christian?
Our relationship with God, our creator, has been spoiled by our sin and our disobedience against God and His Word. This is true globally, nationally and individually. This applies to everyone because we all fall short of God's perfect standard (Romans 3 v 23).
Sin has blighted our world, and we must all give account of this to God, when our life is ended. God must also punish our sins, according to His perfect, holy and righteous character.
The only way that our relationship with God can be restored is through God's Son Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2 v 5). This is because He became a man so that He could take the punishment for sins. This happened when He died upon the Cross, at a place called Calvary, outside Jerusalem 2000 years ago.
Thirdly - How do I become a Christian?
Not by attending a certain church or adopting a certain creed. The Bible makes it clear that we become a Christian by simply believing in God's Son, the Lord Jesus. This involves turning our back on our sin (repenting) and trusting wholly on Him as the only way of salvation.
Finally - I am Christian, but not sure what to do next?
The Bible teaches that the first thing that a new Christian should do is be baptised, by immersion. They should also associate with other Christians by becoming a member of a local church. If you would like to find out more about this please contact us.
If you would like to hear more about the Gospel or discuss any of the issues raised please contact us.
In Addition to the Weekly Services, the following Ministries are available:
Calivigny Gospel Hall was established in the early 1900s as one of the eight brethren assemblies in Grenada and its dependencies of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The other Assemblies are:
St. George's Gospel Hall
H.A. Blaize Street , Town of St. George
Gouyave Gospel Hall
Central Depradine Street, Gouyave, St John
Crochu Gospel Hall
Crochu, St Andrew
Perdmontemps Gospel Hall
Perdmontemps, St David
Grand Bay Gospel Hall
Grand Bay, Carriacou