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The President’s Christmas Message
Dangers of the Dark
Shepherds were keeping watch over their flock by night (Luke 2:8).
This holiday season is supposed to be filled with joy, love and laughter; but this year has taken an emo- tional toll on many. Some enter this holiday with anything but joy. We may even have feelings of heaviness, and as it gets dark early, some may even experience SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is triggered in some, when the sun goes down early. There is something about darkness that can cause depression. 2020 has been a sad year. It has felt like the sun has set early all year long. People have lost jobs, their homes, their loved ones; these things can precipitate night.
I want to suggest that there is a danger in living in darkness too long. In our text, the shepherds were keeping flocks by night when suddenly an angel ap- peared to bring them the light. Thank God He still brings light into our darkness. God chose to bring light to shepherds in the dark of night. God’s good news broke forth in the birth of Christ, who would bring tidings of great joy and light. It is good to know that in the midst of darkness, we serve a God who works the third shift when the sun goes down in your life. We serve a God who is not hindered by the darkness but works in the dark for our good. For God even stepped out at the beginning of time, when there was nothing but darkness, and He went to work on our behalf.
Luke 2:15 says, “the shepherds said to one anoth- er.” They talked to one another. I want to suggest that you and I can’t handle the darkness alone. The danger of darkness teaches that we all need one another. The Covid gospel says there is safety in so- cial distancing, but I suggest there is danger in isola- tion. If you and I are to survive in this season spirit- ually, we need to talk to one another. The shep- herds heard from
God and angels, but they still needed one another. Batman needed Robin, MJ needed Scottie Pippin, and even Jesus had an inner circle in His dark hour as He approached His Gethsemane. Everybody needs somebody sometime.
Finally, the Shepherds said, let’s go and see. They did not ask if this was the true Saviour. In other words, if God said it, don’t let the darkness cause you to doubt. Because if God said it, it would come to pass. God said, “I will never leave you.” Believe it. They went to Bethlehem, and it was so. They saw the babe born to bring the joy of our salvation.
If you and I are going to survive this Covid night, we need to have faith to know that God is faithful. Let’s believe God in every situation; for weeping may en- dure for a night, but joy is coming in the morning light. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and please avoid the dangers of the darkness. Walk in the light.
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Streams of Light
Official Newsletter of the Bermuda Conference of Seventh-day Adventists December2020
From the President - June to December 2020
President’s Post on Injustice:
As a Christian Pastor, I was deeply saddened, an- gered, and horri- fied by the tragic death of George Floyd, at the hands of Minneapolis Po- lice officers on Monday, May 25, 2020. I was thank- ful to see swift ter- mination of the officers involved in this tragedy, and I pray that justice will be served equal to the crime perpetrated against George Floyd. I also fully supported the non-violent protests to achieve justice for George Floyd and people suffering injustice anywhere. The Word of God in Isaiah declares to us: “Learn to do good; Seek justice; Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fa- therless, Plead for the widow.” The wise man Solo- mon in Proverbs 18:5 reiterates “It is not right to
acquit the guilty or deny justice to the innocent.”
Subsequently, I firmly believe that we have a spir- itual and moral responsibility to people everywhere and our community always to be concerned with the present welfare and the eternal destiny of all people.
I look forward to the day when justice will run down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream. May God have mercy on us, as we weep today, but not without the hope that the God who sees all will bring present and eternal justice to all.
Back to Church
With our churches closed from March because of COVID-19, many of us were glad when the Govern- ment said, “Let them go back to the House of the Lord.” So, on July 4th, most of our churches re- sumed in-person worship services under strict guidelines, while others continued their worship via Zoom and online platforms. Still other members have not returned to the physical house of worship, nor have they been a part of the Zoom worship ex- perience. We, therefore, asked our pastors to reach out to members and seasoned citizens, in particu- lar, to ensure their wellbeing. July 4th would have been the closing day of our annual Camp Meeting, which was cancelled because of COVID-19. This year we would have celebrated 34 years of Camp Meeting in the Bermuda Conference.
The Bermuda Conference was asked by the former Minister of National Security, Wayne Caines, JP, MP, to prepare a document with a plan to re-open the churches in Bermuda. This document was ap- proved by the Government leadership and used as a template for churches across the Island. While churches were allowed to return to worship at 20%
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of seating capacity, our online platforms also contin- ued. Our conference statistics show that we experi- enced more Prayer Meeting and Sabbath School attendance online, than in pre-COVID attendance at the church building.
