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Thousands of Adventists
and visitors converged on the grounds of the Portmore Seventh-day
Adventist Church, on Sabbath March 21, for the culmination of West
Indies Union Pentecost and More 2009. Some 190 persons were baptized
at the church, with another 1340 persons across the West Indies
Union territory on that day.
Pastors preparing to baptize five precious
souls at West Indies Union Pentecost and More 2009 held at Portmore
Seventh-day Adventist Church on March 21. (clockwise from left to
right) Pastors: Nevail Barrett (CJC), Wesley Gayle (CJC), Dwaine
Scott (CJC), Samuel Lewis (EJC), and Dudley Mullings (CJC).
Pentecost and More, is
an evangelistic initiative by the Inter-American Division and for
the past two years the programme was a centralized one, in which all
the Unions participated in a single broadcast from a territory
within the Division, but this format was changed for 2009 allowing
each Union to conduct their own programme. In West Indies Union,
Central Jamaica Conference was selected as the host site.
Pastor Adrian Cotterell, President of East
Jamaica Conference, and Pastor Everett Brown, President of Central
Jamaica Conference, goes through the baptismal vows with the 190
baptismal candidates at Portmore Seventh-day Adventist Church. Over
1340 persons were baptized throughout West Indies Union on the day
of Pentecost and More 2009.
President of Central
Jamaica Conference, Pastor Everett Brown, welcomed all to the
territory of Central Jamaica Conference and to the largest Adventist
church in the Caribbean, the Portmore Church. In commenting on the
Pentecost and More worship experience, he stated that, “Today the
West Indies Union Conference is celebrating the power of the
preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Pastor Glen Samuels, Executive Secretary for West Indies Union,
proclaiming the Word of God during the Divine Hour worship segment
at Pentecost and More 2009.
The event was streamed
live on the internet through
www.wiunion.org . The webcast had a viewership of over 500
sites/individuals in over 15 different countries as far as Japan.
Pastor Derek Bignall, President of West
Indies Union, expounding on the need and relevance of unity within
the church to complete its mission. He was speaking at Pentecost and
More 2009.
Pastor Derek Bignall,
President of West Indies Union, welcomed all to the programme
including those on the internet and spoke on the ‘Importance of
Unity to the Mission’. The main scripture for his presentation was
John 17:21, 22, “That they all may be one;. . . , even as we are
one”. He stated that one of the marks of the Christian movement is
unity, and that it must be promoted and preserved because this is
our responsibility. “The purpose of unity is to glorify God. It is
the product of the cross. Today Christians are called upon to be
united, . . .diverse but with one purpose, one mission,” he stated.
Pastor Joseph Smith, Vice-President and Sabbath School and Personal
Ministries Director for West Indies Union, preaching under a big
tent in Portmore St. Catherine during the first quarter of 2009.
During that evangelistic series 105 persons gave their hearts to the
Lord.
Pentecost and More is a
first quarter evangelistic programme that fits under the three
strategic issues within the Division: the “Use of Technology in the
Church, Improving Church Image, and Growth and Consolidation.” It
was expected that each Union will conduct one church service on
March 21, 2009, with all the churches in the territory
participating.
Pastor Jaime Castrejon, Inter-American
Division representative, giving greetings on behalf of the Division.
Pastor Jaime Castrejon,
Inter-American Division representative, gave greetings on behalf of
the Division. He stated, “This Sabbath over 3 million brothers and
sisters in this Division is carrying out this programme, as men and
women decide to walk with the Lord in this Church. May this be a
memorable day within West Indies Union, Central Jamaica Conference
and your local congregations, as we worship our Lord together. May
our hymns of praise and prayer of supplication commend our new
believers and every one of God’s people until the day we shall meet
on the crystal sea before our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To this
we prepare ourselves today.”
Despite the fact that each union planned and executed the programme
at their respective levels, the intent of Pentecost and More was
maintained, that is; community impact/social intervention
programmes, reaching the highest levels of society, evangelistic
campaigns, baptism and nurturing programmes.
Elder Billy Watson, Treasurer of Central
Jamaica Conference, hands a bible to a soldier on duty in the Gravel
Heights area of Spanish Town. This was a part of a major outreach
activity, Prayer and Bible Distribution Drive, in the Gravel Heights
and Tredegar Park Communities.
Here in Central Jamaica
Conference we had a number of community impact initiatives which
included the feeding of the indigent. Two of the main outreach
programmes, however, were the Prayer and Bible distribution drive in
violence stricken communities of Tredegar Park and Gravel Heights in
Spanish Town and the Youth Health Fair and Symposium put on by the
Youth Department and held at the Willowdene Group of Schools.
Pastor Dudley Mullings, Director of Health
and Education Ministries Department at Central Jamaica Conference
giving health tips to two ladies, while a representative from Palms
Pharmacy administers a blood pressure check.
The objectives of
Pentecost and More 2009 were:
1. To keep evangelism and soul winning as the premier and most
celebrated activity of the Church in Inter-American Division.
2. To provide meaningful motivation and inspiration for all the
stakeholders involved in evangelism and soul winning.
3. To demonstrate regionally and internationally the dynamics
involved in soul winning, nurturing and retention in IAD.
4. To give general report and recognition of soul winning and
conservation initiatives.
5. To promote unity as an indispensable value of the gospel
commission.
Let us continue to work for the Master and fulfil the great
commission of salvation: that of winning souls. Ellen G. White
states, “The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of
men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the
gospel to the world” (Acts of the Apostles p.9)
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Article and photos by Kemar T. J. Douglas |
