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Pastor
Joseph Smith, Vice President in charge of Conservation, Sabbath
School and Personal Ministries Director of West Indies Union, while
speaking on Evangelism and Conservation at the Elders’ Certification
programme. He was making the point that “the involvement of church
members is very critical both in winning as well consolidating new
members.”
April 20, 2008 saw 279
elders turning out for Elders’ Certification programme at Camp
Verley, St. Catherine. The programme is put on by the Ministerial
Department of Central Jamaica Conference in conjunction with West
Indies Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Pastor Orlando Patterson, Ministerial Director at Central Jamaica
Conference stated that, “Our goals for the Elders’ Certification
programme are to prepare our leaders to be more competent and
effective in discharging their duties in the churches, and also to
bring about unity in ministerial practices in Central Jamaica
Conference.”
This was the second of three training sessions planned for elders
within the conference. The first such training session was held in
2007 and the final one will be held October 5, 2008.
Pastor Levi Johnson, Secretary, Prayer and Conservation Coordinator
of Central Jamaica Conference, speaking to the elders about Church
Leadership and Administration. He was making the point that God
created church for worship, evangelism, service and fellowship.
Pastor Levi Johnson,
Secretary of Central Jamaica Conference, in his address on Church
Leadership and Administration stated that, “The pastor alone cannot
do the job of managing the churches because the average pastor has 4
churches with a membership numbering in the thousands, so the
pastors needs the help of his elders.”
The elders took the opportunity to garner in as much information as
they could from the various presenters. This was evident from the
rigorous discussions that took place after the presentations and the
lively question and answer segment.
Pastor Joseph Smith, Vice President in charge of Conservation,
Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Director of West Indies
Union, while speaking on Evangelism and Conservation said, “It is an
oxymoron to say that you are a Christian and not a witness. It is
like being salt without taste. Every child of God is called to
witness, to win persons for Christ, and the elder must play a
leading role.”
Other presenters were Pastor Orlando Patterson and Dr. Enell Hall,
Vice President and Ministerial Director at West Indies Union, spoke
on the topic ‘History of the Christian Church’.
- Article and Photos by Kemar Douglas/CJC
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