Antiguan-born Christine Chiddick lives by the scripture, “Wherefore criest thou unto Me? …. Go Forward.” (Exodus 14:15)
By age 21 years, Christine Chiddick was already married with 3 children and suffering terribly from sickle cell anemia. She saw her condition as a woman wretched and suffering, and decided she wanted better for her children. It was the consideration of the souls of her three children that prompted her to answer the call of salvation at a Mothers’ Day service in 1973. Seven months later, through her steadfast travail and intercession, her husband, the late Apostle Conroy Chiddick, made Jesus Lord of his life as well. Souls then became the thrust of her life. One year later, she was miraculously healed from that disease and passionately began to labour in missionary work in the gospel field.
With over 40 years of experience in the ministry of the gospel, Chief Apostle Chiddick stands as the first woman and minister, in the nation of Antigua & Barbuda to be ordained as an apostle and the first woman to spearhead a ministry in the nation, founding its own Early Childhood, Primary (Elementary) and Junior Secondary educational institution. Apostle Christine Chiddick is a pioneer, a visionary and a passionate servant of God.
Apostle Chiddick’s service in the ministry, of over four decades, can be split into four distinct phases. The first phase of her ministerial service/work was from 1974 – 1985, where her ministry work was focused on her island, other islands within the Caribbean region and even in the U.S.A.Her ministry work in Antigua included:
- Outdoor Sunday School
- Ministry at the Home for Lepers
- H.M.S. Prison
- Red Cross School for the Deaf
- The Fiennes Institute “Poor People Home”
- The Mental Hospital
- Deliverance Youth Centre – a rehabilitation centre where she worked as a counsellor to delinquent youths.
- Bold Witness – an outreach ministry whose objective was to use drama productions to bring forth the gospel. Bold Witness was instrumental in the conversion of many souls in the island of Antigua.
In 1976, Sister Chiddick was ordained as a Missionary by Bishop Clare Brown of New Jersey and zealously served in that office. Missionary Chiddick’s gift did not remain confined to Antigua. Her missionary work expanded as she began travelling to other Caribbean countries such as Barbuda, Montserrat, Dominica and Jamaica preaching the word of God.
In 1979, Missionary Chiddick and her family migrated to Tortola, BVIs, where she was ordained Evangelist. From there she was enabled by Jesus Christ to continue working for the Lord in the Caribbean islands of St. Thomas, St. John (USVI), Virgin Gorda (BVI), Dominica and Grenada and U.S. cities such as Boston, Houston, Baltimore, and New Jersey.
The second phase of her ministerial work was from 1985 – 1996. Evangelist Chiddick’s family returned to Antigua in 1985, with Evangelist Chiddick still persevering in her work for the Lord. For the next ten years or so, her life would be spent in service to others. For two years, she was president of the Women’s Aglow local chapter in her community. Then her ministerial work took a shift in the form of community work in the lowest socioeconomic stratum of her society.
Evangelist Chiddick became Coordinator of the Grays Green Child Care Project in Grays Farm, Antigua. This project is a non-profit community-based organization which addresses the needs of the children in a low socioeconomic community. Under her leadership, with assistance from Peace Corps Volunteers who were on her staff, a day care and a preschool were established. Today hundreds of children are reaping the benefits of Apostle Chiddick’s vision.
It was while she was busy serving her community that she founded in 1995 Christians United in Christ, an interdenominational evangelistic prayer group and answered God’s call to go into full-time ministry as a Pastor. In March 1996, she founded the Prayer Faith & Encouragement Ministry and in 1998 was ordained Pastor under the covering of Apostle Elizabeth Hairston of the Rose of Sharon Ministries, Inc. Miami, Florida.
Pastor Chiddick’s focus broadened during the years from 1996 – 2005 to doing ministry work that empowered individuals, not only in the Grays Green Community, but also other communities within the island and the Eastern Caribbean region. This would mark her third phase of ministerial service. In 1996, she launched a Helps ministry in the village of Hatten (in the west of Antigua) providing food, clothing, school supplies, sewing classes (for young unemployed mothers needing a skill) and after-school tutoring for students in the village. She also founded a missions home in Freetown, another village (in the east of Antigua) providing Christian literature, counselling, Bible Study and Prayer for the villagers. Similar efforts were made to reach villagers in other villages (Old Road, John Hughes, Pigotts, Villa/Point, Greenbay, Grays Farm, Five Islands, Donovans, Cooks Hill, and Yorks).
During this time, Pastor Chiddick continued in her efforts to empower the people through the help of the Lord by conducting seminars, retreats, workshops and conferences for women and for ministers in training. Media in Antigua and neighbouring islands were employed. PFEM hosted a radio programme which was aired on three radio stations in two Caribbean countries: Antigua and Anguilla. By 2002 – 2003, work was being done in the Caribbean islands of Saba, Anguilla, St. Maarten, and Tortola (BVIs.), and in Suriname, Holland, Orlando (FL), and Miami (FL).
In 2004, Pastor Chiddick was ordained Apostle, the first minister in the nation of Antigua & Barbuda to be ordained as an Apostle, hence gaining the title Chief Apostle. Her ministerial work grew to another level. By 2005, Apostle Chiddick and a team from the PFEM gained access into the Carib Reserves of Dominica. The team was accompanied by a shipment of appliances, clothing, instruments, food and other items to bring relief to many impoverished families in the Reserve. Apostle Chiddick continued work there for approximately two years.
Finally, in the fourth phase of her ministerial work from 2006 – present, Apostle Chiddick’s two main foci for ministry work were in the area of Christian education and assisting churches who are in need of help. In 2006, PFEM (Cooks Estate), under the leadership Apostle Chiddick, her daughter and son-in-law, Pastors Alex and Thad Wharton, founded its own Government–approved and certified Academy, Visionaries for Christ Academy, educating children ages 6 weeks old to 5 years old. One year later, they added Primary & Junior Secondary departments to the Visionaries for Christ Academy, educating children ages 5 years to 16 years old. Part of the missionary thrust of the school was supplying scholarships to children from less fortunate families. The school was in operation for 7 years and closed its doors in June 2013.
Apostle Chiddick and her ministry (PFEM) continued to labour as missionaries. They committed to an annual Back-to-School Drive, where school supplies were given to children in their community; and also to an annual Christmas Gift Bag program where either gifts were given to children of the community or bags of groceries to families in need. They also also supplied food stuff and clothing to the AIDS secretariat to replenish supplies lost through a fire and donated food supplies to the Amazing Grace Foundation, a residential home for children with severe disabilities.
The years following, Apostle Chiddick travelled throughout the Caribbean region assisting ministers in building their churches and evangelizing (St. Kitts, St. Vincent, Anguilla, St. Maarten). Her travels also took her to the U.S.A. again. In March 2015, Apostle Chiddick along with Pastor Thad Wharton led a week of revival services in Moncks Corner, SC, USA as a precursor to the launching of another branch. One month later, PFEM – South Carolina was launched on Resurrection Sunday, April 5, 2015.
The years have brought with them many trials and difficulties for Chief Apostle Christine Chiddick and her ministry (PFEM Int’l). One of her greatest challenges was the passing of her husband and fellow-laborer, Apostle Conroy Chiddick in September 2018.
However, in spite of the trying times, she never backed down from any of the challenges that God allowed her to face. This woman of God continues to embrace the scripture, “Wherefore criest thou unto Me? …. Go Forward.” She looks forward to that which God has set for her and the ministry in the upcoming years. The saving of souls is still the thrust of her life.