The Blessing of Virtual Platform Ministries
As an Administration, we placed a moratorium on Camp Meeting. We were about to plan our first virtual Camp Meeting but decided to encourage our constitu- ents to join Quarantine Revival and the Quarantine Re- vival Prophecy Edition.
James Doggette Jr., pastor of the Riviera and Deerfield Beach churches in the Southeastern Conference, birthed this online initiative and has shown how to piv- ot and minister during this pandemic. We encouraged our members to join YouTube or Facebook to view the presentations on ATV thanks to Steve Ingham and Bar- ry Richardson.
Funerals
As president and pastor, I have been called upon to officiate or participate in 26 funerals between the months of July and December; one of which, was my very own dear mother of 92 years; Grace Virginia Man- ders, a member of the Hamilton Seventh-day Adventist Church, who like many others, now rest in Christ, until His second coming. Thank you to our pastors, church members, and the St. Georges, Pembroke, Devonshire, and Somerset churches who sent flowers and gift bas- kets, and to all who sent cards and text messages dur- ing this time of grief. Condolences go out to all who have lost loved ones during 2020.
Conference Pastors in the Classroom
In August, as Bermuda Institute began its new school year, each pastor was assigned a class to give support to Christian education and to encourage our students to develop a personal relationship with Christ (All pas- tors are SCARS trained and certified to work with young people). I am blessed to be assigned to Grade 6 Tull, where each Monday morning, it is my joy and privilege to engage our boys and girls in learning and under- standing the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Thank you to our pastors for their presence on the campus of Bermuda Institute in support of Chris- tian education.
Sonia Dawes, of the Somerset church, invited a friend, Antoinette Wilson, to join the online revival. When I learned that Antoinette enjoyed the meetings, I asked
Dawes if her friend would be interested in receiving Bible studies. Antoinette Wilson is now a baptized member of the Somerset church. Thank God for this new online ministry which is reaching people with the everlasting gos- pel.
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U.S. Consulate
In September, we received an email from a staff member at the U.S. Consulate informing us that the new Consul General Lee Rizzuto would love to tour a Seventh-day Adventist church and meet with the church representatives. He visited with his wife, Den- ise, who was enthralled with our conversation about Adventist beliefs, and healthy lifestyles. We visited the ABC where she excitedly purchased products that she had been looking for. We gifted them the Con- flict of the Ages series, Steps to Christ, George Vande- man’s book What I Like About, and the book Seventh day Adventist Believe. Since which, Denise Rizzuto has given me The Blue Zones Kitchen, with 100 reci- pes to live to 100. Additionally, the US Consulate has given $1,000 to each of our churches to help with our ministries.
Mr. & Mrs. Rizzuto, Kenneth Manders, DeJaun Tull, Aaron Spencer
Mrs. Rizzuto, and Kenneth Manders
Conference Calendar Cancellations
In addition to the cancellation of our Island-wide evangelistic Family Enrichment Series and our annual Camp Meeting, we cancelled our Medical and Life- style Clinic which was on track for October in the east end of the island, our Season Seniors Banquet. The Thanksgiving Service was designed to recognize those who continue to give excellent service during this COVID-19 pandemic. We are planning a virtual year-end service to close 2020, a year that many of us can’t wait to place behind us.
A Special Thanks
The Conference Community Services director, Dora Baker, who has labored tirelessly since March, and to her team of Community Service leaders for minister- ing to the hundreds of families across Bermuda dur- ing stressful and difficult times. Dora Baker has depu- tized me on a Committee chaired by Dwayne Caines to find ways to minister to the unsheltered popula- tion in the City of Hamilton. Congratulations to Dwayne Caines, on his appointment as the new sec- retary, and chief operating officer, of the City of Ham- ilton.
Message Magazine Containers
After several months, two more Message magazine containers have arrived. These containers will be strategically placed where the community can access the Message magazine, a silent witness to share our faith.
Super Tuesday
One of the benefits of the online platform is the abil- ity to invite preachers to speak to local congregations without incurring the expense of travel, lodging, and per diem. Since July 23 preachers have been featured on the Somerset Zoom platform and have blessed some 70 to 108 persons each Tuesday night with powerful and inspiring messages. Recently, 4 churches, Somerset, Restoration, Rockaway and Pem- broke have joined for Prayer, the preaching of the Word and fellowship during this new normal.
