One Video Of A Jamaican Choir March Around The Church Sanctuary & Two Videos Of A New Jersey Church Choir March Around)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision - September 5, 2026

This is Part III of a three part pancocojams post about Black church choir "march arounds" during the church service.

Part III showcases one video of what I refer to as a "march arounds" by the youth choir of 

a Jamaican Free Baptist Church.

This post also showcases two videos of the choir of First United Tabernacle International Ministries' (Orange, New Jersey) performing a march around.

Selected comments from the discussion threads of these videos are also included in this post. (Note that a commenter in one of those discussion threads for the New Jersey church shared that the pastor of that church is Jamaican. That information helps explain why the choir performed a march around since this doesn't appear to be the custom of Black American choirs that don't have any Jamaican (or other Caribbean background).

This post also includes my description of a church choir "march around" that I observed in Pleasantville, New Jersey (near Atlantic City) on March 10, 2019.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/five-videos-of-jamaican-church-choirs.html for Part I of this series. Part I showcases several videos of Jamaican church choirs marching around their sanctuary during church service. Selected comments from some of the discussion threads of these videos are also included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/video-of-black-canadian-church-choir.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II provides some information about Jamaicans in Canada and showcases a video of a Black Canadian church choir marching around the sanctuary during a church service for that church's collection. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post. A number of those comments note that this "march around" style is from Jamaica.

The content of this post is presented for cultural and religious purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/black-church-marches-processions-by.html for Part I of a pancocojams series that presents information about possible cultural influences on Black (African American) church usher, nurses, or choir processions. The links to the other posts in that series are found in that post.

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DESCRIPTIONS OF WAYS CHOIRS "MARCH AROUNDS" ARE PERFORMED
1. The church choir leaves the choir stand during the offering. They "march" in a single file while singing and continue up the left hand aisle. The choir then continues singing and marching down the center aisle pass two men standing in the front who hold the offering plates. Choir members put their offering in one of the plates while they continue singing and marching back up to the choir stand.

The rest of the congregation is standing singing along with the choir throughout this entire time. Some members of the congregation clap along with the song, hold their arm up. Some choir members and some members of the congregation may show that they are touched by the spirit (get happy, go in). If this occurs with a choir member, the person in back of that choir member helps that person along so that she or he continues moving in the line during the march around.

2. All of the above applies to this way of doing "march arounds" except that after the choir moves down the center aisle, they then move down the aisle on the right hand side and then move down the center aisle. At that point they give their offering and then return to the choir stand.  

The church choir may do a march around, in part, as a way of giving their collection. (Based on some YouTube videos) it appears that some church choirs in Jamaica do march arounds apart from collections to demonstrate their praise toward God and, in so doing, increase the presence of the Holy Spirit in that worship service.

Additions and corrections to these descriptions are welcome.

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DEFINITION OF CHURCH CHOIRS "MARCH INS"
"Church march arounds" differ from "church march ins".

"March ins" - when a church choir or other church group/ministry (such as ushers or nurses) march into the church sanctuary-usually from the center aisle- to mark the beginning of the worship service or special program such as that group/s anniversary or a convention.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
In contrast to a number of videos of African American church choirs marching in to the sanctuary to begin the church service, I haven't found any YouTube videos of Jamaican church choirs doing "march ins". If you know of any links to those videos and/or if you know of this custom in Jamaica, please share that information in the comment section below. Thanks!

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #1- Christian Warrior/Jubilee Medley

 

Jamaica Free Baptist Church Four Paths,  Jul 21, 2016

Youth Night - Convention 2016
-snip-

Selected comments from this video's discussion thread will be added ASAP.

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SHOWCASE Video #2: Jesus He Never Failed Me Yet Praise Break



First United Tabernacle International Ministries, Published on Aug 23, 2013

(FUTIM) New Jersey 

Upper Room Conference 2013
-snip-

Here's what I think the choir and congregation are repeatedly singing:

I have a God
Who never failed me yet
I have a God
Who never failed me yet
Jesus he never failed me yet
Jesus He never failed me yet.

