Central Jamaica Conference

ORGANISING SESSION · 1ST REGULAR SESSION

The Founding Gathering

The Central Jamaica Conference was formally organised at this historic gathering in Spanish Town, marking its founding as an administrative entity within the Jamaica Union. Delegates elected Pastor Hiram Sebastian "Tim" Walters as the first president — beginning a seven-year era of foundational structuring and evangelistic expansion across the Conference's parishes.

This session established the administrative identity, record-keeping, and pastoral deployment systems that would define the Conference's early years.

2ND – 6TH REGULAR SESSIONS

Early Triennial Gatherings

The Conference convened its second through sixth regular sessions across the 1960s and 1970s, under the presidencies of Pastor Walters and, subsequently, Pastor Edwin A. Hyatt. These sessions sustained the triennial cycle, guiding the Conference through a period of consolidation, administrative strengthening, and educational expansion.

SEVENTH TRIENNIAL SESSION

Camp Verley, 1992

The Seventh Triennial Session convened at Camp Verley with Pastor Leon B. Wellington presiding as Conference president. His administration emphasised strong administrative systems and professional development for pastors, and this session reflected that focus — preparing the field for the structural changes that would follow in the decade ahead.

8TH – FINAL TRIENNIAL SESSIONS

Closing the Triennial Chapter

The Conference's remaining triennial sessions were held through the 1990s under the successive presidencies of Pastor Donald E. Kent (fifth president, mid-1990s–1998) and Pastor Patrick Linton Allen (sixth president, 1998–2000). Allen's election as President of the West Indies Union Conference in 2000 — a path that ultimately led to his appointment as Governor-General of Jamaica — brought this era to a close.

FIRST QUADRENNIAL SESSION

A New Cycle Begins

The First Quadrennial Session marked a significant structural shift — moving the Conference from triennial to quadrennial cycles and introducing major territorial restructuring. Pastor Everett Brown, who had assumed the presidency following Allen's departure in 2000, presided over this transition.

Brown's administration brought evangelistic expansion, educational strengthening, and infrastructural improvement. He later ascended to national leadership as President of the Jamaica Union Conference.

2ND, 3RD & 4TH QUADRENNIAL SESSIONS

Continued Growth and Transition

The second through fourth quadrennial sessions continued under Pastor Everett Brown, and then Pastor Levi Johnson, who was elected president in July 2010. Johnson's administration was characterised by innovation, robust evangelism, and administrative modernisation.

FIFTH QUADRENNIAL SESSION

Re-election and Renewal

The Fifth Quadrennial Session affirmed Pastor Levi Johnson for a second term, reflecting the church's confidence in his leadership through a period of digital transformation. His continued presidency guided the Conference through the early years of technological advancement and, subsequently, the challenges of the COVID-19 period.

Johnson's service to the Conference concluded in December 2021, when he was called to serve as Executive Secretary of the Jamaica Union Conference.

SIXTH QUADRENNIAL SESSION · 20TH REGULAR SESSION

A Milestone Gathering

The Sixth Quadrennial Session was a milestone on two counts: it marked the Conference's twentieth regular session since its founding, and it formally elected Pastor Nevail D. Barrett — who had been appointed as ninth president on 22 December 2021 — for the 2022–2026 term.

Barrett's administration has been marked by strategic planning, spiritual revival initiatives, community engagement, and administrative excellence across the Conference's 54 pastoral districts.

From its humble beginnings in Spanish Town in 1961 to its expansive operations today, the Central Jamaica Conference has convened its people faithfully across twenty sessions. Each gathering has shaped the theological priorities, administrative practices, and missional direction of the field. The Conference now looks forward to its 2026 Seventh Quadrennial Session, carrying a legacy rooted in steadfast leadership and unwavering devotion to the proclamation of the everlasting gospel.