The ministry of retired Suffragan Bishop of Kingston, The Rt. Rev. Robert Thompson; and the late Bishop of Jamaica and The Cayman Islands, The Rt. Rev. and Hon. Alfred Reid, who together served the Diocese of Jamaica and The Cayman Islands for a combined 98 years, will be celebrated at a special Service at the Cathedral of St. Jago de la Vega, Spanish Town this Sunday, February 7.
The Most Rev. Howard Gregory, Archbishop of the West Indies and Diocesan Bishop will be the Preacher at the Service which will begin at 3.30 pm, and will be led by The Very Rev. Canon Collin Reid, Senior Canon and Rector of the Cathedral.
The Service will be attended by family members and close friends of Bishops Thompson and Reid; The Hon. Mrs. Zaila McCalla, Chancellor of the Diocese, select representatives of the clergy, and Diocesan organisations, as well as, members of the ecumenical fraternity and civic leaders. In keeping with the COVID-19 health protocols restricting the size of public gatherings, the Service will be streamed live via YouTube.
Bishop Thompson, who holds the Doctor of Ministry Degree from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachussetts, was trained initially at the United Theological College of the West Indies and was ordained a Deacon in 1973. He was consecrated as Bishop of Kingston in 2005 and served in that capacity until his retirement last year, culminating 47 years of ministry. He will be presented with a Citation in recognition of his contribution to the life of the Church.
The dedication of a plaque in memory of the late Bishop Alfred Reid who died in December 2019, will be the other highlight of Sunday’s Service. The plaque will be unveiled by his widow, Gloria. Bishop Reid served as Diocesan Bishop from 2001 until his retirement in 2011; and he is recognized as a member of the generation of Church leaders who “laid the foundation for the Jamaicanisation of the Anglican Church to create a decisively indigenous identity.”