Bethel Begins / The founding bishops
Bishop Gerald E Edmund
A son of the Shiloh Apostolic Church who planted Bethel in Bristol and led the South-Western District. Chapter 12 of Bethel Begins, ‘The Beloved Bishop’, tells his story.
“Required reading for every member of our church.” Bishop Dexter E Edmund, Presiding Bishop
From the book
Bishop Edmund was a son of the Shiloh Apostolic Church in Jamaica. It was witnessing the godly lifestyle of family friends that led him to Christ. The couple in question were Deacon Greenwich Leon and Mother Annah Leon. The year of Bishop Edmund's baptism was 1951, and young Gerald was just 15 years old. Not many days hence, he was filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking the heavenly language.
His spiritual mother, Annah Leon, wrote Bishop Dunn to ask that he look after her ‘Sydney’. I can only imagine how those mothers and fathers felt seeing the young people travelling thousands of miles to England. Bishop Dunn was not slack in taking good care of Bishop Edmund; their brotherly bond was unbreakable. In fact, Bishop Dunn was the matchmaker for Bishop and Mother Edmund, a union that would last for 55 years, parted by death.
In 1961 a church was planted in Bristol to meet the needs of a sister who travelled to Gibson Road and testified about the lack of a place of worship in the area. As the church flourished Bishop Dunn sent out the young Minister Edmund with his wife Sweedie and children (Hedy and Dexter) to tend to the folk. Eventually, Pastor Edmund was consecrated Bishop and Diocesan for the South-Western District of Churches; he also served as Bishop for the Youth Department.
Edited extract from chapter 12 of Bethel Begins: The Beginnings of Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic by Nicholas Myers.
Key facts
- Baptised1951, aged 15, in the Shiloh Apostolic Church, Jamaica
- Served in JamaicaKendall, then Shiloh Apostolic, 15 Minstrel Street, Kingston
- Bristol church planted1961
- Later officeBishop and Diocesan, South-Western District; Bishop for the Youth Department
- Assemblies in his districtCardiff, Newport, Southampton, Trowbridge, Gloucester and Reading
- WifeMother Sweedie Edmund (née Walsh), daughter of Bishop Charles and Mother Christine Walsh