Shuttleworth gets filing extension in Tarrant Baptist property battle

Pastor Jeffrey Shuttleworth has been granted an extension of time by the Supreme Court to file further affidavits in the ongoing legal dispute with the Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU) over the ownership of the Tarrant Baptist Church property in St Andrew.
The extension was granted on Monday after Shuttleworth’s legal team made an application in the Supreme Court, which was granted. The matter, in the meantime, was set for case management on February 18, 2027.
The dispute centres on the ownership and control of the Tarrant Baptist Church property at 51 Molynes Road in St Andrew.
The JBU filed a claim in the Supreme Court in December 2024 seeking declarations that it is the lawful owner and controller of the property and that it has the authority to conduct a survey of the land.
The union said the survey forms part of a wider programme to register Baptist church properties across Jamaica under the Registration of Titles Act.
The JBU is relying on the Jamaica Baptist Union (Incorporation and Vesting) Act, 1969, which it says vested ownership of Baptist church properties in the organisation.
The union contends that Shuttleworth, while serving as pastor of Tarrant Baptist Church, was assigned to the church but remained under its direction and control.
The dispute escalated after Shuttleworth indicated his intention to apply for a possessory title for the property through the National Land Agency.
In January 2025, the court granted an injunction preventing Shuttleworth from pursuing the application or taking further steps to claim ownership of the land until the lawsuit is determined.
Shuttleworth has rejected the JBU’s claim, insisting that the organisation has no legal rights over the property.
In court documents, he said he had been in possession of the land for almost 17 years and had carried out several improvements, including renovations to the church building, installation of solar panels, refurbishment of a radio station, construction of retaining walls, and upgrades to the basic school located on the property.
The pastor also said he had separated from the JBU because he believed the organisation had moved away from traditional Christian principles.
He argued that the relationship between himself and the JBU was one of courtesy and that the organisation did not have ownership rights over the property.
The JBU has maintained that it is the legal owner of the property and has the authority to exercise control over its lands and buildings.
The union represents more than 300 churches across Jamaica, with a membership of more than 40,000 people.
Shuttleworth is represented by Hugh Wildman & Company, and the JBU is represented by attorneys Emile Leiba and Kymberly Hanniford of DunnCox.
tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com