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No Fear: The Lord is Our Rock Series
Following the Quarantine Revival’s success, I felt led by God’s Spirit to hold a virtual doctrinal series with Rupert Bushner as our presenter. He preached and taught 16 powerful messages to a Zoom audience that averaged some 80 persons nightly, resulting in 20 guests receiving the book: Seventh-day Adventist Believe. Five guests are presently engaged in weekly Bible studies and learning more about the ever- lasting gospel of hope and wholeness.
Hope Still Lives
The Greater New York Conference recently held a one-week online preaching revival on the theme Hope Still Lives. I was privileged to join with Mark Finley, Lola Johnson, Ted Wilson, Pierre Omeler, Jose Cortes, Carlton Byrd, and Abraham Jules in proclaim- ing hope to those in the New York City area, a city that became the epic center of the coronavirus. Thanks to Steve Ingham and Barry Richardson, these messages were aired on ATV.
In conclusion, on behalf of the administration, pas- tors, and workers of the Bermuda conference, I wish to extend season’s greetings and a happier new year, to all. I trust that COVID-19 has encouraged us as a church family to relish our relationship with Christ, who is still our Eternal Hope and the reason for the church’s existence. I urge faithfulness to Him, in life- style, in service, in love to our fellowmen, and through the stewardship of your time, talents, tithe, temple and treasures.
I wish to thank all for your witness of God’s King- dom, for support of your local church, Christian edu- cation, the ABC, and your community. By God’s grace, do all you can to “test negative and stay posi- tive”. God bless you is my prayer.
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From the Executive Secretary . . .
At our Executive Committee meetings held on Monday, October 26, 2020 and November 30, 2020, the following actions were voted:
NEW APPOINTMENTS RESIGNATIONS
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Kirk Johnson Prison Ministries Cyril Millett |
Rosemary Tyrrell - Education Superintendent Dwayne Caines - Adventist Youth Ministries Director Simona Mills-Pitcher - Associate AYM Director |
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From the Treasurer . . .
“We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in
our past history” -
Treasurer’s Update
EGW Life Sketches pg. 196
Bermuda Conference continues to be blessed even with the challenges of the pandemic. When we remem- ber 2020, we must attest that we have nothing to fear, and all things do work together for good for them that love God!
We will discuss, in this report, where the Conference stands financially, but let us remember His goodness and the importance of being faithful to the very end, and in thankfulness, demonstrate our love for God.
The objectives of the Treasury are
Open, clear and timely communication to stakeholders (local committees, members, & Union.);
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Ensure that the assets of the Conference are effectively managed and identify opportunities to be more
efficient ensuring value for dollars spent;
Identify risk and implement mitigating strategies to reduce/manage risk;
Provide timely and accurate financial reporting to key stakeholders;
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Work with the stewardship directors to improve faithfulness.
2020 has been an incredibly challenging period for Bermuda and the World, and we know our members are not exempt. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost every aspect of our lives – health, jobs, families, economy, and even worship.
On the following pages are a few charts summarizing where the Conference and churches are from a tithe perspective.
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Our year-to-date tithe as shown above is $4,226K down from 2019 by $425k or 9.1% and the projec- tion is that 2020 tithe with one month left will continue to be lower than 2019, most probably around $4.6 million. Our tithe during the last 6 years is overall trending downward.
The chart above shows the distribution of tithe by church.
Every ray of light that we shed upon others is reflected upon ourselves. Every kind and sympathizing word spoken to the sorrowful, every act to relieve the oppressed, and every gift to the needy, if prompted by a right motive, will result in blessings to the giver. PP 218.3
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motive, will result in
The above chart shows by church the comparative tithe over the last 7 years.
In addition, a special thank you is extended to donors for their sig- nificant donations. We appreciate the leadership of the Commu- nity Services director in fundraising and galvanizing the ACS team. The appreciation is extended to the directors of each church for their substantial contribution of time and resources
to provide distribution channels to help relieve the burden of need across the island.
Thank you also must be extended to the church treasurers and their teams for the tremendous efforts in ensuring the effective management of church finances.
The worldwide pandemic is not over, but we must thank our heavenly Father for the awesome blessings that have been bestowed on the Conference and for the protection and lead- ership He has provided!
Every ray of light that we shed upon others is reflected upon our- selves. Every kind and sympathizing word spo- ken to the sorrowful, every act to relieve the oppressed, and every gift to the needy, if prompted by a right motive, will result in blessings to the giver.
