A gala double celebration will also serve as a major church fundraiser for Mount Zion AME Church in Southampton.

On September 10, the church will celebrate 15 years in its current location and 33 years of ministry by its pastor at a celebration at the Fairmont Southampton, commencing at 7 p.m.

The Church at 2 Mount Zion Lane, Southampton, formerly occupied a small building immediately to the south of its present location. That site was destroyed during Hurricane Emily in 1987. What could have been a tragedy turned into a benefit, as the Church was able to not just rebuild, but to rebuild with vision.

The size of the original Church was increased in order to accommodate a larger congregation. A multi-purpose hall, now called the Hayward Hall in honour of one of the Church?s longest serving Pastor, the late Rev. Samuel Hayward, was included as part of the new building in order to accommodate Church events.

Mt. Zion will also be honouring its Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Wilbur Lowe Jr. who has been at the church for the past three years. Rev. Lowe celebrates 33 years in ministry this year, and his congregation concluded that such a milestone could not go unnoticed.

Rev. Lowe, a former member of Parliament, is a man of the people and well known throughout the country.

In addition to being a preacher he is an avid cricketer, a sports fisherman and a lover of boats. His kind demeanour has endeared him to many over the years.

At the gala banquet, guests will be entertained by songstress Toni Robinson and pianist and former Minister of Music at the church, Dean Flash.

Tickets are $100 and can be obtained by calling the Church Office at 238-0284, or by emailing the office at