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Basseterre, St. Kitts – September 21, 2025 — On this Feast Day of St. Matthew, the congregation of St. George with St. Barnabas stands in solemn gratitude and joyful celebration of an extraordinary milestone: 53 years of pastoral service by The Very Rev. Rudolph Smithen, CSM, GCM, M.A., B.Th., L.Th., Dean Emeritus. His ministry, which began in Anguilla in 1973 and blossomed in St. Kitts from 1978 onward, has been nothing short of transformational for generations of Anglicans across the Diocese of the North East Caribbean and Aruba.

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A Call to Service

In 1973, Rev. Smithen was appointed Parish Priest for the churches of St. Mary’s with St. Augustine and St. Andrew in Anguilla. Five years later, in 1978, he arrived at St. George with St. Barnabas in Basseterre, stepping into a mission field that would define his legacy. He quickly set to work—preaching, teaching, administering sacraments, and building a spiritual home that fused discipline with warmth, structure with compassion, and reverence with community vitality.

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Faith in Action: Formation and Worship

Rev. Smithen’s early years were marked by rigorous instruction and unwavering pastoral care. Confirmation classes under his direction stretched over two years, demanding not only knowledge of doctrine but active participation in worship, Sunday School, and parish life. Those who persevered recall being better prepared spiritually, and their 1980 confirmation before Bishop Orland Linsey remains etched in memory as a moment of awe and reverence.

The clergy he trained, including Bishop Fleming, Archdeacon Isaiah Phillip, Dean Dwayne Cassius, Archdeacon Terrence Rawlins, Rev. Chris Archibald, and Rev. Alrick Francis, stand as living testimony to his mentorship and his keen eye for nurturing vocations.

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Building a Living Church

Under his guidance, the parish became a hub of worship and creativity.

• Music Ministry: Rev. Smithen expanded choirs, introduced the now-iconic red robes for the senior choir, and oversaw the launch of the Annual Christmas Concert in 1984—an event that has since grown into a fixture on the national Carnival calendar. A boys’ choir under Ian Hodge further diversified musical praise.
• Sunday School & Youth Formation: Flourishing under leaders like Clement Duport and Bernadeth Dolphin, the Sunday School thrived, winning spelling bees, staging picnics, and reinforcing faith through innovative stamp books marking church attendance.
• Altar Servers Guild: Nearly 24 strong, altar servers under his leadership were trained in discipline, ritual, and reverence, forming a Guild that reflected the solemn dignity of Anglican worship.

Rev. Smithen also supported organizations such as the Mothers’ Union, AYPA, Scouts, Brownies, Men’s Fellowship, ACWA, and others—each adding to the church’s rich communal fabric.

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Scouting and Youth Empowerment

It is my belief that one of the crowning achievements of the church’s success was the formation of the Boy Scout Group at St. George’s, led by Bernadeth Dolphin and myself, Calvin Pemberton. At its peak, nearly one hundred young boys filled the church grounds on Mondays, garnering admiration and positive attention from the wider community.

The Scout Group was strongly supported by Rev. Smithen, Parish Priest; Carmen Ward, Group Council Chairman; Mrs. Mary Simmonds, Council Secretary; and the late Keith Morton and Calvin Cable, who served as executive members.

Through this ministry, boys were exposed to life skills, traveled to St. Thomas, the US Virgin Islands, St. Eustatius, and Nevis, and even featured on the national television programme Community with You with the late Alphonso Bridgewater. Many went on to distinguish themselves in various fields: Dwayne Cassius, Terrence Rawlins, Hollis Prentice, Wallis Wilkin, Craig McDowel, Joseph Isaac, Tavo Sargent, Jeron Joseph, Jason Hamilton, Jason Amory, Geoffery Hanley, Andrew Smithen, Ogranville Brown, Delvin and Eren Martin, Calvin St. Just, Dr. Garfield Alexander, Gardner Elms, Kennedy and Kenrick Simmonds, to name just a few.

Rev. Smithen’s unfailing attendance at every scout function mirrored his commitment to every parish organization. During his tenure, the Lenten season and Christmas Nativity scene displays were introduced, and the Sunday School began the tradition of recognizing Mother of the Year and Father of the Year, legacies that endure today.

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Guardian of Sacred Spaces

Rev. Smithen also understood the importance of preserving the physical church as a vessel of worship and heritage.

• St. Barnabas: Under his watch, the roof was repaired, and vestry and bathroom facilities were added.
• St. George’s: He oversaw two major roof restorations (1984, 1989), the installation of concrete floors, the repair of pews and organ, the preservation of stained glass, the restoration of the bell tower and clock, and the laying of the majestic red carpet down the central aisle. These works, supported by the U.S.P.G., the late William Dore, and the late Eason Murray Pemberton, ensured the church’s continuity as a national monument.

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Shepherd of Vocations

Rev. Smithen’s legacy is also measured in the priests he nurtured. Bishop Fleming, Archdeacon Isaiah Phillip, Dean Dwayne Cassius, Archdeacon Terrence Rawlins, Rev. Chris Archibald, and Rev. Alrick Francis all received early guidance under his ministry.

I personally recall the encouragement Rev. Smithen extended to me. Though I pursued architecture, he often reminded me that he had seen in me the qualities of a priest. I remember vividly when, during Rev. Alrick Francis’s ordination, he gestured to me from the procession, mouthing, “You should have been here.” It was both a gentle admonition and a sign of his vision for those he mentored.

At age 20, he entrusted me to speak from the pulpit during the first anniversary of the Anglican Scout Group—a formative moment that spoke to his trust and encouragement of youth leadership.

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Mentor, Guide, and Friend

How can one describe such a man? For me, Rev. Smithen is among the four mentors who shaped my life—alongside Charles McMaster, the late Captain Errol Maynard, and my father, Eason Murray Pemberton.

Rev. Smithen was always the “go-to” person—for passport applications, employment recommendations, or rallying the church’s support for initiatives. He never hesitated to lend his endorsement, his counsel, or his blessing. I have no doubt countless others can testify to similar acts of guidance and generosity.

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Recognition and Leadership Beyond the Parish

Rev. Smithen’s service extended far beyond Basseterre:

• 1979: Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Antigua
• 1983–1986: Elected to Provincial Synod
• 1984: Appointed Archdeacon of St. Kitts
• 1985: Canon of the Cathedral of St. John Divine, Antigua
• 1985–2003: Chairman of the St. Kitts Regional Council
• 1992–2001: Chaplain of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew
• 1998: Re-elected to Provincial Synod
• 2001: Dean and Parish Priest of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Antigua

Today, he holds the esteemed title Dean Emeritus.

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A Living Legacy

On this 53rd Anniversary of Pastoral Service, the congregation salutes a man whose ministry transcended sermons and services. Rev. Rudolph Smithen nurtured faith, preserved heritage, empowered youth, and produced leaders who now carry forward the Anglican mission in St. Kitts and Nevis and beyond.

He is, in every sense, an apostle and evangelist of our time—one whose life reminds us that true greatness in ministry is measured not by titles, but by the lives transformed, the institutions strengthened, and the faith deepened through unwavering service to God and His people.

Congratulations, Rev. Smithen, on your 53 years of pastoral service.