PP 218.3
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We are stewards – holdings assets for God!
Time
Talents
Treasures Influence
How will we use them? Let’s use them to God’s glory, and claim God’s promises as found in Malachi 3: 8-10:
8“Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it. Mal 3:8-10 (NKJV)
Let us be faithful and expect/know the windows of heaven will be open beyond our imagination!!
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Cor. 2:9
Season’s Greeting!
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From the Principal . . .
The 2020-21 school year took us on the road never before traveled. However, with the assur- ance that God will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5), we started the semester with our teachers’ week of prayer that was conducted by Pastor Nkarlo Alexander, Chaplain of Greater New York Academy.
The first few weeks of school were somewhat ‘strange’ for both students and teachers as the students were not allowed to amalgamate with their friends from other classes, and teachers had to move from class to class instead. The teachers also had to supervise their homerooms during lunchtime and would take the entire class outdoors for lunch and classes on days when the weather was good.
BI School Spirit Day
Wacky Tacky Day
To help alleviate the stress for the students, we maintained their social development by having our Student Association picnic on Top Field, with each class maintaining their unique bubble. The administration also added an extra Spirit Week so that students
could be out of uniform
Chapel is such an integral part of our school life that without it, we would not survive spiritually as a school. Since we are not able to congregate and classes are held in the auditorium, we are able to conduct chapel by having each class zoomed-in from their homeroom. Parents have also joined us occasionally. Our students wor- shipped and praised God from their classes.
We even had a contest to see which class had the best ‘choir.’ Grade 8-1 was the winner as voted by their peers. The Principal’s Cup contin- ues to be a motivation for the elementary stu- dents as each class tries its best to receive the cup at the end of each week. Our spiritual life would be incomplete without our Fall Week of Prayer. Chaplain Simona Mills-Pitcher was the speaker for the Elementary Students and Pastor Donald Rolle of New York, for the High School Students. Both inspired and encouraged with personal experiences while challenging the chil- dren to make a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
and get some level of relaxation. The elementary Spirit week was even more flavorful as the teachers were fully en-
gaged in the excitement.
The seniors were not able to make the annual overseas College Days tours; however, they were able to have virtual tours of two campuses, An- drews and Southern Universities, and meet with their prospective heads of departments and col- lege counselors. A virtual visit to Oakwood Uni- versity is scheduled for February 2021.
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Twin Day
The Student Association continues to play a significant role in the lives of our students. This year we are blessed to have serving as student leaders: Angel Sea- man and Jayden Coleman as Head Girl and Head Boy respectively with India Shrinarine and Justin Ebbin as their Deputy. Chad McNorton was elected as Presi- dent of the Student Association with Domonique Douglas as Vice-President. Several others were elect- ed to serve in various capacities. Joan Goulbourne invited several guests to provide Leadership training for the new officers.
We continue to challenge students academically. Ber- muda Institute now uses Beyond Textbooks to map out the standards being taught. For more information, visit beyondtexbooks.org. This year we changed from the IOWA Tests of Basic Skills to the Measure of Aca- demic Progress (MAP); however, we had few comput- ers to meet the demands of the school. We were not able to complete our Standardized Tests as planned; only a few elementary classes were tested on one subject. Two more testing periods remain, and we hope to administer these tests so that we can see the progress made by each student at the end of the school year. This is one area where your donations will go a long way to benefit the students.
The Home and School continues to be an active agent in the school community. Anthony Peets was re- elected as president for the third consecutive year with Katrina Stowe serving as vice-president. Events are planned, but with the Coronavirus, things had to be scaled back. Home & School meetings continue on the first Monday of every month.
Visiting our campus this semester was the newly appointed United States Consul General Lee Rizzuto and his wife, Denise.
Mr. & Mrs. Rizzuto, Principal Edwards, Pastor & Mrs. Tull
Christmas is a very special time of year for our stu- dents. Regrettably, the Christmas concert was can- celled with other activities curtailed. Kannon Dickin- son of Grade 5 represented Bermuda Institute at the Market Place Christmas Hamper ceremony.
We also had our own 12 Days of Christmas collec- tion of food items for less fortunate families. We were able to collect 11 boxes of groceries and dis- tribute them.
