Pastor celebrates five years
Used ‘diplomacy’ to turn church around

It has been five years since Reverend Perucy Butiku was ordained as the pastor of Jamaica’s Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, and in that time the house of worship has come a long way.
In order to celebrate, a special worship service was held on December 2.
Butiku was ordained at the Hollis Park Gardens Church on November 23, 2002 shortly after earning her Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
She joined Holy Trinity during a difficult time.
The church had been closed and the congregation was going through upheaval. “People were divided; there was finger-pointing. I used my diplomacy,” Butiku said.
At the time, the school and the church had separate administrations with little cooperation between the two entities.
But since Butiku was ordained, there has been a turnaround at Holy Trinity.
“We as members love her very much,” said Lee Shaw, Chairman of the Church Council.
Shaw, who is in his 70s, has been involved with the church for 50 years and said that under Butiku, things have improved.
“She implemented many repairs to the church and helped to increase the congregation when attendance started declining,” he said.
Under Butiku’s stewardship, the church has seen the number of parishioners increase from 10 to 65.
The school and church have formed a better relationship, as the principal and pastor now work together as a team.
Butiku also formed a Swahili Ministry, presenting worship services in Swahili on the first Sunday of every month. In addition to Swahili speakers within the borough, the services attract people from Connecticut and New Jersey as well.
The daughter of a Mennonite Pastor in Musoma, Tanzania, Butiku was one of 12 children.
She received her education in the United States, studying political science and broadcasting at Syracuse University, and earning her Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University.
After returning to Tanzania following her education, Butiku came back to the United States to serve in the Tanzanian Mission for the United Nations. While there, she became actively involved at Holy Trinity and soon began taking classes at General Theological Seminary under the guidance of her pastor, Reverend Robert Fritch.
Butiku said she was grateful for her fifth year at the church.
“I didn’t expect it, but God has given me strength,” she said.