Bahamas: Church organizes first Spanish-speaking company
July 8, 2013, New Providence, The Bahamas…Andrew Burrows/IAD
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Bahamas celebrated the birth of its first Spanish-speaking company on the island and in the region, thanks to an evangelistic effort led by a team of missionary students from Montemorelos University in North Mexico. The historic moment brought church leaders and members to praise the work of 23 students and university staff who held a week of evangelism in New Providence, The Bahamas June 9-15, 2013.
Students from Montemorelos University stand on the pulpit of the Breath of Life Adventist Church in New Providence, The Bahamas. They were part of a group of 23 students and university staff who participated in establishing the first Spanish-speaking group in The Bahamas through a week-long evangelistic campaign, July 9-15, 2013. Images courtesy of Montemorelos University
Dr. Leonard Johnson, president of the church in the Atlantic Caribbean Union overseeing The Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands, thanked the efforts of the university students and local church leaders for establishing the 27-member Adventist group at the Breath of Life Adventist Church in New Providence. Dr. Johnson encouraged members of the South Bahamas region to give full support to the newly established group.
The students were part of the “100 Students Planting Churches Movement,” an outreach initiative of the Adventist Church in Inter-America involving student missionaries from Adventist universities within the Inter-American Division territory.
The students were part of the “100 Students Planting Churches Movement,” an outreach initiative of the Adventist Church in Inter-America involving student missionaries from Adventist universities within the Inter-American Division.
“With this initiative we want to develop among university students a zeal for mission as they use their diverse abilities to plant a church, grow a church, and expand God´s Kingdom,” said Pastor Jamaal Franklyn, coordinator of the project and leader of the team from Montemorelos University.
Members of the Spanish-speaking community were treated to health seminars and activities during the evangelistic efforts.
Evangelism efforts included an interactive health fair program ¨Yo Quiero Vivir Sano” (I Want to Live Healthy), conceptualized by the health department of the church in North Mexico North Mexican Union, which brought attracted more than 90 persons each evening. Students also took time to clean a section of the beach as community outreach.
Two crusades were held simultaneously for children and another for adults.
During the course of the meetings, a total of thirty-one people registered. In addition, six new believers were baptized on June 15.
New leaders were chosen to lead out the new Spanish-speaking group.
The church in the South Bahamas Conference has more than 20,000 members worshipping in 44 churches and 2 companies, adding to the 4,000 members worshipping in 11 churches in the North Bahamas Conference.