One of our students tested positive for COVID-19, and on December 8, 2020, we were forced to aban- don in-person school as the teachers who taught that class were required to quarantine. Despite that setback, we were blessed that students were able to take their end-of-semester exams. We ended the semester with a final chapel exercise on Thursday, December 18, 2020.
School officially resumes on January 4, 2021, and we are ready to have either in-person school or re- mote learning. Please stay informed to the happen- ings on campus through the B.I. Weekly publica- tions shared by the principal.
Please continue to pray for Bermuda Institute. Addi- tionally, we continue to have parents who are struggling with their children’s tuition. If you are impressed to help, please contact our Development Director, Frigga Simmons, at fsim- mons@bermudainstitut.bm.
May God continue to bless you and your family. Have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!
Wayne D. Edwards, Principal
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The Power of Prayer by Dwayne Wilson
There have been books, sermons, retreats and semi- nars about prayer. And the first thing that comes to my mind concerning prayer is, what did Jesus say about it? Did he create seminars and discussion groups for the disciples while he was on earth? Don’t get me wrong. Since a teenager, I have attended many prayer retreats, prayer revivals and weeks of prayer that enhanced my walk with God. But at the same time, one truth has remained throughout the years and at the end of every prayer event, “We have not, because we ask not” James 4:2-3.
The main focus of this article on prayer is to bring back to the forefront that prayer is “talking to God as a friend” and that our story or testimony merely is prais- ing God for answered prayer. Jesus taught us to ask, and we shall receive, seek and we shall find, and if we knock the door will be open to us” Matthew 7:7. But the questions is, are we asking, seeking and knocking, or are we merely thinking about asking, thinking about seeking and thinking about knocking? Thinking about prayer, isn’t praying, talking about prayer, isn’t praying. We have to ask God; we have to seek God, and we have to knock on heaven’s door by faith and then watch God reveal His perfect will in and for us.
I was ready for a change. I had been back in my beauti- ful island of Bermuda for a few years, and I felt that my time for being home was coming to an end. Though I had sent out many résumés and had a few interviews, I was still waiting for God to show me the door He would open for me. It was the summer of 2017. I was teaching at one of our schools in Bermuda while silent- ly praying to get “a call” to work outside of the island of paradise. God answered my prayer the last week of school. I got a call asking if I could be the chaplain and Bible teacher at the Pine Forge Academy. It was a Tues- day afternoon when I got the call, and the interview was on a Thursday. Three days later, I was in Florida preparing to preach while on vacation for two months. But as God would have it, my vacation was cut short because I was offered the job as the chaplain and Bible Teacher at Pine Forge Academy. I had to fly home for three days to pack my clothes and start work two weeks later. When God is ready for you, everything falls in place. Not only did I get the job, but I was also
able to get the visa approved and start work.
In my second year of ministry at this historic school for black boys and girls, a place where Harriet Tubman’s underground railroad passed through, I had the awe- some privilege of being a part of two significant reviv- als with Myron Edmonds and Marquis Johns. That year we had our highest baptism in years. Praying and fasting with and for students saw over 35 new bap- tisms and 20 plus rebaptisms. Studying with the gifted and anointed students was one of my most exceptional experiences at PFA.
35 students decide to be baptized at Pine Forge Academy
Stephen Richardson and Dwayne Wilson prepare to baptize students
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Racism and The Church by Richard Smith
Horrified by the recent tragedies black men have expe- rienced in the United States, I feel compelled to speak out. It appears that elements of the Caucasian com- munity do not fear repercussion in their mistreatment of black men. Defiant and cruel rebels appear to erode the gains in racial equality purposely. The blood, sweat, and tears of those who marched for liberty and equali- ty are falling by the wayside.
Martin Luther King, Jr. in August 1963, when lamenting the life of the African-American noted, "But one hun- dred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hun- dred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crip- pled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty amid a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Ne- gro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition." That speech even though given fifty-seven years ago, still rings true for African-Americans' condition today.
Ahmaud Arbery, a twenty-five-year-old unarmed black man out jogging, was chased by two white men who shot and killed him; they claimed Arbery looked like the suspect in a rash of break-ins. Amy Cooper, a white woman, called the police to report an African-American man threatening her. However, a video shows Chris- tian Cooper, no relation to Amy Cooper, was not threatening but instead asking her to put her dog on a leash; the two were in New York City's Central Park, where unleashed dogs are not allowed. Derek Chauvin, a policeman in California, pinned George Floyd to the ground, his knee on Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, until the breath drained out of him. Chauvin, Cooper, and the two white men who killed Arbery support the argument of Dr King, "The negro still is not free."
