Outstanding Vincentian women honoured at Faith Temple Church

One thing Norma Keizer, Esther Thom and Elaine Reece have in common is that they have all lived at New Montrose for approximately five decades.{{more}} Another is that they have each provided outstanding service to the nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Last Sunday, the Women’s Ministries of the Faith Temple Church paid tribute to the three women, as part of a Week of Festivities being put on by the church group.

Keizer, a retired educator and former Managing Editor of SEARCHLIGHT was honoured for dedicated service in the field of Education and Media in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Most of Keizer’s 36 years as an educator were spent at the Girls’ High School (GHS), to which she was first appointed in 1954. When she retired in 1990, she had risen to the post of Headmistress, an office she held for 15 years.

As Headmistress, Keizer presided over a period of tremendous growth and achievement at the school and had the opportunity to influence and mould the lives of over 3,000 young women.

In 1995, she was one of the persons who founded Searchlight newspaper and took up the position as its first Managing Editor.

In thanking the Women’s Ministries for the honour, Keizer, a former student of the GHS said “High School made me, and I, as a High School girl, was always anxious for High School to be first…”

She thanked the women of Faith Temple, “for deciding to honour me this morning. I am a member of the Faith Temple community and I am very glad that I was recognized.”

Esther Thom, one of the founding members of the Faith Temple Church, after receiving her recognition for dedicated service and encouragement in the Kingdom of God, thanked the church for the award.

She said she gives God praise and continues to pray for the youth of St Vincent.

“I hope and pray that the young people, instead of following the world, will serve the Lord, who blesses us. God never fails us…. As long as I live, I will serve him with all my heart.”

Thom lost her mother when she was five years old, but being instructed in the fear of the Lord at home and at the Kingstown Gospel Hall, she was able to surmount several perilous situations, which she often testifies about, including attempted rape on two occasions, almost being drowned, and living in an actively demonically haunted house, for about one month, in Aruba.

She was protected by the Lord in all these instances and came to no harm. This developed in Thom a fearlessness for situations that would frighten most other persons.

Shortly after Thom and her family returned to St Vincent from Aruba, they became part of the revival moment and transitioned from the Bretheren to the “Full Gospel”.

One day, in 1967, not too long after the Streams of Power Church at Sion Hill was established, Thom is said to have stood at Sion Hill and prayed that a church also be established at New Montrose. A few months later, she learned that a church was to be established on the same street where she lives. That church later became known as the Faith Temple Church.

That church became the church home for her and her family. She served in the women’s ministry, in exhortation, in prophetic revelation and as a Sunday School teacher for many years,

One particular area of her ministry is to pray for ministers of the Gospel and also the leaders of the land. Her assistance was therefore needed to assist with the birthing of the Living Water Ministries International. She is now a member of that assembly.

Thom is described as being a good listener and having the gift of the discernment of spirit.

The third honoree was Elaine Reece, daughter of Prophetess Thom. She was honoured for her contribution to education, the family and Faith Temple Church, of which she has been a member since 1967. She is a retired teacher, and is married and the mother of two children.

Reece gave God praise and thanks that she is alive.

“I hope that for the remainder of my life of earth, I can be a great blessing to others, from my experiences.”

She also thanked the Women’s Ministries for recognizing her.

The Women’s Ministries of Faith Temple have honoured other women from the New Montrose community in the past. In 2010, they honoured Alma Millicent Iton and Cornis Delbretha Sprott for their contributions to social work.