Jamaica Union of Seventh-day Adventists

This year’s report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has Seventh-day Adventist human rights experts concerned over growing state-sponsored or condoned intolerance toward minority faith groups worldwide.

"Who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies." This is the standard to which some young ladies aspired as they participated in the launching of the Girls of Eloquence, Morals and Standards Emerging into Mature Sisters – GEMS Ministry at the New Haven Seventh Day Adventist Church on Sabbath, April 13, 2013.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, Chronic Diseases or non-communicable diseases (NCD) are responsible for 56 percent of deaths in Jamaica annually, with 20 percent of them being cancer.

A Seventh-day Adventist school bus driver in the U.S. state of Louisiana has won the right from a federal appeals court to proceed with a workplace discrimination case over his observance of Sabbath. On April 10, 2013, Robert Antoine was granted a unanimous decision from a three-judge panel at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans against his former employer First Student, Inc., the largest school bus company in North America.

It can be hard to come up with a list of countries with the most egregious records on religious freedom when some of the world's worst offenders aren't even nation states. For its annual report of violators, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom counts 15 nations where abuse of religious liberty is "systemic, egregious, and ongoing."

Multiple baptisms will be the main highlight in the more than 720 congregations in Jamaica Union Conference as worshippers join members and visitors in the wider Inter-America territory in a Division-wide “Vision One Million Baptism Celebration Day” on Sabbath, May 4, 2013. In Jamaica, the activities for the day are coined “Elders and Other Passionate Disciples Programme”.

The Children’s Ministries department of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists continues to be guided by its mission to disciple every child. This is fundamental to their growth as productive citizens preparing for life in this world and in the Kingdom of Glory. Jesus found pleasure in blessing children and eagerly advocated for their right to have access to Him because they possessed the characteristics of those who were Heaven bound. In fact he identified with them when He declared “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (Mark 9:27)

Secretaries of Central Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists decided on International Administrative Assistant Day to serve the homeless and less fortunate. On April 23, 2013 secretaries around the world are treated and honoured for the work they do but in CJC they sought to share their honour by visiting the Good Samaritan Inn in Kingston to participate in serving persons a well needed hot meal.

Every fortnight for the past seven years, he has been limping with aid of a stick, for about half a mile from the bus stop along the Washington Boulevard to the Western District Post Office on Molynes Road in St Andrew. His mission: to collect his pension.

With much attention given to the care and protection of the nation’s children, the head of the Adventist Church Children’s Ministries Department in Jamaica, Mrs. Lorraine Vernal, is calling on the local church leaders in North Jamaica, to find ways of reaching out to underprivileged children, especially to those in Homes of Safety.

As Romanian legislators consider changes to the national constitution, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is sponsoring a mass promotion of religious liberty with a marathon of town hall meetings, university lectures and inter-faith consultations.

The Inter-American Division’s Youth Ministries department will be conducting its first online youth campaign starting Apr. 24, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. Miami Time from its headquarter office in Miami, Florida.

With five cops being killed by gunmen so far this year and the Police high command raising the national threat level for lawmen to ‘extreme’, one Clarendon-based police is adamant that the fight must be taken to criminal elements without fear.

Jevon Minto and Janiel Lambert were recognised as the top male and female students in the Department of Communication Studies (DCS) at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) on Monday, April 8, 2013. Each was donned in a burgundy blazer- a symbol of prestige that inducts the wearer into an exclusive club of high achievers.

Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Patrick Allen has described Pastor Kenneth Vaz as a learned and humble Servant of God during a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of the late former president of West Indies College (now Northern Caribbean University – NCU) held at the University’s Gymnatorium in Mandeville on Thursdays, April 11, 2013.

The Central Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has embarked on an ambitious and extensive social media and technology evangelistic campaign entitled ‘NOW’ - an acronym which means ‘Network of Online Witnesses.’ The campaign takes advantage of the proliferation of mobile devices and high speed data services, coupled with the reach of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

THE leadership of Northern Caribbean University (NCU) and the membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Cayman and Turks and Caicos Islands are mourning the loss of an icon, Pastor Kenneth Granville Vaz.

Two lay members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church who published articles in Adventist Review magazine in 2012 each received one of the Christian world’s top publishing prizes: Awards of Excellence from the Associated Church Press, an industry group. A total of 11 awards were presented to Adventist Review and Adventist World writers, staff and designers for work published last year, during ACP’s convention awards banquet on April 4, 2013, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Senior producer of ABC's 'Good Morning America' Sandra Aiken will be one of the main presenters at today's start of the annual Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Communication Symposium under the theme 'Show me the Ginger: Using Media to Help Jamaicans Remain Jamaicanly'.

The membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the former West Indies Union Conference – that is, the Jamaica Union Conference (JAMU), and the Atlantic Caribbean Union Mission (ACUM) which comprises the Islands of the Bahamas, Cayman and Turks and Caicos -- are mourning the loss of an Icon, Pastor Kenneth Granville Vaz. Pastor Vaz passed away to his rest on Monday, April 1, 2013 after a long and illustrious life as a servant of God and a friend to man. He was 93 years old.