Marjorie Prentice "Madge" Saunders (25 February 1913 – 2 March 2009) was a Jamaican Christian minister and community worker. She was the first woman in the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands to serve as a parish minister.
Kyle Spence (great-nephew) Douglas Anthony Clive Saunders (nephew)
Saunders grew up in Galina, Saint Mary Parish, the sixth of seven children born to Ida (née Myers) and Walter E. Saunders. Her mother died when she was young, while her father worked as a wharfinger. Saunders attended Free Hill School in Port Maria, and began working as pupil-teacher in Galina at the age of 14. She went on to study teaching at Bethlehem Moravian College, and then worked as a primary school teacher.[1] Saunders was a member of the Presbyterian Church of Jamaica, and eventually decided to pursue the ministry. From 1965 to 1968 she studied at St Colm's College in Edinburgh, Scotland, and on her return to Jamaica was made a deaconess and employed as the church's first full-time youth organiser. In that capacity she travelled around the country, establishing several new schools including Mona Preparatory and Meadowbrook High School, and also made visits to the Cayman Islands and Haiti.[2]
In 1965, Saunders accepted an invitation from the Presbyterian Church of England to serve a mission in England, becoming associate minister of St. James Presbyterian Church, Sheffield. The city had a large Afro-Caribbean population, particularly in the area around Burngreave where she lived. Saunders established various programs to help new arrivals, and authored a book, Living in Britain, which was subsequently translated into Gujarati and Urdu. She also served as a spokesperson for the West Indian community, appearing several times on BBC Radio Sheffield.[3][4] Saunders returned to Jamaica in 1975 and was ordained as a minister in the new United Church (into which the Presbyterian Church had merged). She was assigned to the Salem United Church in Saint Mary, the first woman to take charge of an entire congregation – Adlyn White had been ordained in 1973, but worked in administrative roles.[1] A biography of Saunders, Born to Serve, was published in 2005.[2] She died in March 2009, aged 96.[5]
Referencesedit
^ abMarjorie Prentice Saunders (1913-2009), National Library of Jamaica. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
^ abBorn to serve: the pioneering ministry of Marjorie Prentice Saunders, Jamaica Observer, 18 September 2005. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
^Madge Saunders – A Remarkable Woman, Burngreave Messenger, October 2006. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
^Madge Saunders: Church leader and community development worker, Burngreave Voices. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
^Thanksgiving service for Madge Saunders today, Jamaica Gleaner, 21 March 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
December 15, 2023
madge, saunders, marjorie, prentice, madge, saunders, february, 1913, march, 2009, jamaican, christian, minister, community, worker, first, woman, united, church, jamaica, cayman, islands, serve, parish, minister, reverendborn, 1913, february, 1913galina, sain. Marjorie Prentice Madge Saunders 25 February 1913 2 March 2009 was a Jamaican Christian minister and community worker She was the first woman in the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands to serve as a parish minister The ReverendMadge SaundersBorn 1913 02 25 25 February 1913Galina Saint Mary Parish JamaicaDied2 March 2009 2009 03 02 aged 96 JamaicaEducationBethlehem Moravian CollegeSt Colm s CollegeKnown forFirst female parish minister in the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman IslandsRelativesKyle Spence great nephew Douglas Anthony Clive Saunders nephew Saunders grew up in Galina Saint Mary Parish the sixth of seven children born to Ida nee Myers and Walter E Saunders Her mother died when she was young while her father worked as a wharfinger Saunders attended Free Hill School in Port Maria and began working as pupil teacher in Galina at the age of 14 She went on to study teaching at Bethlehem Moravian College and then worked as a primary school teacher 1 Saunders was a member of the Presbyterian Church of Jamaica and eventually decided to pursue the ministry From 1965 to 1968 she studied at St Colm s College in Edinburgh Scotland and on her return to Jamaica was made a deaconess and employed as the church s first full time youth organiser In that capacity she travelled around the country establishing several new schools including Mona Preparatory and Meadowbrook High School and also made visits to the Cayman Islands and Haiti 2 In 1965 Saunders accepted an invitation from the Presbyterian Church of England to serve a mission in England becoming associate minister of St James Presbyterian Church Sheffield The city had a large Afro Caribbean population particularly in the area around Burngreave where she lived Saunders established various programs to help new arrivals and authored a book Living in Britain which was subsequently translated into Gujarati and Urdu She also served as a spokesperson for the West Indian community appearing several times on BBC Radio Sheffield 3 4 Saunders returned to Jamaica in 1975 and was ordained as a minister in the new United Church into which the Presbyterian Church had merged She was assigned to the Salem United Church in Saint Mary the first woman to take charge of an entire congregation Adlyn White had been ordained in 1973 but worked in administrative roles 1 A biography of Saunders Born to Serve was published in 2005 2 She died in March 2009 aged 96 5 References edit a b Marjorie Prentice Saunders 1913 2009 National Library of Jamaica Retrieved 29 November 2017 a b Born to serve the pioneering ministry of Marjorie Prentice Saunders Jamaica Observer 18 September 2005 Retrieved 29 November 2017 Madge Saunders A Remarkable Woman Burngreave Messenger October 2006 Retrieved 29 November 2017 Madge Saunders Church leader and community development worker Burngreave Voices Retrieved 29 November 2017 Thanksgiving service for Madge Saunders today Jamaica Gleaner 21 March 2009 Retrieved 29 November 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Madge Saunders amp oldid 1078964429, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
