Our Mission
Our Story
Acts Mission International was founded by Pastor Winston Watson, a native-born Jamaican who was raised in New York. As a child, he had many encounters with the Lord. Knowing that he was called to ministry, he left his high-profile IT job on Wall Street to attend Bible college. Once, after being unsuccessful at booking travel to Europe, he decided to visit his birthplace instead. When the plane touched down on the island, he heard the Lord say, “Welcome home.”
A few years later, Christ Alive Church (which would become known as Acts Church Jamaica) was established. It began in Montego Bay in 2007, then moved to Kingston, and lastly has settled in St. Mary. The mission began as mainly youth-focused. Pastor Watson became a spiritual (and natural) father figure to many children and young adults. At one time, he counted over 100 youth that had lived with him at some season of life, being taught life skills and spiritual / ministry training.
Acts was a transient house church until 2016. That was when missionaries from the U.S. partnered with the organization to help raise funds for a permanent church home, discipleship center, and mission house in Galina. In 2018, Acts Mission had their first missionary team from the U.S. come to the island. Since that time, the mission has continued to grow in international support and impact.
Our Mission:
Doing the First Works of the Gospel
through four main areas of focus:
Student Sponsorships
In Jamaica, children cannot attend school unless they can afford to purchase uniforms and supplies. Seeing the need in our own community, Acts Mission developed a relationship with Galina Primary School and began to remove the financial obstacle from children’s education. Each year, missionaries are matched with boys and girls and in return, receive photos and updates to their students’ progress (also meeting them on mission trips). The leaders of the church foster consistent communication with the school through devotions and connect with families throughout the year, impacting the whole family unit with the love of Jesus.
Evangelism
Jamaica is very open to the gospel message. Our leaders and mission teams take full advantage of the culture of the island – hospitable, friendly, and polite – to carry the message of the Kingdom into businesses, schools, homes, and even the streets. While we welcome and engage the opportunities to meet physical needs and do labor, we also take seriously the Great Commission to make disciples. It is our privilege to preach the good news of the Kingdom, to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, and to be used by Jesus to set the captives free.
Church Construction
Acts Mission was a transient house church until 2017, when in faith missionaries raised $60,000 in 3 months to purchase this property at 5 Lighthouse Avenue, Galina. The one-story ranch was remodeled into a two-story “Mission House” with a total of six bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms, two kitchens, and a discipleship area. The two-car garage is converted every Sunday into the worship area. We are currently asking the Lord to send forth the laborers so that our construction needs – financial and labor – will be met to finish the worship center on the back of the property.
Supply Relief
Common with any island, there are not enough supplies to meet demand. Oftentimes, the limited supplies that are stocked are priced outside of most peoples’ means. St. Mary is both the smallest and poorest parish on the island, making it the most difficult to receive what is needed. Since the shipping costs from the US to Jamaica is extremely expensive, mailing supplies is cost prohibitive. Supply relief is one of the ways that missionaries have become even more essential to the ministry – when we make a concentrated effort to take a suitcase (or more) of extra supplies to leave on the island, much relief is provided to our brothers, sisters, and church.
