Rev. William A. Edwards

"With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation." Psalm 91:16

Rev. William A. Edwards (Pastor Eddie) aged 101 years, of Kingston, Jamaica, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Sunday, November 2, 2025 at the Medical Associates Hospital.

William Anthony Edwards was born in Ulster Spring, Trelawny on March 13, 1924. He was the fifth of nine children to the late Rev. Joseph Augustus Edwards and his wife Sytrequilla (nee Grant). Being born into a Christian family, he was taught the value of prayer and good behavior from his very early years. At age 14, he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour when he responded to the preaching of the gospel by the late Rev. M. C. Surgeon, an Evangelist Methodist minister who conducted a crusade in the Baptist Church at Ulster Spring.

William attended Calabar High School in Kingston where he excelled academically and represented his school in boxing and in playing football in the Manning Cup competition. After leaving high school he entered the Jamaica Civil Service where he had an illustrious career retiring as Senior Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax.

As a son of a Baptist Minister, William Edwards had no intention to follow in his father’s footsteps but God had other plans for him. In his obedience to God's call to ministry, he became the first local pastor for Bethel Baptist Church in Half-Way-Tree. He served next as pastor of the Tarrant Balmagie Circuit of Baptist Churches and briefly acted as Moderator of the Red Hills Baptist Church. After retirement, Rev. Edwards served as Moderator of the Hanover Street-Gardener’s View Circuit of Baptist Churches.

As a pastor, he was also the General Secretary for the Bible Society of the West Indies with the responsibility for scripture distribution throughout the English-speaking Caribbean and the Bahamas. He was the first West Indian to hold this office.

Reverend Edwards was also involved in many activities such as being the Treasurer for Kingston Keswick, Chairman for Source of Light Ministries, and Broadcaster on the radio program "Christ For Today" for the Jamaica Baptist Union, among others. Over the years, he was sought after as an elocutionist and was a speaker, singer, and Master of Ceremonies.

After 30 years of pastoral ministry, Rev. William Edwards made himself available to be used by God and preached in several churches way into his nineties. In 2011, Pastor Eddie wrote and published his autobiography "Life What A Journey". After the COVID-19 pandemic, he continued to preach and teach in person and on Zoom.

In his private life, William married Mavis (nee Samuels) and the union of 49 years produced three children - Jeanette, Dale, and Colin. Theirs was a model family that was honoured by Harmony in the Homes Movement in 1985. In 2012, after 10 years of widowhood, William Edwards married Fern Anderson (nee Howell), his wife of 13 years.

William Anthony Edwards ... father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had always liked to be known as a servant of God.

You may also: (1) Read more about him from his facebook profile page @ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100027228955101 and (2) View his funeral service @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR1rjsBRrUM