[Additions and corrections are welcome.]
Here are very similar lyrics to this chorus: https://gospelchoruses.wordpress.com/2014/12/13/he-never-fail-me-yet/

"He never failed me yet.
He never fail me yet
Jesus Christ never failed me yet*
And everywhere I go
I want the world to know
Jesus Christ never failed me yet.

 

* This line may be sung as:

Jesus’ blood never failed me yet

or

Jesus’ love never failed me yet"

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Here are some comments from this video's discussion thread, with number added for referencing purposes only.
1. John Blackwood, 2013
"That man sounds Jamaican... Is he?"

**
REPLY
2. Melissa Fernandez, 2018
"Yes"
-snip-
I think that's very likely that this New Jersey church was founded by Jamaicans and/or that a number of people in the congregation are of Jamaican ancestry.

**
3. cclarke0786, 2013
"Praise Him saints.
The lyrics to this song are????"

**
REPLY
4. Steffi Solomon, 2013
"stumble and fall He never fail me yet, i did what i want He never fail me yet
Jesus He never failed me yet
Jesus He never failed me yet"

**
5. Crystal Chambers, 2014
"this video!!!!!!!.........Pentecostal in Worship, Apostolic in Doctrine"

**
6. ann D, 2016
"Powerful pure worship"

**
7. Gil Miller, 2016
"Bless the Lord. Is it in New Jersey or Canada? I am planning to visit there I'm from london UK."

**
REPLY
8. Rozell Vousden, 2018
"Gil Miller New Jersey"

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REPLY
9. First United Tabernacle International Ministries, 2018
"We are located at 425 South Jefferson Street, Orange, NJ 07050"
-snip-
Orange, New Jersey is about 24 minutes by car from New York City.

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10. IamKemi, 2016
"Can someone explain to me why they do that all the time? (choir dancing in the aisle) Is it a custom in their church?"

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11. Ronin Williams, 2016
"I want to come to New Jersey just to go to this church"

**
12. Miss Harris, 2016
"Phenomenal ....real authentic Pentecostal Worship xx"

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3: We Have An Anchor



First United Tabernacle International Ministries, Published on Nov 26, 2016

31st Pastoral Appreciation Celebration
Nov. 13, 2016

-snip-
Here's the words that are repeatedly sung by the choir and by the congregation:
"We have an anchor that keeps the soul
steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!
-snip-
This is the refrain (chorus) to the song "Will your anchor hold in the storms of life" that was composed by Priscilla J. Owens, a White American who was born in 1829. Click https://hymnary.org/text/will_your_anchor_hold_in_the_storms_of_l  for the lyrics for this complete song. 

Here are some comments from this video's discussion thread, with number added for referencing purposes only.
HannahYael, 2018
"It’s wonderful to see people praising GOD"

**
2, WWJD ?, 2018
"Glory to God , nothing like a Holy Ghost party !"

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3. dgreenja, 2018
"Good old time song"

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4. Black Love, 2018
"Wonderful. ..old time way of worship"

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5. Sylvia Hamilton, 2018
"Church like it should be! Praise God."

**
6. suebern330, 2018
"reminds me so much of Spalding New Testament New Church. Holy Ghost Pentecostal, my God I love it"
-snip-
Spalding New Testament New Church is located in Clarendon, Jamaica.

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ADDENDUM -MY DESCRIPTION OF A BLACK CHURCH CHOIR MARCH AROUND (CHOIR COLLECTION) THAT I OBSERVED IN NEW JERSEY (March 2019) 
by Azizi Powell, latest revision Oct. 14, 2021 
"St. Paul AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church is located in Pleasantville, New Jersey about 14 minutes from Atlantic City, New Jersey. Reverend Lynda T. Rassmann is the pastor of that church.

Description:

These choir collection marches ("march around") occurred after all those in attendance at that church -starting from the back pews- stood up and walked in single file to the front of the church for the main offering. People placed money in one of two gold colored collection plates that were held by two female ushers standing on either side of the altar. This was the second collection, the first being the missionary offering. For that offering, people remained seated and ushers passed a collection plate to the end of each pew.

