The Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church is looking for partners to help bring its Creighton Hall estate in White Horses, St. Thomas, back into productive use. We want projects that create steady income for the church, real jobs for the surrounding community, and lasting care for the land.

Location
Creighton Hall, White Horses, near Yallahs, St. Thomas, Jamaica
Land
Area and parcel relationships are being checked against current titles and survey plans
Access
Coptic Road, off the main road near White Horses; the Paul Bogle Highway runs to Kingston
On the estate
The church’s old octagonal church, several other buildings needing repair, mature trees, and recently cleared land
Stage
Open for early conversations; usable areas confirmed during due diligence

Why White Horses, and why now

White Horses sits on the coastal road between Kingston and Morant Bay. The new Paul Bogle Highway, named in July 2026, runs from Bull Bay to Morant Bay (Gleaner), and the government reports Kingston to St. Thomas journeys falling from about 45 minutes to 15 on the rebuilt section to Yallahs (JIS).

Large neighbours are moving too. In July 2026 the Gleaner reported that Seprod and the Musson Group plan a joint venture on about 3,000 acres at Belvedere, also in the White Horses district (Gleaner). For a partner, this signals growing interest in the area. It is not a promise of demand for any particular project, so we ask every partner to test their own market.

For a wider view of the parish, read our guide to investing in St. Thomas.

The estate

Creighton Hall has been the church’s home since the 1970s. In those years the estate was farmed for coconuts, bananas, yams, sugar cane, ginger, and timber, with its own reservoirs and sawmill, and the church opened a hilltop tabernacle there in 1978 (church history). Much of that activity has since stopped.

Inside the old octagonal church, with timber roof beams radiating from the centre and part of the roof open to the sky
Inside the old church. Its roof structure is intact in parts and open to the sky in others.

Today the grounds include the old octagonal church, a two-storey building, single-storey buildings, mature mango trees and stone walls, and areas that have recently been cleared of brush. Most buildings need repair. See all photographs.

Who we would like to hear from

  • Farm operators and agro-processors with a track record in Jamaica and buyers for what they grow or make.
  • Heritage, wellness, and tour operators who can create respectful visitor experiences on a historic church estate.
  • Training and community organisations with funded programmes that could use restored buildings.
  • Funders and diaspora investors who will back an experienced operator.
  • Surveyors, planners, and engineers who can help establish what the land can support.

What the church brings

  • Long-held land in a parish that is changing quickly.
  • Willingness to agree long-term arrangements, such as leases, joint ventures, operating agreements, or agricultural arrangements, rather than quick sales.
  • Decades of presence in White Horses and relationships with the surrounding community.
  • A clear, step-by-step process, with formal church approval before any commitment.

What we ask of partners

  • A track record you can describe and evidence.
  • A specific contribution: capital, operations, expertise, buyers, or funding.
  • A plan to hire and train people from the area where the project allows.
  • Respect for the church, its history, and the land.
  • Openness during due diligence, as we will be open with you.

What is not yet settled

Serious partners should know this from the start. The estate’s total area and the relationships between the parcel records are still being verified against current titles and survey plans. Which parts are suitable and available, along with boundaries, access, utilities, and current use, will be confirmed with partners during due diligence. We have not sought planning approval for any new use, and nothing here is an offer or a valuation.

How to begin

  1. Read the Creighton Hall opportunity and our partnership process.
  2. Send a short proposal describing your organisation, your experience, and what you would bring.
  3. Church representatives review it and invite suitable partners to a conversation and a site visit.
  4. Both sides carry out due diligence, then the church considers formal approval.

Propose a partnership for Creighton Hall

It takes about ten minutes. You will receive a reference number, and church representatives will reply to the email you provide.

Submit a partnership proposal

Sources

  1. Gleaner, “Section of highway in St Thomas named in honour of Paul Bogle”, 31 July 2026
  2. JIS, “Roadway to Morant Bay to be named ‘The Right Excellent Paul Bogle Highway’”
  3. Gleaner, “Seprod enters real estate with housing development in St Thomas”, 31 July 2026
  4. Wikipedia, “Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church” (history of Creighton Hall)
  5. National Land Agency records held by the church (land areas)

This article is general information for prospective partners, not investment, legal, or tax advice. Figures are as reported by the sources on the dates shown.