Rev Thomas lauded for 20 years of service to Burchell Baptist Circuit
Published:Wednesday | October 1, 2025 | 12:07 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Reverend Dr Davewin Thomas, who has been serving the Burchell Circuit of Baptist Churches in St James for more than 20 years, was on Sunday honoured for his service with multiple tributes delivered in poetry and song at the Burchell Baptist Church in Montego Bay.
During the service, which was held under the theme ‘Still standing, still serving, looking back with gratitude, pressing forward in faith’, members from across the circuit, which encompass Burchell, Tower Hill, and Spot Valley Baptist churches, made multiple presentations and tributes to Thomas and his wife, Marcia Thomas.
Responding to the church members’ accolades, Reverend Thomas, who formerly served the Stokes Hall Circuit of Baptist Churches in St Thomas, before being appointed to St James in 2005, said the principles he learned from Philippians 2:3 have influenced his personal ministry throughout the years.
“I read Philippians 2:3 when I was a youngster, and it says, ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vague conceit, rather in humility value others above yourself’. As a young Christian, I equated this with putting God first, others second, and me last, and it has served me well because it gave me an opportunity to try to understand other people better,” said Thomas.
“While I was not always true to this philosophy of life, during the times I managed to put it into practice, I was able to serve others better. It is against this background that I stand on behalf of my wife, Marcia, and my two children, to say thanks to the Burchell Circuit of Baptist Churches for your patience, your kindness, your encouragement, and your support to us over the past 20 years, and for making this period one of great joy, satisfaction and fulfilment,” he added.
In addition to his role as pastor of the Burchell Circuit of Baptist Churches, Thomas has also served as chairman of the St James Ministers’ Fraternal, and has spearheaded several community outreach programmes through the Burchell Baptist Church. He is currently the president-elect of the Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU) and has served that body for approximately 45 years.
ADVOCACY
Over the years, Thomas has never shied away from speaking out on social issues including poverty, crime, and the controversy around same-sex marriage.
In January 2023, he proposed that the nation should have a day of mourning for Jamaicans who have died under tragic circumstances, following reports from the Jamaica Constabulary Force that 61 persons were murdered up to January 22 that year.
During Sunday’s service, the JBU’s general secretary Reverend Merlyn Hyde-Riley, also spoke glowingly of Thomas’ commitment to ministerial service.
“Reverend Thomas’s ministry is testimony that when we live and serve according to the will of God, God works in our lives in ways we cannot even begin to understand or to imagine. It is therefore fitting that the Burchell Circuit of Baptist Churches has taken the time to acknowledge and celebrate one who has laboured tirelessly to win souls,” said Hyde-Riley.