Port-Fortin, Trinidad…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
More than 1,500 people began gathering under a large tent in Port-Fortin, Trinidad for evangelistic meetings, since April 10. Organized by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the series , which will run for seven weeks, began delayed broadcast through the church-owned satellite television network the Hope Channel, April 24 at 7:00 p.m.
This series is the first of its kind in Trinidad, organizers say.
“What makes this different is the professional equipment available for recording the meetings for transmission,” says Pastor Keith Cato, manager of the series and district pastor in Port Fortin.
“We are so excited because through this medium, we are spreading the gospel even further and it will have a greater impact,” says Pastor Cato of the series being broadcast worldwide.
Equipped with a technical staff of 10 young Adventist people, most of whom had never touched camera equipment before, the tent series is going smoothly every night, says Jose Romero, associate communication director for the church in Inter-America.
Romero, who, along with Edwin Rivera, trained the young people on the video equipment, says that “by the end of 10 days, people were proficient in pulling out what is needed for quality television. They were trained to operate and set up within 30 minutes on a daily basis.
Pastor Leon B. Wellington, communication director of the church in Inter-America, was present for the first crusade meeting. He adds that “this is the first time in Inter-America that this production equipment is in the hands of non-professionals to produce a high quality broadcast.”
“It will open up the local territory of the IAD and the world, and help local evangelists think globally and reach the church with a global perspective,” says Pastor Wellington.
Pastor Wellington says the new equipment, which belongs to the IAD, is available to the entire territory for programming projects.
“We encourage unions to use this type of technology to maximize impact in their effort at reaching and converting hearts for the kingdom of God,” he adds.
The series, themed “Maranatha,” is being led by Pastor Roosvelt Daniel, evangelist of the church in the Caribbean Union, whose teaching style is like a classroom where the reading and study of the Bible is proving to be very effective, according to Cato.
Mr. Sheldon Moore, media technical director for the church in the South Caribbean Conference, says he’s excited for the advances in technology and how it will impact the island and the world. He says that future plans include the re-broadcast of the series through the local cable channels of the island.
The series runs locally all week except for Tuesday and Saturday evenings. For more information on the schedules for the Trinidad broadcast series, go to www.hopetv.org.
