After serving as a missionary in India during his early Christian years, Damian JeanBaptiste moved to Jamaica in the late 1980s. It was here that he met his wife, Karlene; and after they got married in 1990, they moved to Barbados to lead the church there the following year.
Courtney Bailey, (left) addressing 570 people in attendance at his appointment as the first Teacher for the Jamaican churches.
It was in Barbados that Damian met Courtney Bailey, a young disciple from Jamaica who had moved there to study law. Damian trained and discipled Courtney, helping him to develop the character and conviction that would shape Courtney’s Christian life.
In 1994, Damian & Karlene returned to Jamaica to lead the church there and to raise up and train the men and women who would spearhead the advancement of God’s church throughout the Caribbean.
Damian was a firm believer in God’s teaching in 2 Timothy 2:2 which says:
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
Damian’s conviction that the Word should be entrusted to men and women who would be able to impart it, contributed to the phenomenal growth of the Caribbean region. Under his leadership, the number of churches increased from 6 to 14 and the church in Jamaica grew from 600 to 1300 members. Damian’s tenure also saw numerous young people maturing and taking on the challenge of church leadership; and one such person was Courtney Bailey.
After finishing his law degree in Barbados, Courtney returned to Jamaica in 1995 and immediately entered the full-time ministry under Damian’s leadership. Damian appointed Courtney as an evangelist in 1998, but even before then, it was clear that Courtney’s passion was teaching.
Courtney left the church staff in 2003 and began to practice law at one of the largest firms in the Caribbean. Within 2½ years he became a partner, setting a new record for the firm.
In 2005 he began preaching again and attended the Athens Institute of Ministry, where he was grounded in biblical principles and the correct usage of the scriptures. As a result of his time at the Institute, his teaching was taken to a new level, and the congregation in Jamaica benefitted tremendously from his growth.
To be of greater assistance to the church and to fan the flames of his passion, Courtney began pursuing a Master’s Degree in Theology this year.
On Sunday, November 11, 2012, two days after Damian JeanBaptiste went to be with the Lord, Courtney was officially appointed a Teacher, the first person to take up that mantel in the Kingston Church of Christ.
At a worship service attended by all eight churches in Jamaica, it was literally as if the torch had been passed as Courtney shared movingly about the impact Damian had on his life, and the fact that the beloved evangelist consistently called him to always give his best to God.
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Courtney received a standing ovation as the congregation recognized him for his contribution to the spiritual growth of the church. There was a sense of sobriety that one era was ending as an excellent trainer had passed; yet there was also spirit of hope and reassurance that another era had begun and that we would continue to be guided by the eternal and sovereign God of all generations. Damian’s legacy lives on in the men and women he trained. May his soul rest in peace.
- Written by Gregory Baugh, edited by Camille Taylor