MRS. Louise Norton celebrated her 89th birth anniversary two Sundays ago with a thanksgiving service held at God’s Cathedral of Praise in East La Penitence, Georgetown.

Born on August 16, 1926, Elder Louise is really the matriarch and co-founder of the 35-year-old Lamaha Park church, which had originally been named Lamaha Park Church of Christ.

Elder Louise Norton was instrumental not only in establishing the lone church in Lamaha Park, but together with her husband, Pastor Harry Norton, played a key pioneering role in development of the community.

The church was established by the late Pastor Harry Norton in the mid nineteen-seventies, and is currently pastored by the couple’s second son, Rev. Timothy Norton.

Beaming with pride and joy as members showered her with love and greeting, the winsome octogenarian was asked how she felt about attaining the age of 89. She modestly asserted: “I feel good. I am grateful to God, and praise His holy name for bringing me to see another milestone.”

Pastor Timothy Norton, who conducted the service; his wife, Sister Anne Norton; Assistant Pastor Eunice Alleyne – Pastor Timothy’s sister; and a sibling named Lois visited from the United States of America. Pastor Harry and Louise have parented 12 children, several of whom are in the ministry, but two of them are deceased.

Passionate about living for the Lord and winning souls for His Kingdom, the couple had embarked on their evangelical pilgrimage some 60 years ago, and had maintained a constant walk with the Lord, never waning, but always trusting and submitting to His will and purpose for their lives.

Pastor Harry’s missionary journey started around the mid-1950s, when, as a young carpenter living at Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, he began travelling all the way to Vreed-en-Hoop on bicycle to fellowship at the Pilgrim Holiness (Wesleyan) Church. From there, he was called to take up the position of pastor at Adelphi, Canje, in East Berbice. He moved next to New Forest, also at Canje, Berbice, and was well on his way towards establishing a sound foundation that would take him around Guyana, preaching the Word. Other communities in which he later pastored include: Mahaicony, Vergenoegen, Uitvlugt and Parika.

A couple on fire for the Lord, Pastor Harry preached the gospel, and his wife, Sister Louis Norton, taught Bible classes and became Sunday School Superintendent, as together they responded to both the spiritual and material needs of the brethren.

Even before he was able to afford a motor car, Pastor Harry would somehow muster up the energy every Sunday to ride a pedal cycle from church to church, pastoring and preaching to three congregations along the East Bank Essequibo in one day.
It is said that behind every successful man there is a supportive woman, and as is evident, the contribution made by Mrs. Louise Norton in promoting the growth and development of the Church across Guyana, while taking care of her own family of 13, is phenomenal.

Of course, the entire family was brought up in the fear and love of the Lord, to the extent that some of the siblings opted to become pastors and others evangelists. It was a strict rule in the home that they all get up early each morning and gather together for devotion before starting the day’s work. As the children grew older, they would be given permission to attend events like shows at the National Cultural Centre, on condition that they got out of bed early enough to join in morning devotion, the couple’s children now recall.

Upon taking up residence in Georgetown, the Nortons’ next mission was to spread the Word around Lamaha Park, in Lodge and in neighbouring communities. They started by holding Sunday School and church services under bottom houses, until they were able to purchase from the Ministry of Housing two plots of land at Lamaha Park to construct a church and pastor’s residence.

By 1976, they had effectively laid the groundwork and begun construction of the church at Lamaha Park, which was eventually to become God’s Cathedral of Praise, and which is moving from strength to strength.

As Pastor Harry and Elder Louise Norton grew older, the couple migrated to the United States; and while there, fellowshipped at their late daughter’s — Pastor Yvonne Retemyer-Williams’s — church in Brooklyn, New York.

They would occasionally return to Guyana, during which time they played active roles at God’s Cathedral of Praise at Lamaha Park, East La Penitence.

After a prolonged period of illness, Pastor Harry died in the United States on August 21, 2012 at age 90, and his body was brought home for burial at Le Repentir Cemetery. Pastor Norton’s death came five days before his wife’s 86th birthday.

Following his death, his wife Louise returned to Guyana in the care of their eldest daughter, Asst. Pastor Eunice Alleyne, and other siblings.

At age 89, Elder Louise is of average health, but she is very winsome and is a joy to have around. She is hearing impaired, but sees well enough to be able to read her Bible every day. She has a taste for soup and ice-cream.

A victim of arthritic conditions, she moves around with the aid of a ‘walker’; but incredibly, she musters the strength and energy to climb a flight of 16 stairs at her daughter’s home. Laying aside the stroller, she would grip the bannister with both arms and pull her weight up every treader, calling in faith on the name of Jesus to take her to the top.

And just what gives her the motivation? “I delight in the things of the Lord, and the joy of the Lord is my strength,” she would say positively.