Meet Clunis McNeil

On January 23, 2010 the Handsworth Church honoured retiring Elder, Clunis McNeil for 40 years of extensive service to the congregation. 'Bro Mac,' as he is known, served the church as deacon, caretaker and elder during this period. Bro Mac, who hails from Grange Hill in Westmoreland Jamaica, attended the local Baptist church with his grandmother as a child. He was baptised along with 30 other people in a river during an evangelistic series of meetings conducted by the late Pastor Harold Fletcher known as “The Whip.” This evangelistic series took place at a time of explosive evangelistic growth in Jamaica, under the leadership of Pastor Hiram S Walters the first indigenous leader of the West Indies Union. “I was hearing things for the first time that I never knew were in the Bible and nothing could keep me away from the meetings,” said Brother McNeil.

Bro McNeil recalled, “On the morning of my baptism hundreds of people from the surrounding communities accompanied the candidates and church members as we walked, singing down the roads to the riverside to be baptised. Pastor Walters stood on the top of a car and preached the baptismal sermon and many who had not yet done so made their commitment to be baptised right there at the riverside. Those teachings of my youth have kept me constant for all these years.” Brother McNeil was among the exodus of young people from the Caribbean that came to England in the sixties and he joined the West Bromwich church under the leadership of the late Pastor George Bell. He later moved to the Handsworth church. These were difficult times for employment for people committed to faithful Sabbath keeping. It was around this time that Brother McNeil met and married Joan Regisford in 1972. Under the tutelage of the late Bro Hards, Brother McNeil took up Colporteuring and worked at this for some time.

These days the back that was once ramrod straight is now stooped and the knees unsteady and as consequence Brother McNeil can no longer serve in elected office. Looking back he said, “Serving the Lord and his people was never a burden but always a great privilege. Death is not a bother to me, if I die the resurrection hope assures me that our suffering will not have been in vain.” When asked for a word of encouragement for those following on behind he said, “The road will be rough and tiresome sometimes but never be discouraged, keep your eyes on the goal, focus on success because the crown of life will be our certain reward.”