There are some in the African-American community calling the murders of Arbery and Floyd a lynch- ing. Malcolm X once said in describing the blight of the African-American, "The chip you see on my shoulder is your foot on my neck." That foot is recognized in the
impoverished communities of many African-Americans as subpar education, denial of jobs although qualified, higher interest rates, and the emboldened racist atti- tude of many whites. At the time, Malcolm X was speaking figuratively; however, his words have come alive in the lynching of George Floyd.
Floyd's murder aroused the righteous indignation of many in the United States and awakened the world to the unjust treatment of African-Americans. While the laws of the United States may have erased slavery, the attitude of slavery remains imprinted on the minds of many white people who view blacks as undeserving of human decency. Much of their actions say the black man is an ant to be crushed underfoot.
I would opine that much of the hatred hurled at African -Americans stems from the leadership of the president of the United States. In the April 16 issue of Spectrum Magazine, Matthew Quartey categorizes the attitude of Trump and his cronies. "The dismissive attitude we take when first confronted with "harmless" wrongs that ini- tially don't seem to affect us personally seems to me analogous, if imprecisely, to our current Donald Trump conundrum: the many injurious actions and policies he has pursued since taking office. From the moment he launched his presidential campaign with race-baiting accusations that Mexico was exporting drug pushers and rapists to the US, this original troll, known for championing the Obama birther conspiracy, served no- tice that he will say and do anything to "win".
"Many in his target audience excused the hurtful gen- eralization of that first salvo because they did not iden- tify with the maligned. Thus when allowed an inch, he would then seek to take a mile and continued upping the ante, attaching disparaging epithets that denigrat- ed not only individuals but whole groups. Soon many became immune to and normalized these excesses. All along, his "handlers" fed us the trope that much of what he was saying was campaign-season theatrics, and once elected he would pivot to the center and sur- round himself with competent "adults" who would help him govern sensibly and inclusively, for all Americans. There was a good reason not to believe this but enough people, especially Christian conservatives in enough states, bought it. And it got him elected."
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Where is the voice of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in all of this? I am pleased to note that our Church has not been silent. Consider the following ex- cerpt from the North American Division: "We urge all our church members to consider how they interact with everyone in their communities prayerfully. We ask you to speak out against injustice and hatred, just as Jesus did when He was on this earth. We can make a difference for those who are marginalized and be- trayed by others, and we must provide a forum for the voices of the victims of hatred and racism. Our actions can speak louder than words."
It is significant to recognize that the highest body of the Church is not only calling for its members to speak out loudly against the killings of these black men but more importantly, to take action. The Church's stance is in line with the mission of Jesus Himself. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." (James 4:18, KJV)
The Church has long been silent on social issues. Often disguising its inaction under the umbrella of spirituali- ty, it exemplified the truism, "so heavenly minded; it is no earthly good." Isaiah however clearly defines the marching orders for the Seventh-day Adventist, "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? (Isaiah 58: 6 NIV)
While our Church, from its highest body, calls for ac- tion in condemning racial injustice, I believe, it is guilty of the same crime it now denounces. Acts 17:26 tells us that God has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth. While preach- ing Paul's message of Acts 17:26, in committees, we practice something different. Many African-Americans can regurgitate myriads of racial injustices perpetrated against them by the Church. Consider what John Henderson wrote in the June issue of The Ad- ventist Review, "As diverse as our world church appears on paper, the majority of our churches remain segre- gated—not only by geographical coincidence but often by personal choice."
The question which begs an answer is, will heaven only be for a particular race of people? If we cannot wor- ship together here on earth, how can we expect to live together in heaven? Consider the following words from Gary Thurber, president of the Mid-America Union Conference, in the June issue of The Adventist Review, "I realize there have been some apologies when the Seventh-day Adventist Church acknowledged racially- biased policies and practices. But still, racism abounds in our land and our Church." He goes on to quote Mi- cah 6:8, "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
Whereas racial progress has advanced in several areas of our Church, it is clear to the African-American mem- ber, that while much of the racial prejudice may no longer be overt, it still exists.
As a Church, we must put solutions into action. It is vi- tal to recognize that while the Church may enact poli- cies and vote constitutional changes, what is required is a heart change. We, who are looking for the soon coming of Jesus, must have Christ dwelling within us if we plan to go to heaven.
