Growing up in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, the only girl in a family with four brothers, Shanda Pinnock looked at life logically and practically. Her family moved frequently and she describes the annual moves "being like a birthday party". Born to parents Arthur and Debra Cook, she grew up with modest means. "It wasn't until my early 20s that I realised that one pair of shoes doesn't go with every outfit. It also took me some time to find out that not every argument is solved with a punch and, as I gained girlfriends, I was shocked with the culture of tears and emotions." On the flip side, she always had a sense of security growing up with all brothers who served as protectors and best friends.
Now a wife, mother, and pastor of Generations Church in Mandeville, Manchester, she tells Outlook that her parents always taught her that pulling on God's strength was to be her only hope. She quickly found out the significance of that advice as they constantly moved around, financial troubles and uncertainties in her early family life. "There were days when I would see my mom in tears and she would say to me, 'Shanda, you need to find God because I can't be everything you need'. It was this fundamental teaching early on that showed me that the relationship with the Lord is a personal one. I saw God come through for me then as a child and for my family, and I still see His hands of provision in my life today."
Even though God was always an integral part of her life, her parents also taught her the value of work and good work ethics. At the age of 12, she got her first job washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant. The job only lasted two brief weeks as her height posed a problem (she was not tall enough to properly reach the industrial dishwasher). But it was this experience that allowed her to understand the importance of hard work and to appreciate all of life's opportunities and blessings.
Move to Jamaica
When she was 18 years old, Pinnock moved to Jamaica to attend Christ for the Nations Bible College in Montego Bay, for what she thought was one semester of school. However, Pinnock fell in love with Jamaica and a Jamaican, or as she describes him, 'the most amazing man that planet Earth had to offer', Dwight Pinnock. He was a student at the Bible College, who would later become her husband. They were married in 2004 and today she says he is her best friend and her biggest supporter.
They both felt led by God to plant Generations Church in Mandeville in 2007, and as they lead the church, it continues to teach them of God's love and grace. "I know God has shown Dwight and I countless times that we were meant to be and to not only see people enter into a relationship with God, but also how we are shaped by the process."
Children/motherhood
Their marriage was blessed with their first child, Adaeh, born in 2010. Two years later, she was joined by an energetic little brother, Daxon, and in the summer of 2014, the Pinnocks will welcome their third child.
Pinnock says that raising the children in Jamaica is a blessing because she thinks they will experience a deeper sense of community in Jamaica than she did growing up in Canada. "I love that playing outside is not restricted to the two months when there isn't snow on the ground. My desire for my children is not to just give them everything that they want, but to point them to Christ, who will become their source just as He is mine." She continued, "Motherhood has been a humbling process for me as it is a process of laying down your life to see that someone else has one. It's the closest thing we will get to understanding God's plan for us."
How do you spend your weekends?
As a pastor for a church, we spend it preparing for Sunday. Monday is our weekend. We try to make it a family day. Sometimes it is spent taking turns napping, and other times at the beach.
What is your favourite vacation spot in Jamaica?
Actually my favourite spot isn't one of the hotspots or luxurious holiday getaways that Jamaica is famous for. Rather, it is a cottage that belongs to a friend near Montego Bay where you get really bad cell phone service. I love it because there are tons of birds that my kids love feeding. As we arrive, I feel like my life gets simpler and I can concentrate on what matters most.
What is your dream international vacation spot and why?
I always picture myself on a bike riding through the streets of Greece. I have this magical picture in my head of what it would be like. But I know how accident prone I am and that I would probably end up crashing into someone's fruit cart and being yelled at in a different language. I guess that's why it's a dream vacation.
Who is your favourite author?
This might be pretty cliché for a pastor, but I love the letters that Paul wrote in the Bible. I think because I have been so changed by the power of the written words. I think I would have really liked him if I got to meet him.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
"Understanding brings grace". A lot of times, we analyse and become skeptical of people. But if you sat down and heard their story, you would find that you can operate on a whole new level of grace for them.
What is the charity that means the most to you?
We get the privilege of getting to know and be involved in many different causes. I think that, now that I'm a mother who ministers, charities with a focus on children would grasp my heart the most.
Shot on location at the historic Bloomfield Great House in Mandeville. The renovated 200-year-old Georgian-style coffee plantation main house now houses a restaurant and the occasional art exhibition or concert. It offers a spectacular view of Mandeville, making it the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of their signature French pressed coffee or a glass of wine enjoying the cool and tranquil breezes on the veranda.
Clothing from:
Jeng Beng
Shop # 4
2 Perth Road
Mandeville
