Pastor Wayne Maynard was born and raised on the island of Nevis. He had the privilege of growing up in a pastor’s family where he was moulded and taught the things of God. He accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour at an early age and was actively involved in the ministry of the Shiloh Baptist Church in a variety of different areas including playing the piano, preaching and working with young people. His adolescent years were greatly impacted through mentoring from his youth leader, healthy relationships with other young people who were serving God and his years in the Nevis Cadet Corp.
He excelled academically in both high school and sixth form achieving the best results on the island at both levels. He furthered his education in the USA where he received both a Bachelor’s and Master Degree in Computer Science and Information Systems Technology respectively.
He married his best friend, Shennetter Smith in 1999 and they began their new life together in Virginia where they attended the Crossroads Baptist Church. This church helped them tremendously to grow spiritually through challenging preaching and good Christian examples. Their union produced two beautiful children, Mikaela (15) and Micah (11).
During a successful fifteen year career as a software engineer, Pastor Maynard felt the call of God on his life to be involved in full time ministry in the work of God. He began making plans to return home to Nevis, where he felt God wanted him and his family to serve. That transition was completed in February, 2015. He became the Senior Pastor of the Shiloh Baptist Church in October 2015 where he continues to serve in a variety of different areas including directing the choir and leading other ministries. He is passionate and dedicated to the cause of seeing the work of God grow and is thrilled to have a part in seeing that happen.
It began with the call of God on a young man’s life, Pastor Eric Maynard, who at the age of twenty surrendered to preach two years after being saved at the First Baptist Church in Brick Kiln. He prepared himself for full time ministry at Bluewater Bible College in St. Thomas and returned home to serve in his native land. He was joined by Marilyn, who married him in 1971 and together they embarked on this journey, a journey filled with uncertainty and the unknown. One thing they knew was that God was with them and that was enough.
On his 24th birthday, July 25th, 1971, Pastor Maynard started a Sunday School at the big rock in Craddock Road. He and his wife laboured faithfully and ministered to many children in the community. You would be hard-pressed to find a child there who was not impacted.
As the Sunday School grew, a tent was erected that was known for its sandy floor and mosquitoes. Truly, not the most comfortable place to meet, but Pastor Maynard pressed on. In these humblest of beginnings, his thoughts must have been fueled with passion from the calling God placed on his life.
The Sunday School ministry grew with the desire to quickly organize into a church once ten faithful members could be attained. But as that number was achieved, very soon after the effects of migration would cause the membership to drop. This cycle continued repeatedly until Pastor decided to organize with nine members on October 22nd, 1974. What a special day that was! There was no question in those faithful charter members’ minds that with all of the setbacks, Jesus had to be at the center of their endeavour.
This new church pressed on with its energetic and visionary pastor eager to accomplish great things for God. As the ministry grew, so did the opposition. The devil was not going to sit idly by without forming his alliances and bringing opposition from every side.
The parents of children who attended were pressured by others to disallow their children from coming, especially when they desired to be baptized. When plans for the new building started, there were those objected to the church being built in this community. Duty-free concession was denied on building materials provided for construction. What the opponents didn’t realize was that amidst the pressure, struggles, trials and opposition, our pastor had a supernatural peace and confidence that when God is for me, who can be against me?
Construction for the first auditorium (now a fellowship hall), was completed on May 30th, 1976. This created a platform for the church to really grow. God began adding families and people who were distinctive in their walk and desire to serve God. After all, their determination and strength of conviction to serve God had been tested by simply choosing to become members. And the trials were producing quality servants who were taking on the devil. They were learning very early that the trials were another opportunity to show a world that God is still God and we can praise Him no matter what.
As the church grew, it was clear that God was doing something special. You were known to be a ‘serious’ Christian when you joined ‘Baptist’ because of the stand you took. What others may not have realized was that the sincerity of the man of God, his love for the God and his willingness to stand on the word of God without apology produced a place of refuge, a haven where the hurting could find healing, the sin-sick could be saved and the burdened could become bold once again.
The ministry of Shiloh was known for its week-long revival meetings and vacation bible schools where hundreds of children enjoyed making crafts, singing songs and having the threat of a long broom-stick being waved over your head if you did not listen. One highlight of the year was always the anniversary program where an array of songs, poems and skits were put on with pride.
Lives all throughout the island and beyond felt the impact of Shiloh Baptist Church. Generosity was a quality that identified Shiloh. This burden for people of all walks of life led Pastor Maynard to start a ‘Non-national Appreciation Day’ held annually in the month of February. It was a biblical demonstration of love in the way Jesus taught.
When you have been involved in the work of God for a long time, you get the benefit of seeing His divine providence and His plan unfolding in ways you wouldn’t have understood before. As the devil tried to stop the building of the first auditorium, a series of events proved that everything was still working as part of God’s plan. In God’s perfect time, two lots of land were purchased by the church and what God started could not be stopped.
One of the traits of the founder is that he is a man of vision and he used this vision to challenge and inspire the congregation to heights and levels that others might have thought were too lofty for a congregation its size. Of all that had been accomplished to date with bus funds and building funds that produced Sunday School classrooms, nursery, kitchen and bathrooms, nothing would come close in magnitude to the brand new auditorium planned. This would be equipped with a baptistery, choir loft, sound room and living quarters.
The congregation began to pray and sprung into action, each one seeking to do individually what could be done and trusting God to do the rest. By now, the members’ faith had grown to have seen all that God had done already. Since He had led them this far to build one building against all of the odds, surely He could do it again.
Once again, the devil was not going to sit idly by. Right at the most critical point of this ambitious project, the economy took a serious downward turn. Steel doubled in price. Contractors and builders doubted and even voiced their inability to complete the project before the 2009 WIBF conference. Pastor Maynard wondered if this was a mistake but the faith and the strength of his wife would not let him give up.
Pastor Maynard took the godly advice of his wife and based on God’s leading took a giant step of faith and released all of the workmen who thought the building could not be completed in time. Ironically, with a smaller team of builders, the work progressed at a faster rate. He was emboldened by the one in whom we can find strength when we are weak. He found peace, safety and direction in the hiding place.
The new sanctuary was miraculously completed in nine months and dedicated on October 19, 2008. It was a time of tremendous joy and celebration. Once again, it was a lesson for the congregation that God uses challenges to put our faith to the test to show us what He can do through us. This joint effort was one of tremendous sacrifice on behalf of members and friends who prayed and gave, and gave some more. Only eternity can reveal the full scope of the impact of this labour of love and heartfelt giving that made this a reality.
On October 25th 2015, Pastor Eric Maynard had the wonderful opportunity after 44 years of ministry to pass the baton of leadership to his son, Pastor Wayne Maynard who returned with his family to Nevis after having lived in the USA for almost twenty years. God has continued to use surrendered and willing vessels to continue the work that was started. To God be the glory, great things He has done!
