Watch Night Service: A Catalyst for a New Year

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”. - Jeremiah 29:11 There are many traditions associated with the end of a year. One of the most important traditions in Christendom is that of attending Watch Night Service. Have you ever thought about the history behind Watch Night Service? According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Watch Night is also called Freedom Eve’s Service and is held on New Year’s Eve. The same source states, the tradition of Watch Night may be traced to the early 18th century in Moravian churches, when churchgoers began marking the occasion with a vigil to reflect upon the year past and to contemplate the one to come. John Wesley adopted the practice for his Methodist followers, who held similar vigils monthly with the full moon. It was given new significance among African Americans on December 31, 1862, when, according to tradition, slaves in the Confederate states gathered in churches and private homes on the night before U.S. President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was expected to go into effect, pending his signing of the document. The soon-to-be-free slaves stayed awake all night and watched the night turn into a new dawn while waiting for news that the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued, thus making all the slaves legally free. Church service on Watch Night generally begins between 7:00 and 10:00 PM and ends shortly after midnight. The services tend to be attended by family groups. Many attendees go on to New Year’s Eve parties afterward. Watch Night in Jamaica Have you ever attended a Watch Night Service? Watch Night services are special. It is customary for Watch Night Service to be somber and reflective; however, there is a bit of festivity which serves as the connecting glue for Christ centered and Christians. Growing up in a Christian home, attending church was the only option one had to shepherd in the New Year. At our church, the Jamaica Evangelistic Association, Watch Night Service began around 9 pm. Our Bishop, V.T. Williams, the founder usually was the one who preached at Watch Night Service. My dad being a deacon has his special seating arrangement, and as children we would sit just about anywhere, usually close to the back, where it was quick and easy to slip outside whether for bathroom purposes or to get something to eat. There is usually a robust praise and worship session to begin the night’s proceedings. It is not unusual for Watch Night Service to be a full church as many Jamaicans believe once they are in the House of God at the beginning of a new year then good tidings will follow throughout the year. It is always fascinating to watch the rush of folks into our church close to midnight. Having the altar call is also an important part of Watch Night Service as scores of people heed the call to leave their sinful life behind and turn over a new page for the New Year. Another major part of Watch Night Service in Jamaica is Water Baptism. It is unheard of for a Watch Night Service in Jamaica to conclude without a baptism; baptism is a public show that the individual has decided to follow Christ. There are also others who have decided on recommitting their lives to Christ and will request to be baptized. As children Watch Night Service was the event to look to usher in a new year. On the grounds of the church there were venders who came fully prepared to cater to the needs of the congregants. Once you stepped outside the church onto the church grounds there was a sense of hustle and bustle as vendors tried to get that last dollar. In some of the years there was a tent on the grounds of the church as the numbers attending Watch Night Service grew over the years. This made parking on the church grounds challenging so the earlier one arrived the greater the chances were to park on the church grounds as opposed to on the road side. One of my most vivid recollections of Watch Night Service was the vendors who sold roasted or boiled corn. I looked forward to having my starchy vegetable and cereal grain that has been eaten all over the world for centuries. It was commonplace as well to have soup on Watch Night Service. Watch Night is celebrated among communities by congregants’ gathering at their churches on the last evening of the year to attend special services that typically commence between 7 and 10 p.m. and continue through midnight and into the New Year. These services are regarded by participants as a time to reflect upon and give thanks for the departing year and pray for the future, a spiritual way of celebrating a largely secular holiday. Many churches embrace such services as an alternative to the rowdy partying and drinking often associated with New Year’s Eve. What was being “watched over” was one’s covenant with God. Those gatherings were a time for congregants to meditate on their state of grace: were they spiritually ready to meet their maker if the calls were suddenly to come? St. Mark, chapter 13, instructs, the faithful to be ever vigilant, because the hour of the Lord’s coming is unknown. The year 2020, Watch Night Services in Jamaica will be different. In consideration of the pandemic this has killed over 1.8 million people globally, including 300 people in Jamaica. The Jamaican government has instituted a nightly curfew at 9 pm under The Disaster Risk Management Act; the nightly curfew begins at 9pm and ends at 5 am. However, in Westmoreland which has seen a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases the nightly curfew begins at 7 pm and ends at 5 am. These measures are geared at preventing social gatherings and therefore minimize the spread of the contagious novel coronavirus. As a result of this restriction Watch Night Services will not be accommodated in the physical space. However, COVID-19 has taught us to be creative and many churches will be having their virtual Watch Night Services on various social media platforms, such as Zoom. As we adjust ourselves to a new normal, let us remember that God Almighty is in charge. As we ponder what is in store for this New Year, let us rest assure that the most High God is for us. May 2021 be one of enormous blessings both for you and your family. May the spirit of peace and good tidings be with you. May you be comforted and find solace in your faith. May the spirit of murder which has plagued Jamaica for decades be broken. May your dreams be realized and may God’s unfailing love be with you always. Happy New Year! In the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson, hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, “It will be happier”. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo #WatchNight #Jamaica