Dominican Republic: Church in the east region embraces spiritual prayer revival initiative

February 17, 2011 – San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic…Libna Stevens/IAD

It’s 5:30 in the morning on Feb. 13 and a group of Seventh-day Adventists have gathered with their families at the church’s office in the East Dominican Region to worship and pray together for spiritual revival to take place throughout the 30 districts in the region.

The 17 church employees and some 25 family members spend time reading the Bible, singing hymns, praying and giving testimonies of God’s goodness in their lives. It’s a day that begins what they call “40 dias de madrugadas” or 40 days of morning prayers, as they embrace the Inter-American Division’s “Constant in Prayer” spiritual revival initiative.

“For us this is a very important occasion,” said Pastor Teofilo Silvestre, president of the church in the East Dominican region. “The moment for revival and reformation should begin with ministers, with church leaders and we want to begin today here in our office together in constant in prayer,” he added.

The early morning prayer journey will take place consecutively in churches and schools throughout the 30 districts, said Silvestre, who leads a pastoral team of district pastors, 20 schools and a membership of more than 65,000.

Pastor Roberto Herrera, director of spiritual revival and reformation for the church in Inter-America, praised church leaders and staff for catching the vision for prayer revival and implementing their own initiative in their territory.

“What you are starting today is simple, but it fills my heart and can inspire others,” said Pastor Herrera. “All of this process of revival is simply to recognize the importance of establishing a beautiful relationship with God through prayer and worship.”

Pastor Herrera went on to emphasize the reasons why the church and its members need a revival and reformation in their lives above other things.

“My dear brethren at the East Dominican Conference office, there are a lot of things that the church needs,” he added. “It’s not buildings, it’s not churches, it’s not programs. The greatest need that the church of today has is spiritual revival.”

It was a message that church leaders took to heart as they had a session of prayer together, putting aside the challenges that the church faces in the region of selling their office building to expand in a larger property and building more temples to accommodate the already growing membership.

Already the second largest church region in the Dominican Republic, the East Dominican region will also be involved additional initiatives such as prayer vigils and fasting vigils throughout the weeks and months which lie ahead, according to Silvestre, which has served the church for more than 14 years and was recently elected as president of the region.

According to Silvestre, initiatives will impact all segments of the church and special emphasis will be given to involve the thousands of children and young people in 120 Adventurer and Pathfinder Clubs as well as nearly 5,000 students and thousands more young people in spiritual revival.

Elsewhere on the island, hundreds of churches have began spiritual revival activities.

To view a photo gallery of the prayer initiative inthe East Dominican Conference, visit www.flickr.com/photos/interamerica

For more on Inter-America’sRevival and Reformation initiatives, visit www.interamerica.org

To view what the church isdoing in the East Dominican Conference, visit www.adeste.org

For the Dominican Union,visit www.adventistas.do

Resources

Constant in Prayer: http://prayerrevival.interamerica.org


Facebook –

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Prayer-Revival/137873816275961

SpanishResources

Constantes en la Oracion: http://estamosorando.interamerica.org/

Facebook in Spanish

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Constantes-en-la-Oracion/173416709365170