April 19, 2006 Mandeville, Jamaica …. [Taashi Rowe/ANN]
Ask any of the 2.7 million people on the Caribbean island of Jamaica who Seventh-day Adventists are and they will probably be able to tell you a few things. Many of the island's residents know Adventists for more than just going to church on Saturday and promoting a vegetarian lifestyle.
Unlike some other areas of the world, Adventists are well-known on the island and other parts of the West Indies. With approximately 230,000 members and 700 churches in Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, the church is one of the largest denominations in the region.
But size is not the reason for the church's notoriety, says Nigel Coke, newly elected communication chief for the church's West Indies Union, which represents Adventist churches in the aforementioned islands. He believes it is the church's holistic emphasis.
Coke should know. He will tell you that when he was baptized into the Adventist church nearly 10 years ago, what drew — and still keeps him enthusiastic — is that holistic approach.
“The church prepares you not just spiritually but prepares the entire being socially, spiritually, physically and mentally. It caters to the whole man,” Coke says. “The church as it is takes the mandate or commission of Christ to advance the Gospel very seriously.”
Adventists in the West Indies are also very active and involved in the life of the community, adds Coke.
“A lot of people come to know the Lord through what we do in the community outside of evangelistic outreach. There are many in the church who work with nongovernmental groups to fight crime and poverty. The church's works in the community is part of the whole package to lead people to Christ,” he explains.
The relatively high profile of the Adventist Church in the area may also be because of church members like Coke who are faithful in documenting and sharing church activities with the public.
Getting people in the community to notice and be attracted to the church is no easy task. On these small islands various media compete for peoples' attention every minute of the day.
Coke recalls being told by a newspaper writer that religious-oriented news does not top the list of must-read or must-see news. The writer listed stories about murder, rape, robbery, fire and flooding as the most newsworthy.
Still, Coke says, “I've made up my mind to give good news. So if there ever is bad news they will remember the good. I think what we need to do is look at [communication] in a strategic way. Awareness of the Adventist Church increases with each article and church event. By talking about our church we say to the public, 'Adventists are good people. Come and join us.'”
Strategy is second nature to someone like Coke, who just left a more financially rewarding position as an investment manager at First Caribbean Securities International Limited, with headquarters in Barbados and branches all over the Caribbean. Coke's future at the Bank seemed bright, particularly since he won six employee-of-the-quarter awards and one for employee-of-the-year. At one point he even brought in JA$2 billion worth of business into his company.
Coke admits that leaving a well-paying job in the corporate world to go work for a church may be considered by some as crazy: “It's not expected … but it took prayer and conviction,” he says, adding that his wife was skeptical about the move at first. “I don't think a lot of persons have experienced the joy of working for the Lord and I have experienced it. Or some had it and then they lost it. And after all I've been through I still have joy.”
So how does a career in investment banking carry over into doing communication for a church?
To excel in both requires someone who knows the “market,” or in the case of communication, the “audience.” It also requires someone who is relentless and passionate. Coke says his former co-workers would describe him as someone who always aimed for the best and worked hard. On his performance review his boss wrote that he was a good negotiator and “a good beggar.”
So while Coke had no formal training in the field of communication, his experience in practicing it has expanded since 1998 when he was elected communication director for the Meadowvale Seventh-day Adventist Church. Coke says he was hesitant at first and told his pastor, Adrian Cotterel, about his doubts.
“He told me to read the church manual and then call him back,” Coke recalls. “I read the church manual and the requirements and told my pastor 'I don't think so because I don't see anything I'm familiar with.' My pastor said, 'Just try it — If you are willing, God is able. I see it in you that you'd do a good job.'”
He remained the communication director for that church until he was elected communication director for the Adventist Church in the West Indies. Coke adds that reading a book called “Getting the Church in Press” also fueled his passion for church communication.
Coke has portrayed some very professional qualities, said Bancroft Barwise, treasurer for the Adventist Church in East Jamaica. “He always was ahead of the game in that any event that took place within the [local church structure] or local church Nigel was probably the first to have it recorded and highlighted even in the local newspapers.”
Being a communication director for the church in the West Indies as elsewhere requires “aggressiveness on my part,” Coke admits. Because he has volunteered in a variety of positions at Meadowvale Adventist Church, he knows his church and is able to talk with anyone about it. Coke continues to explain that knowing the media is also crucial to getting news coverage: “That is a crucial part of the equation. If I don't understand the media I might be off target. I look in the paper and look at what they carry. When I see they carry good health news, I find good health news in our church to send them.”
“I basically believe it's a gift. It happens naturally and I give thanks to the church's leadership for giving me the opportunity to serve at this level,” Coke says.
Nigel and his wife, Bobbette, have two sons, Chad Anthony, 7 and Ramoy, 6.
Copyright (c) 2006 by Adventist News Network. web site: news.adventist.org.