After the congregation returned to their seats, the choir marched out of the choir stands in single file from the left and the right while singing the classic Gospel song "Highway To Heaven". The body stance of each choir member was erect, and not the leaning forward with heads down stance and chugging forward movement which was done by the Black Canadian choir from Abiezer Pentecostal Church's collection march as shown in this 2009 YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ5xSuIMfuo.

 After the two lines of choir members exited the choir stand, one line marched up the right aisle and one line marched up the left aisle. The two single lines met at the top of the center aisle. Then the choir marched in twos down the center aisle. When they reached the bottom of the center aisle, the person to the right placed her offering in the collection plate held by one usher, and the person to the left placed her offering in the collection plate held by the other usher. The line on the right and the line on the left then marched to their respective aisles. When they reached those aisles, the marchers faced backwards while moving up those aisles. At the top of the aisles, the marchers faced forward again and then marched to the top of the center aisle. At the top of the center aisle the two single lines combined to march in twos down that aisle. The combined line then separated at the bottom of the center aisle to march back towards the right and the left to re-enter the choir stand. When they reached the choir stand, they continued standing to sing their song.
-snip-
Thanks to my younger brother, Dr. R.E.B Manning, the director of St. Paul AME's choir and his wife Charlotte Manning, who is a member of that choir for confirming my recollections about this collection march. [phone conversations March 24, 2019, and March 26, 2019]. Both R.E.B. and Charlotte used the term "collection march", not the term "march around".

In my separate telephone conversation with them, R.E.B. Manning and Charlotte Manning indicated that every Sunday this choir marches in to the sanctuary to begin the church service and marches for collection.

Charlotte Manning also shared with me that she remembers choirs marching in and choirs marching for collection being customs that were done every Sunday at Baptist churches and at AME churches- including St. Paul AME church- that she attended/attends in Pleasantville, New Jersey since the late 1950s. Charlotte mentioned that there were some people from the West Indies who belonged to those churches, although her family wasn't from there. Charlotte also shared that the pastor of St. Paul AME in Pleasantville had Jamaican roots.

I was raised in Atlantic City, New Jersey (about 15 minutes from Pleasantville) and I don't recall observing any choir march arounds at any church that I attended. This is probably because I usually only attended my own church, particularly on Sunday mornings, and I only remember attending an AME church for a choir competition. I also don't recall ever attending an A.M.E Zion church or a church of any other denomination during my childhood and my teen years. However, I have vivid memories of choir march ins at my church (Union Baptist Temple Church) being done every Sunday (since the mid 1950s). And the choir march in custom is still done at that church to begin the (main) Sunday service (as confirmed by my youngest brother Kenneth Manning in a telephone conversation on March 24, 2019. Kenneth is a member of one of Union Baptist Temple's choir) . Although I didn't ask him that question, I'm sure that my brother R. E.B Manning would also remembers choir march ins at Union Baptist Temple Church in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

I also recall attending an anniversary concert of the Spiral Chorus, the church choir that my mother sang in and observing them march down the center aisle to the choir stand singing "Move Up The King's Highway". 

**The St. Paul AME Church choir is under the direction of Dr. R. E. B. Manning who is also the choir's organist. The other musicians who accompanied the choir are Kenneth Moore (pianist & saxophone player), George Thomas, (snare) drummer, and Larry King, tambourine player.

To be clear, the St. Paul AME Church service was much more sedate that the First United Tabernacle International Ministries church service. In contrast to the exuberant expressions by the congregation at First United Tabernacle, the St. Paul's the congregation remained in their seats and didn't appear to express themselves in any way while the choir did their collection march. Also, as somewhat of an aside, notice that females (especially women) at First United Tabernacle wore hats (covered their head which is an old church tradition that I recall at my Baptist church in the 1950s to around the early 1960s). However, I don't recall any female wearing any hat or head covering at St. Paul's AME church.

Disclaimer: This description doesn't necessarily mean that each of St Paul AME Church Choir's collection marches are always done this way or that all march arounds by African American choirs fit this description.

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This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series.

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