From Charles and Carmen Fleming: Caribbean
By Patrick Fearon
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida--With renewed emphasis on dedication to Jesus Christ, congregations throughout the Caribbean are making steady progress in God's purpose for the church.
Members are individually and collectively releasing themselves more and more into the hands of Jesus, and encouraging fruits are being borne.
In his visits to the congregations, regional director Charles Fleming emphasizes the four S's--Surrender, Skills, Structures and Systems.
The underlying commitment is for the regional ministry to create a climate for people to surrender themselves more fully to Jesus Christ so he can make them who he wants them to be. Out of this new sense of being will come a new way of doing, or living the Christian life.
That is enhanced by a commitment to empower and release members to develop the skills for the ministry each is called to do. They are helped with gift identification and by providing the necessary training and support.
Administratively, the region is endeavoring to facilitate this work by providing new structures and systems--for example, advisory councils for the congregations. The structures and systems are in the early developmental stages.
As these unfold, the region is seeing deepening relationships with Christ on the personal as well as on the congregational level. Members are receiving training; bridges are being built between congregations; community involvement is expanding; interdenominational participation is growing; and prayer, women's and youth ministries are thriving.
Members across the Caribbean are sharpening their ministry skills through various programs, including Evangelism Explosion workshops, women's conferences and a worship seminar. By coming together they reinforce each other and build bonds of friendship.
In August, members from several congregations met when they attended an Evangelism Explosion training course in Miami, Florida.
In June, Robert McKinney, pastor of the Nassau, Bahamas, congregation, traveled to St. Lucia and conducted a course in evangelism. Also in June, members from three congregations in the Bahamas, along with members from Bermuda and Florida, gathered for a women's conference with Pastor General Joseph Tkach, his wife, Tammy, Sheila Graham and motivational speaker Thelma Wells.
Sept. 4 through 6, worship leaders from across the region attended a weekend worship seminar in Nassau. In addition to the information the leaders took back to their congregations, it was again an opportunity for WCG members from the islands to meet, fellowship and worship with one another.
July 31 through Aug. 2 saw 98 women from several congregations in the southeastern Caribbean coming together for a retreat in Trinidad. The women have returned to their congregations with a greater commitment to make a difference for the kingdom.
Aug. 4 through 15, about 60 youths from the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago, gathered in Arima, Trinidad, for the Summer Educational Program.
The program had a pronounced emphasis on seeking the will of Jesus as the future unfolds. It was a life-changing experience for many of the young people. Seven youths gave their lives to Jesus during a Friday evening service near the end of the camp.
April 16 through 19, members from the Dominica and Martinique churches came together for what has become an annual church-to-church visit. During this event, initiated by Jack Brunet, pastor of the Martinique and Guadeloupe churches, 25 members of the Dominica church visited the Martinique congregation.
On the weekend of March 20, members from the Nassau congregation traveled to Freeport, Bahamas, where they lent their support to the Freeport members, who were hosts for Spring Concert 1999. A large public audience attended.
Community involvement is a significant role of the church as it surrenders to the purpose of Jesus Christ. The Freeport church has entered its third year of providing monthly meals for the needy of Grand Bahama. Because of the program, a door was opened for the church to begin a series of community Bible studies. The first of these took place in July at Jones Town, one of the less fortunate communities on the island.
In Christian Pen, Jamaica, members are reaching out to their new community where they have acquired their own property.
A number of Jamaican members are involved in personal evangelism through which fruitful spiritual contact is being made with members of the community. The result is a warm bond developing between the community and church members. Many children from the Christian Pen community regularly attend services with WCG.
The two-year-old Sunday morning radio program in Bridgetown, Barbados, which is presented by pastor Clifton Charles and two members--Henderson Jones and David Cutting--has grown to become a part of life in that nation. The program has prime time airing at 7:30 a.m.
Looking at what Jesus Christ is doing in Haiti, it is clear that once hearts are given over to his purpose, there is no limit to what can be accomplished through members' collective surrender.
In spite of ongoing hardships politically, socially and economically, Jesus is using the members there to do marvelous things. Through their youth ministry, members have developed a Kinder program, a kindergarten program that reaches out to fulfill real needs in the lives of scores of little children (and their parents as well).
Using their own church building as a base, the members have made it possible for children who would otherwise be on the streets to get a good start in education.
This past June the Kinder program had its first graduation. More than 200 people assembled to hear their children sing praises to God and listen to messages on following the example of Jesus, and on the importance of true values.
The messages were delivered by Mr. Brunet, who visited for the occasion, and Joseph B. Franklin, pastor of the congregations in Haiti. Eleven children graduated and have gone on to the next level of their education. The program also allows the children to receive vital medical attention through four scheduled visits to a clinic each year. Parents and other members of the community have testified to the work being accomplished by WCG members through this program.
Growth in community involvement is evident across the region--from Arima, Trinidad, where an annual fair at the church's premises drew more than a thousand people, to Nassau, where a June women's ministry seminar attracted several members from the community. Similar involvement is also evidenced in several other congregations.
Among the areas in which Jesus has blessed the region is the fostering of interdenominational bonds for greater service for the work of Christ. In Hamilton, Bermuda, pastor Cecil J. Pulley was invited to give the keynote address at the World Day of Prayer service conducted at Vernon Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church, March 5.
Mr. Pulley is a member of the Warwick Ministerial Alliance, and because of that the WCG has had the chance to participate in several interdenominational services--to the joy of many.
In Freeport, WCG and Presbyterian members have conducted joint services on several occasions, the latest being this past Day of Pentecost when the two churches worshiped together and were encouraged by testimonies from members.
Earlier in the year the relationship enjoyed by these two congregations grew to encompass two more denominations. For the six consecutive Sundays leading up to this year's commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the two churches along with Our Savior Lutheran Church and New Hope Methodist Church came together for six services to which the pubic was invited.
On each of the six Sunday evening services, ministers of the four denominations took turns in presenting the sermons. The choirs from the various groups that had taken turns presenting special music did a joint rendition of "O Sacred Head Now Wounded" on the final evening.
All in all, the region is surrendering to the lead of Jesus Christ, and encouraging fruits of everlasting significance are being borne.
CARIBBEAN SEP--Campers with Robert McKinney (left), assistant camp director, and
instructors Devon Dixon (back, middle) and Thomas Nesbitt (right).
GRADUATION--Kinder Program's graduation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1999