Written by: Kimone Thompson
- Pentecost 2009 Photo Gallery
The Seventh-day Adventist church in the West Indies Union territory is celebrating the addition of more than 1,300 persons to its membership in Saturday’s climax of the Pentecost and More 2009 evangelistic series. This is in addition to the more than 3,000 already baptised across the Union since the beginning of the year, under the theme, ‘It’s My Time in 2009’.
The Portmore Adventist Church, where the main baptismal service was held, accounted for almost 200 of the total baptised across the Union on Sabbath, March 21. The event was webcast live from this venue and was accessed by viewers from Japan and such other unlikely places, as well as North America, Europe and the Caribbean.
During the three-hour webcast, the Secretary of West Indies Union Conference and renown evangelist, Pastor Glen Samuels used scripture to paint a picture of Paul’s life as he sought to challenge the imperial seat of Rome in the name of Jesus Christ. He compared Corinth at the time to contemporary cities and business districts such as downtown Kingston and called on the congregation to do as Paul did in confronting immorality and sin.
Pastor Derek Bignall, President of West Indies Union Conference, presents a message on the importance of unity in mission.
“It is against this background that Paul challenged Hell’s foundation with the understanding that the power of the Christian gospel was able to transform kings and queens, peasants and paupers,” Pastor Samuels said.
“..Paul was lifting up the cross of Christ as the only solution to the problems of Corinth and he looked at imperial Rome; the kings making their trips to Rome, the soldiers making their trips to Rome and Paul…flexed his muscle and said ‘Rome, it’s my time. It’s my time to come to you in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rome, it’s my time, it’s my time to come to you with a transcendent transforming gospel that is baptised in the love of the living God.
“It seems to me that there is a Corinth where we live. It seems to me that there is a Corinth where we work. It seems to me that there is a Corinth where we pastor,” he said.
Some church members declared that Pentecost and More has revived their relationship with the Saviour and acts as a reminder of where they need to be in their walk with Him. They wish that this was a weekly event.
“It’s a refresher for me because I have been studying for the past year and I have become lazy. I used to be on fire but it is hard studying and working at the same time. It’s a reminder that we need to get back to where we were,” said Grace Maragh, a member of the Portmore church.
I wish every Sabbath was like this one,” added Maragh’s church siste,r Blossom Harris. “The event here today was exceptional. It was like the icing on the cake.” She added that she got a sense, during the evangelistic series that an urgent warning was being issued about something approaching.
“It’s a whole revival of the soul,” said another church sister, Sonia Smith. “It uplifts the spirit and puts you at the stage where you start to evaluate your spiritual level to see where you are and what you could do differently both to outreach and evangelise as well as saving your own soul.”
With two balconies to complement the seating capacity on the ground floor, the Portmore Church is the largest Adventist church building in West Indies Union. Yesterday, however, not even the oversized tent on the Church’s front lawn was room enough for the spill-over from the building itself.
People had journeyed from all over Jamaica, and their enthusiasm at the proceedings, which culminated in a series of multiple baptisms, could hardly be contained. It is a phenomenon that did not escape the President of the West Indies Union, Pastor Derek Bignall.
“There was participation from a cross-section of the membership of the Church -- young people, children, the elderly, everybody. The church was full and those who returned after lunch stayed back as if they didn’t want to leave and it made an impact on me,” Pastor Bignall said.
Those who were baptised yesterday had an enthusiasm and a glow all their own. We spoke with eight-year-old Shameka Tomlin, 12-year-old JoaShane Garrick and 47-year-old Granville Gordon.
Shameka said her decision to follow Jesus was part of her grandmother’s dying wish for her. “I remember when my grandmother died last year she told me that I needed to become a Christian, and I told her that I wouldn’t do it but my aunt encouraged me so today I believe that I should be baptised. I decided last week Monday. Most of my classmates are Adventists and when I told them they were happy,” the bubbly third grader said.
Garrick’s reason was related to the upcoming Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) which will be held on March 26 and 27. “I got baptised today because I wanted to serve God and I want Him to help me pass my GSAT. If I study and God helps me, I know I will pass,” said the student of Naggo Head Primary.
As for Gordon, a former member of the Baptist Church for 27 years, the decision to dedicate himself fully to God by becoming an Adventist has to do with his fiancée to whom he says he will get married soon. “The lady I’m about to marry is Adventist so I just made up my mind to be baptised,” said Gordon who has been attending the Blue Hole Adventist Church for about two years now.
Pentecost and More is an initiative of the Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. It is intended to refocus the attention of the Church on re-enacting the experience of Pentecost. Part of that focus is to increase church membership by at least 3,000 as per the Biblical account.
“It is time that as Christians looking forward to the coming of Christ, recognising that Pentecost 2,000 years ago was the former rain, waiting for the latter rain when God’s people will be fitted for the kingdom, that we should be conscious of the church moving in that direction as we prepare to meet the Lord,” said Pastor Bignall.
“We want this to go from the top to the bottom. At least 3,000 should come to Christ as a result of our evangelistic fervour, as happened back then over 2,000 years ago. The gospel will go throughout the whole world so that every nation, kindred, tongue and people will know of the saving power of Jesus Christ.
“How prepared are we to take in that swell? We say even though we cannot see, like Abraham, the Lord will provide,” he said pointing out that the church has programmes in place to address not only the spiritual needs of the congregation but also the physical, social and educational as well.
This year marks the third staging of Pentecost and More.