It is 1937.  Mrs. Helen Gallimore and her husband, the Reverend Herbert Gallimore, establish a fellowship aimed at discipling the population of Chinese immigrants and their families in Jamaica's capital city.

Mrs. Gallimore has in fact, recently returned from China, where she had served as a missionary for several years.

Services at the ‘Chinese Christian Fellowship' are conducted in English - and translated into Haka, a Chinese dialect.

 
...It's A Church!

October 5, 1970.  The Chinese Christian Fellowship has grown.  It is now officially inaugurated: Swallowfield Chapel is born.  The name is taken from its location at 5 Swallowfield Road, in the community of...you guessed it!  Swallowfield.

The congregation is still primarily Chinese, but Jamaica's ethnic mix is increasingly reflected in the group.  Services are still being translated into Haka.  The fledgling church has a roster of 30 members, led by 6 elders. 

One of these elders is Cecil Ho- Uncle Cess - who still serves as an elder today!

Swallowfield Chapel is now affiliated with the Association of Christian Brethren.

And It Grew...And Grew...

More people, more ministries.  Swallowfield Chapel rapidly outgrows the original building on the property. 

A new building is erected for worship services.  One wing is added, then another.  Offices are built.  Then the annex, affectionately (?) called the Ark, is established.

A second Sunday morning serviceis added, then a third. 

In 2002, the church purchases the property at 9 SwallowfieldRoad.  Some two years and a massive renovation later, the new building welcomes its first Sunday service.

...And Changed...

From the very beginning, a big part of the culture of Swallow has been openness to change.

And change it has!  Building developments are just ONE area.  Here's a list - and it's not exhaustive:

·        Music styles in worship.  We've gone from a tradition of hymns, to one that embraces contemporary music styles in a ‘praise-and-worship' format.  We haven't forsaken the hymns though!  Although they may occasionally be sung over ska, rocksteady, or reggae rhythms.

·        Church staff. As the church has grown, full-time and part-time personnel have been added to meet emerging and foreseen needs. This included the commissioning of our full-time pastor, David Henry, on February 1, 2001.  Swallow now has 18 staff members!

·        Ministries. In 1970, Swallow had 6 ministry groups in operation.   At present, there are some 39 ministries!  They address people care, missions, leadership development, worship, and the youth - to name a few.

 
...But We Remain the Same

Swallowfield Chapel has come along way from its beginnings as a Chinese mission.  Today it is the ‘little church that could'.  The reach of the church is wide.  Members and visitors span the gamut of age groups, educational backgrounds, and socio-economic status.  From being a mission, Swallowfield now reaches out to mission fields locally and internationally.

Some things have not changed, though.

We remain true to our doctrinal roots, grounded in the Bible as the infallible Word of God.

We remain committed to ‘growing small', giving attention to individual discipleship.  This is true even in the face of the challenge of ever-increasing numbers.

Most of all, we continue to hold fast to our mission: "To be and to make disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ".