REVIVALISM takes centre stage when The African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica and the Jamaica Memory Bank (ACIJ/JMB) hosts a public lecture titled ‘Lifting the Veil: Unravelling the myths pertaining to Zion Revival and lifting the veil of confusion, while proving a conduit for self-empowerment’.

The lecture will be presented live by Pastor Beverly Grant of Holy Cross Spiritual Church on Wednesday, October 14, starting at 10:00 am on the ACIJ/JMB’s YouTube platform.

The lecture will shed light on Revivalism and dispel the myths on the Revival Church in Jamaica. The church is identified by two distinct branches: Revival Zion/Revival 60 and Pukkumina/Revival 61, more popularly known as Pukkumina. The base of Revivalism emerged from a mixture of the European standard of worship (Christianity) and the African style and beliefs of worship.

Pastor Grant is excited to share with the audience on Revivalism.

“The lecture will inform persons on who Revivalists are. It will clear up misconceptions about Revivalism and will inform on how it originated in Jamaica. Revivalism is not an imported denomination but a part of our African culture, and was born out of the environment of enslavement. I will be presenting my experience of revivalism in the lecture and my journey with Revivalism from childhood.”

Two great Revival centres emerged out of the Revivalist movement of the 1860s in Jamaica — Blake’s Pen in Manchester (bordering St Elizabeth) and Watt Town in St Ann. Watt Town is seen as the spiritual centre and can be described as the Mecca of the Revivalists, while Blake’s Pen is renowned as a healing centre.