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How Effective is Online Evangelism by Joi Tyrrell
In this season of digital services, the Somerset church in collaboration with Restoration Ministries and the Pembroke and Rockaway churches present- ed a timely, thought-provoking, robust evangelistic series on the theme “No Fear: The Lord Is My Rock”. For two weeks in November, Rupert Bushner, Jr. D. Min., co-pastor and evangelist at the Patmos Chapel in Orlando, Florida, delivered power-packed ser- mons which encouraged viewers to be faithful to God, “our rock, our fortress, our deliverer, and our strength” (Psalm 18:2).
some from overseas, expressed interest in receiving Bible studies.”
Gina James requested the book. She was invited to the online meeting by a co-worker. “I enjoyed it. Although I would have attended an in-person meeting, I preferred viewing from the privacy of my home as there were no distractions, and I could fo- cus on what the preacher was saying. I was better able to listen. All of the sermons did something for me, and my faith is getting stronger.”
“The series was a teaching and learning expe- rience for us,” said Sandra Ashe of Port St. Lucie, Florida. Pastor Bushner was informa- tive and inspirational.
A sincere man of God, he exuded spirituality through the written word, the precious book, the Holy Bible. We enjoyed all of the pastors. Pastor Michelle is a beautiful prayer warrior, and her prayers left us feeling up-lifted every night. We were truly blessed.”
“The results are exciting,” said Manders. “People I don’t know have called me to say they thoroughly enjoyed the meetings. One benefit was that the online platform provided a non-threatening envi- ronment for the unchurched. They don’t have to come into a building; they don’t have to show their faces. They’re unidentified, but they’re benefiting from the nightly services. Another is the cost sav- ings. When you factor in airfare, accommodations, food and honorarium, the savings are in the thou- sands of dollars.”
However, virtual religion can have its challenges in that “it does not provide opportunities for direct contact,” said Manders. There is no way of tracking YouTube or Facebook viewers. It isn’t easy to clinch a decision because people are in their homes. It’s easier if the individuals are in the building. Behind a screen, it’s easy to say, ‘not yet!’ I fear this will be-
Rupert Bushner, Jr., co-pastor at Patmos Chapel in Orlando, Florida, provides a message during the two-week online evangelism series
In the lead-up to the series, ‘Super Tuesday’ (prayer meeting) viewers were encouraged to invite friends and family to the meetings. But how successful would two weeks and fourteen sermons of online evangelism be? Baptisms are high on the lists of desired results. So, how do you effectively appeal to people to decide for Christ when there are no physi- cal contacts, and people can hide behind a screen? Kenneth Manders, host of ‘No Fear: The Lord Is My Rock’ said, “I knew the dynamics would be differ- ent. Our goal was never reaping, but rather interest -gathering. Twenty non-Adventists expressed inter- est in receiving the free offer of Believe, the 28 fun- damental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church. From that twenty, six or seven individuals,
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come the new normal; that people will feel com- fortable staying at home, and some may not come to church preferring the online platform. It’s a learning curve for those of us anxious to see peo- ple join the church.”
Damon Hendrickson, co-host of the series believes that given the season of Covid-19, the online evangelistic series presented a tremendous op- portunity for innovation. “Normally in evangelis- tic meetings, what we would count as success is the number of baptisms, but I think this was a suc- cess in terms of collaboration between 3 or 4 churches. I saw us come together and nightly sup- port the meetings, and there were Bible studies that came as a result.
“This virtual ministry has also provided us with another avenue to reach people outside of our borders. If this gospel is to be preached to all the world, and it is, then it’s for the Seventh-day Ad- ventist church to embrace this technology so that we can share our unique understanding of the Bi- ble and reach out to individuals all across the world.”
What’s Happening in Your Church?
If you have news or other inspiring stories to share with our readers, we would love to hear from you. E-mail your stories, with photos attached as a separate file (not embedded) to gardensidetoo@northrock.bm. Be sure to include a caption with each photo and the photographer’s name, if available.
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The Bermuda Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Annual Year-End Service
will be aired on
ATV (Channel 23)
&
Hamilton Seventh-day Adventist Church’s platforms (Livestream - https://livestream.com/hamiltonsda/2021newyearservice) (YouTube - https://youtu.be/OmBdKe06w-w )
on
Thursday, December 31, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.
Have a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
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