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(Text of the eulogy read at the service of thanksgiving for Pastor White)

Only Four Remained (an introduction)

We are here today because of what happened to Henry Alexander White seventy-one years ago in 1933. Henry White had a life-transforming encounter with the Living Lord, and it was never the same again. Only four relationships remained with him from then until now: the relationship with his sister Gladys who knew him from infancy; his relationship with Stanley Karram; his relationship with Victor Jones; and his relationship with Rehoboth. 1933 was before he took on family--which meant so much to him. His most immediate family (Sister Olive White, David, Treasure, John Paul) remain the deepest of his earthly relationships, and they have given me the signal honour of chronicling his life in this eulogy. All his relationships touched Rehoboth, and Rehoboth touched all his relationships, for Rehoboth is the one constant from 1933 until the present.

Henry Alexander White was born in Comfort Hall, Manchester on the first day of April in 1915. He was the third of four children born to Albert White and Christiana Gibson, his siblings being Gladys, Joslyn, and Samuel. He attended school in the area of his birth reaching third year Jamaica Local by age 16.

At 17, he came to Kingston and had a desire to be a teacher, but took a job instead at the National Water Commission. He learnt masonry, and worked in the building trade before going on his own as a contractor.

When we look back now, we are able to see that above everything else, Henry White was a churchman, a church statesman. His life could be eulogized in other ways--as a family man, or as a businessman. But across this nation, in parts of England, in parts of the United States and Canada, the name Henry Alexander White or simply Pastor White means churchman. His church life can be partitioned in three segments.

PREPARATION (1933-1946)

The first would be the years of preparation--from salvation in 1933 to 1946. Most of those years, Henry was hard at work for himself. The hard work took a toll on Henry's church life, not that it stopped him from attending. In fact, he never missed a meeting, Sunday or mid-week. But he was often sleeping during the meetings, so much so that a concerned brother told him it was better for him to go home and rest. Henry was undaunted. He shook the sleep off enough to reply that he "would rather be sleeping in God's house", than awake outside (White 1989-1993). Every ounce of energy that he was able to muster after a hard day or week was given to meetings. He learned all he could from his father in the faith, Brother Stanley Harris. He helped Brother Harris in every way that he could.

His last major move of preparation for life in this period was when he took Muriel Mae Manyan to be his wife on December 31, 1941. From that union came Joy, David, Treasure, and Heather.

PLANTING (1946-1964)

Suddenly, much was expected from the team of five (or six) men that assembled at the home of Pastor Stanley Harris in 1946. Pastor Harris migrated and left the future of the church, humanly speaking, to these men. Henry White boldly assumed leadership as only a man of his stature could. Under his leadership there was a flurry of fruitfulness in local church foundings:

1947 Grace (Richmond)
1948 Spring Village (acquired)
1948 Carmel
1948 Hebron
1949 Rocky Point
1952 Elim
1953 Nazareth
1956 Olivet (Rock)
1957 Calvary
1957 Bethesda
1959 Hope
1960 Marlborough (Hopewell)
1964 Spalding (acquired from United Brethren)
1964 Duhaney Park

Added to that were those churches that he helped to establish overseas: England (Roundwood, Brixton, Heather Green), and in the United States (Olivet, Glory, Shiloh, Faith), and Haiti. He had even had an idea for a church in Toronto.

PRESERVING (1964-2004)

After giving up business to concentrate on the work of the church and denomination which in 1959 had become vested through Parliament, he sought to preserve the work: through constant visits to the churches local and overseas, and through his writings. He almost single-handedly wrote the following publications: the Ebenezer Bulletin, the Ebenezer Messenger, and various church manuals. After the first draft by Pastor Clive Afflick, he wrote the three published editions of the AGA Handbook and Statement of Faith (1969, 1977, 1991). When the Ebenezer Bulletin was handed over to a committee in the 1980s, he waited to see the publications continue. And when they did not continue with the frequency that was necessary, he in the 1990s began the Missions and Evangelism Bulletin, which was in fact the Ebenezer by another name. He was going to be sure that the history was preserved, and information to the churches was disseminated. It was his calling from God that no one could take away. And what a blessing that he did continue, even to writing his autobiography Crossing The Eighties which so many have read.

Understandably, during this period, church plantings slowed while he concentrated on preserving what was there. Also during this period, close working partnerships developed with colleagues in the AGA such as Pastors Lloyd Bewry, Curtis Cole, and Gladstone Clarke.

The most significant move to take on the preserving of the work was marriage to Olive Lucille Anderson of Bethany after his wife of twenty-one years passed on. That union produced John Paul who grew up in the new Rehoboth at 77 Constant Spring Road after the mission moved across the street from 66 or what later became Springvale Avenue.

He retired from active service in 1999. His accident in 1998 slowed him considerably. He helped in starting the following churches during this period:

1965 Lloyds
1965 Light of Life
1967 Sharon (Contrivance)
1978 Exchange
1978 Portmore
1978 Treadways
1993 Lillifield

In the AGA, Pastor White held these positions during his time:
Overseer
Chairman
Director of Home Missions
Director of Missions & Evangelism
Coordinator of National Men's & Women's Fellowships
Life Member Executive Board
Producer of Gospel Gems Radio Programme

He also served a number of educational institutions in and out of the AGA:
Merl Grove High School, Board member over forty years
Dunrobin Primary School, Chairman many years
Dunrobin High School, Board Member
Dunrobin Prep School, Board Member
Edith Dalton James Comprehensive High, Board Member
Jamaica Bible College, Board Member

ORGANIZATIONS
Jamaica Association of Evangelicals, President; Founding and Life Executive Member
National Crusades (Billy Graham, Ralph Bell, Franklin Graham, Barry Moore, Louis Palau)
Source of Light Mission, Founding Board Member
Jamaica Theological Seminary
Kingston Keswick Convention
Beulah Home For The Aged (AGA), Board Chairman, Manager along with Sister White
Christ For Jamaica Evangelistic Association
International Missionary Fellowship (Jamaica's first missions-sending agency)

AWARDS and RECOGNITION

Order of Distinction (O.D.) from Government of Jamaica (1983)
School Management Award from National Council on Education (2002)
AGA 60th Anniversary Award
AGA Constitution (to be published) dedicated in his honour
The HENRY WHITE BUILDING at Merl Grove High School
The HENRY WHITE HOME FOR THE AGED ( an AGA institution)
Awards and citations too numerous to individually mention from: the Associated Gospel Assemblies, Rehoboth, churches in England, churches in the United States, AGAPE Education Foundation, Portmore Gospel Assembly, Merl Grove High, the Dunrobin Schools, plus literary and verbal decorations from significant church and para-church organizations and individuals.

There is one person who worked with him form the beginning but is not here today. Albert Karram and Henry White at one time came to be called the "Dynamic Duo" for they were the AGA unstoppables. Pastor White concentrated on the churches, and Pastor Karram on the schools by mutual agreement; but they teamed up in common endeavours each giving unmeasured help to the other. And they lived just about the same lifespan--Albert 89 years and 7 months, and Henry 89 years and 8 months.

Pastor White is survived by friends and colleagues and loved ones without number, across this land, region, and hemisphere; related families, the Browns, the Goombs, the Gibsons; sisters-in-law Joyce Lindo and Ruby Anderson; grandchildren Darrell Ford, Enjelique, Daijahnah, Nadine and Peter White, Kristian, Matthew and Rachel Dench; sister Gladys Francis; sons and daughters David & Shyvonne, Treasure, John Paul; and his beloved wife of forty-one precious years, Olive, Aunt Olive, Sister White.

A fitting reward awaits Him!