An Extensive History
(Two Churches merged into one.)

Gamle Gade’s History

The Church of God of Prophecy is a vibrant, thriving organization in the communities with a formidable past and glorious future. It traces its early beginning on St. Thomas to the historical date of January 1, 1926, at 2 a.m., when the first local church was organized personally by first General Overseer Bishop A. J. Tomlinson with 16 charter members. Bro. Farnham served as Pastor at that time.

Services were conducted in a small building on Factory Street near Windward Passage Hotel. Like the early New Testament Church, this group of believers worked together with the same earnest mind and fervent spirit for the exact great cause-the cause of Christ and the Church of God.

The group subsequently relocated to another building on Norre Gade near Roosevelt Park, where it functioned for a few years. With the blessings of the Almighty evident, it was soon necessary for the congregation to seek more extensive facilities. Members secured a section of the Francois Building opposite
Chase Manhattan Bank on the Waterfront.
This area was popularly known as Fish Wharf.

Like everything else, the church experienced growing pains. It also struggled against numerous pressures, various opposition, and leadership problems. But “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (KJV). Through his guidance, this faithful body of believers surmounted the obstacles, survived the persecutions, and showed steady growth.

Then came the memorable Sunday of February 18, 1945, when an energetic young man named Moses Stephens joined the church. Brother Moses, who had earlier accepted Christ as his personal Savior with another religious group, testified that he had received a vision from the Lord confirming that the Church of God was indeed the church of the Bible. Later that year, he was appointed assistant pastor by then-Pastor-Overseer Bishop A.L. Brooks.
The following year at the Annual General Assembly in Cleveland, Tennessee,
Brother Stephens was named Overseer of the church in the Virgin Islands. 

After several years of worshipping at Fish Wharf, an unforgettable rainstorm flooded the building. The annual convention of May 1960 was in progress, which propelled the members to initiate a major building program—spearheaded by Pastor Stephens and the Finance and Appropriations Committee. Negotiations led to the acquisition of land at #20 Gamle Gade, and with the full cooperation of the members and community, the church building and parsonage were soon erected. By May 1961, exactly one year after the Fish Wharf flooding, the construction of Gamle Gade was completed and dedicated.

Other churches had been organized in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, such as #262 Hospital Ground on November 28, 1974, and at C5 Hoffman on August 26, 1980, in St. Thomas.

The church at Hospital Ground, organized on November 28, 1974, and C-5 Hoffman on August 26, 1980, were both out of Gamle Gade.

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, became the springboard for the other islands. For that reason, #20 Gamle Gade can be called the mother of all Churches of God of Prophecy in the Caribbean. Since being organized in 1926, churches in the British Virgin Islands, St. Croix, and other neighboring islands were organized with the help of missionaries out of Gamle Gade.

The founding church at #20 Gamle Gade on St. Thomas was the largest in the region for many years until the construction of the Tabernacle Complex at C-5 Hoffman in 1977-78.

Hoffman’s History

The great C-5 Hoffman was not what it has always been! Let me take you back to the inception. The year was 1976, around 10 p.m., at the Frenchtown community center. It was a Regional Convention under the leadership of Regional Overseer Bishop Rufus B. Finlayson, Jr., and the place was on fire.

The spirit was moving, but the custodian of the community center was ready to go home, so during the service, they walked in shaking the keys for the center to let the pastors know that it was time to “pack it up”.

That experience placed a fire in the belly of some of our men, and when the convention ended, the overseer, Bishop Samuel R. Rymer, and some choice men went on the hunt to find a place to call home. By the blessings of God, C-5 Hoffman was found and purchased.

The groundbreaking of the Tabernacle took place in 1977, and the members vowed to have it ready for the next Regional Convention. Staying true to their word, the Tabernacle was completed, and the Regional Convention of 1978 was held at C5 Hoffman.

By March of 1979, Sunday School at the Tabernacle began under the leadership of the then Deacon E. Glaston Fahie. Some of the very first Sunday school teachers of C-5 Hoffman were Sister Joyce Icena Fahie, Jacinth Fahie, Caroline Woodley, Mabel Estrada, and Cecil Coker. During this period, revivals were also held at the Tabernacle by Brother Michael Greenaway, Bishop Rufus R. Rogers, and Pastor Petty.

On August 29, 1979, the Regional Overseer, Bishop Rufus R. Rogers, called on Deacon E. Glaston Fahie and Sister Caroline Cort to formally organize the church. From that charge, the Church of God of Prophecy C5 Hoffman was born with its two charter members, Alma Davis and Edith Raymo.

In its 40-plus-year history, the Church of God of Prophecy at C5 Hoffman has been under the leadership of some anointed men and women. Bishop E. Glaston Fahie initiated the congregation's leadership from 1979-1980. On June 29, 1980, Bishop Kenneth M. Benjamin was appointed as the head pastor of the congregation, and he led the church from 1980-1992.

In 1987, the Hospital Ground congregation merged with C5 Hoffman, and Bishop Aludus Todman, the pastor of the Hospital Ground congregation, became Associate Pastor to Bishop Benjamin. In 1992, Bishop Aludus Todman became the head pastor, and he stayed in leadership until 1995 under Bishop Amos W. Carty Sr., the Regional Overseer from 1992-1997. In 1995, Bishop Amos W. Carty, Sr. appointed Bishop E. Glaston Fahie (the longest-standing pastor of C5 Hoffman), who led the congregation until 2009.

In 2009, Bishop Whitbourne E. Hutchinson and Pastor Ingrid Hutchinson became co-pastors of the congregation and served with Bishop Kenneth Benjamin as Associate Pastor until 2017. Pastor Ingrid Hutchinson, with Associate Pastor Bishop Kenneth Benjamin, served from 2017 to 2018. Then, in 2018, Bishop Kenneth became the head Pastor of the congregation again, serving alongside Associate Pastor Ingrid A. Hutchinson until 2020.

Finally, in 2020, our present leader, Bishop Dr. Carswell A. Leonard, returned to his homeland and accepted the call to lead this great congregation you see today. And from that leadership, the Oasis Church of God of Prophecy was born!

We’ve come a long way from the Frenchtown Community Center and grown from two charter members. We persevered through good times, bad times, war, and pandemic, and we’re still here. As Richard M. Gunn penned so eloquently in 1944, “She’ll be shining, / shining through the ages, / After Earth and time have been forgotten; / She’ll be wearing garments pure and spotless, / Have you on the wedding robe / or have you not?” ~ (When the Church of God Arises (Instrumental Track With Lyrics)).