Tue | Dec 16, 2025

Seven Eyes Stone Ministries making a difference in nooks and crannies

Published:Sunday | July 23, 2023 | 12:06 AMPaul H. Williams - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Pause
Volunteer Paula-Kay Campbell receives a certificate of participation from Pastor Ja’Vaughn Tayor of Central Gospel Chapel, where The Seven Eyes Stone Ministries recently hosted a health fair.
Paul Williams
Volunteer Paula-Kay Campbell receives a certificate of participation from Pastor Ja’Vaughn Tayor of Central Gospel Chapel, where The Seven Eyes Stone Ministries recently hosted a health fair.
From left: Theresa Ramdeen, Pat Graham, Pastor Ja’Vaughn Taylor, Millicent McKenzie, Dwayne Bertram and Davia Fairweather, some of the local volunteers at a recent health fair held inside Central Gospel Chapel at Allepo in St Mary.
Paul Williams
From left: Theresa Ramdeen, Pat Graham, Pastor Ja’Vaughn Taylor, Millicent McKenzie, Dwayne Bertram and Davia Fairweather, some of the local volunteers at a recent health fair held inside Central Gospel Chapel at Allepo in St Mary.
A community member holds a pair of shoes aloft while Maxine Foster and Hyacinth Smith, founder and president of The Seven Eyes Stone Ministries, which hosted a recent health fair inside Central Gospel Chapel at Allepo in St Mary, look on.
Paul Williams
A community member holds a pair of shoes aloft while Maxine Foster and Hyacinth Smith, founder and president of The Seven Eyes Stone Ministries, which hosted a recent health fair inside Central Gospel Chapel at Allepo in St Mary, look on.
1
2
3

“Years ago, our founders (Glen and Hyacinth Smith) witnessed the immense struggles faced by men, women, children, and the aged in underserved communities, particularly in the beautiful island of Jamaica. They were deeply moved … They knew that immediate action was needed to bring about positive change.

“Determined to make a difference, our founders established Seven Eyes Stone Mission. They assembled a dedicated team of volunteers, partnered with local organisations in Jamaica, and embarked on their first mission to provide essential services to communities in need,” The Seven Eyes Stone Ministries told Family and Religion.

The name was inspired by Zechariah 3:9-10, which says, “For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.”

They describe themselves as “a global mission’s movement of kingdom-minded individuals commissioned to serve and to promote faith-based and educational programmes wherever people have needs, in collaboration with ministries and organisations everywhere”. As “followers of Christ” they intend to go to the people “with the message of the Gospel”.

“We believe that mission is at the heart of God. The great passion of God is to reveal His glory to the ends of the earth through His people as we proclaim His gospel and display His magnificence. This is our purpose, and this is the purpose in which all who are redeemed must be involved,” they share. Their vision is “to promote faith-based and educational programmes wherever people have needs, in collaboration with ministries and organisations everywhere”.

Bringing together people of all nationalities and backgrounds to make a difference in the lives of others, it is about economic, physical, and spiritual growth, and the introduction of people to the “boundless love and compassion of God”. They provide free medical care, training, food, clothing, support for micro-enterprises, and “a message of hope rooted in faith”. They organise life-saving medical mission clinics, facilitate educational seminars (health education, and human and sex-trafficking awareness), pray, and provide spiritual guidance and support for local ministries.

The buttress of the ministries’ missions is its local and international long-term volunteers.

“They have gone above and beyond, sharing their skills, compassion, and the love of God with every person they encounter. Their tireless efforts have helped us reach even the most marginalised communities, leaving no one behind … Their unwavering dedication has been instrumental in our growth and impact in Jamaica and beyond,” Seven Eyes Stone says, “We also extend our deepest gratitude to all our partners in Jamaica who have collaborated with us to bring about lasting change. We are forever grateful.”

The Seven Eyes Stone Ministries has grown out of a romance that germinated and bloomed in the early 1980s. Then, Jamaica-born Glen Smith came on vacation in Jamaica where he met Hyacinth Smith. They got married in 1982. The following year Hyacinth joined Glen in the US in 1983, “bringing with her the vibrant spirit of Jamaica and a shared vision for making a difference in the lives of those in need”.

Their children were born in the United States, and “parenthood ignited within them an even deeper sense of compassion and responsibility toward creating a better world for future generations”. “It was during this transformative period that Glen Smith received a profound vision from God, an undeniable calling to return to Jamaica and establish an organisation that would bring hope, healing, and transformative change,” Seven Eyes Stone says.

“They rallied a dedicated team of volunteers, leveraged their expertise and resources, and set out to make a lasting impact in the lives of men, women, children of all ages. Their shared vision became the guiding light for our organisation’s inception,” Seven Eyes Stone says further.

Seven Eyes Stone Ministries’ missions to Jamaica is in its 23rd year. There is one main trip each year and it includes several outreaches, and depending on the year, there are smaller in-between trips. They have just concluded the main trip for 2023. Communities that benefited this time around were Allepo, St Mary; Boundbrook, Zion Hill, and Port Antonio in Portland; and Bath in St Thomas.