Avia Ustanny, Outlook Writer

Pastor Michael Harvey is now in charge of the North Jamaica Mission of the SDA Carib Union. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

At age 24, when Michael Harvey set off to enrol at college, all he had as supplies was one cup, saucer, one knife and fork and a Dutch pot given to him by his mother.

For a long time before that, ever since he was ten years old, Harvey, the eldest son of five children, had been helping as a breadwinner for his family. At age ten, his father - up to then an excellent source of support to his children's mother - got married to another woman and departed for the United States and from his children's lives.

Michael, born in 1964 in Red Hills, Westmoreland, to Mervilyn Brown, was to be of great assistance to this strict women and hard-working dressmaker, one who could barely afford to feed her children. It was a relief for her when he started working to help put food on the table.

Washing Buses

Harvey recalls, "There was a man called Tulsie who owned a lot of buses. I started out washing them, then I learned to drive and was asked to be a conductor on the bus travelling from Westmoreland to Kingston."

Right through attendance at Mount Grace All-Age School and Frome Secondary, Michael helped his mother to put food on the table assisted his younger brothers and sisters to attend school. Most times, his mother did not know that he was spending so much time away from school working, but she appreciated the help.

Michael Harvey left school without the reading skills of his peers, but he was employed as a full-time worker at Frome Sugar Estate. He recalls that he was quite satisfied with himself. He was also a champion domino player in his hometown.

Life Change

But, on August 10, 1985, Michael Harvey was baptised during an Seventh-day Adventist campaign in his district. It was to change his life in many ways. If he did not answer the call, he recalls, "I felt I would have died."

The most immediate effect was his desire to learn to read. Eager to keep their new convert, the leader of the Coote Savannah SDA kept giving Michael work to do, including the teaching of adult Sabbath school. Terrified that everyone would discover his handicap, Michael one day spread his lesson book on the bed and told God that if he helped him to do well, he would serve him always.

Others, faced with the same

challenge, would have found it a very good reason to leave church. For Michael, this would be just one of many challenges posed by his belief in God that he would tackle and come out the victor. Soon appointed a deacon, Michael Harvey learned to read at the same time as he learned to teach and soon was receiving commendations from men and women much older than himself. A local school principal also took it upon herself to correct his English after sermons. He eagerly took her advice on every occasion.

By the time he was ready to go to college, the lack of money seemed just one more hurdle to overcome. The greatest problem, Harvey recalls, was that he was still supporting his brothers and sisters financially. He prayed and asked God for his next oldest brother to get a job. When this happened, Harvey took this as a sign that he should go to school.

In September 1988, Michael Harvey arrived at West Indies College (now the Northern Caribbean University) in Mandeville with his clothes in a Dulcimenea (old-type suitcase) with a broken latch, the utensils from his mother and the required deposit of $350. However, the school fee was $32,000 and he did not have it.

"I told the registrar that I was prepared to do anything necessary to pay the fee. She sent me to the cannery where bread and cornflakes was made," Harvey recalls. In the cannery, he worked 12 hours each day for $250 an hour- money that went directly to his tuition debt. In order to eat, a friend who worked in the bakery would give him bread and he would give the friend cornflakes dust porridge which he made for both of them. On the Sabbath, both men ate their only balanced meal provided by another friend who worked in the cafeteria on this day. Michael Harvey wanted to be a minister and spent one year qualifying to do a degree in theology with a minor in history. Working and going to school was very challenging. Always, he faced the challenge of getting additional funds to pay off his tuition and eat. Later, he was fortunate to earn a series for scholarships

When a friend suggested that he try for a scholarship which was available to students who worked as literature evangelists in Kingston, he was at first hesitant - having never sold anything before. By the end of his first summer however, he was the leading salesman and had won a scholarship for the next school year - a period during which he was also employed as resident hall advisor.

Michael Harvey graduated from West Indies College the leading canvasser (book seller) while still making the college's Honour roll in June 1993. On July 1, he was officially employed at the West Jamaica Conference centre as associate publishing director - a rare achievement for a new graduate.

After some conflict with his supervisor, Harvey was sent to the Jointwood circuit of churches in St. Elizabeth. For one year and one month, he pastored nine churches until he was called back to West Jamaica Conference to work as director of publishing. He stayed in this position from 1995 to 2000, pushing his department to the first position in the West Indies Union. In November 2000, he was asked to serve as youth director and worked in this capacity until November 2005 when he was elected president for the North Jamaica Mission.

This, Michael Harvey credits to God. He also thanks his long list of mentors which include president to the NCU Herbert Thompson, Dr. Patrick Allen, president of the West Indies Union and Pastor Glen Samuels who he said has influenced his evangelistic skills. His best friend, Keith Morris, has also been a source of motivation, he states.

"I often say to people that the world cannot stand in the way of a person who knows where he or she is going." He also uses as his motto, 'Service is the rent one pays for one's existence'. The church rewards hard work, he also notes.

Harvey, who went back to school in 2003 to get a masters in counselling psychology, is married to teacher Loyda Broomfield. The couple are the parents of ten year old Yolisa and 8 year old Michael Jr.

Ordained on August 22, 1998, Pastor Harvey states that the call to ministry t leads to sacrifices." God, he adds, "does not call lazy people."

In his new role, he has responsibility for 15,000 members in 76 churches. There is also one high school and two preparatory schools. There is much to do, but the son of Mervilyn Brown has never run away from a challenge.

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