September 2, 2009 – Mandeville, Jamaica…[Nigel Coke/IAD]
With the current ratio of churches to pastors in the Adventist World Church being approximately five to one, elders of the churches across Jamaica were reminded of the importance of their role in the spiritual leadership of the local congregation.
The reminder came from Pastor Jonas Arrais, associate ministerial secretary of the Adventist World Church during an address to more than 200 elders at an elders certification service held at the Portmore Adventist Church in Jamaica on Sep. 26, 2009, and an even larger number at another service held at the Seventh-day Adventist Conference Centre in West Jamaica Conference on Sep. 27.
“You are a very important set of persons to the church, said Pastor Arrais. Today we have about 25,000 pastors serving more than 120,000 congregations in the Adventist Church worldwide. But I praise God because we have an army of people who are making the difference in this church. Our church is growing fast so it is very important to train more leaders to avoid a crisis in church leadership. We are living in hard times with financial limitations so I think it is wise to train volunteers people so they can work more for this church and help our pastors to do their work.”
A total of 617 elders were certified in the Bahamas and Jamaica on the Sabbath September 5 and September 26 -27, 2009 respectively.
“The program was a very practical and effective one because the course was able to redirect some of the practices as they relate to the function of the church,” said Pastor Enell Hall, ministerial secretary for the church in the West Indies. “It also revealed the need for the pastors and elders to work together for the good of the church.”
Pastor Hall further stated that “the course lasted about two years due to the organizing of the presentations and other activities in each region of the Union.”
“I was very blessed to see how seriously the West Indies Union takes the work of the church elders,” said Pastor Hector Sanchez, ministerial secretary for the church in Inter-America. “I was impressed with the spirit of the brethren and with how well the certification of church elders was organized. It was wonderful to see their faces and their joy as they received their certificate. There is no doubt that this will be of great blessing in their lives and for the church as well. This is what we want to see in the rest of the Inter-American Division territory. We need to continue to train our church elders because their work is important in the fulfillment of the mission. Elders complement the work of the pastor, so it is vital that both pastor and elder are united in purpose as they serve the church,” he said.
The curriculum for certification requires an elder to complete four basic subject areas namely: Church Leadership and Administration, Evangelism, History of the Adventist Church and Development of the Adventist Doctrine. Four assignments are also given; To evaluate a Sabbath worship service, present a diagram of either the 2,300 days prophecy or the Sanctuary with its six distinct parts, to report on a Bible study given or one in progress and to report on an evangelistic series being planned in the elder's church, which must be approved and signed by the pastor of the church. There is a written exam at the end of the course.
“The course was very enlightening and informative,” said Vermiline Gardner, a teacher by profession and one of two female first elders in the City of Kingston. “The vision by the organizers is a good one, because as elders leading God's people we must be knowledgeable of our history so we can be able to use it to help the corporate body in their spiritual formation. Personally, it enhances a deeper spiritual commitment and dedication and even spiritual connection with God for servant ministry.”
“The course was interesting and I am glad I was a part of it,” said 75 year-old Lewin Anderson, one of the two hundred and sixty-seven leaders who were certified in the West Jamaica conference region. “It was helpful in that it helped me to appreciate the service given to the church over the past decades and the sacrifices made.” He has been an elder at the Chambers Pen Adventist Church in central Hanover for 46 years. He presently serves as first elder and sees himself as a mentor to the younger leaders in the church.
In comparing the challenges he presently faces with those of the past, Elder Anderson said “It is more tedious to get the world out of members, and get them loving the word of God in comparison to the love and dedication members had before. But I have never been discouraged by their actions I just keep telling them to make Jesus their example and to study His words.”
The youngest church leader to be certified was 19 year-old Andre Sinclair, a leader at the Cedar Grove Adventist Church in Mandeville, Jamaica.
“I learnt a lot from the course,” said Elder Sinclair. “It was good, informative and necessary as it clearly outlines the functions of an elder and what is required for success.”
Andre, who is a first year theology student and Northern Caribbean University (NCU), was baptized in 2004, and was asked to serve as an elder in July of this year. He heard about the course and immediately asked to be registered.
The other regions of the Union – the Turks and Caicos Islands Mission, the Cayman Islands Conference and the North Bahamas Conference are presently involved in the training of church elders for future certification.
Approximately 4,500 elders serve over 735 congregations in West Indies which comprises Jamaica, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands and the Cayman Islands.
