Jamaica:Adventist Church launches mega city campaign

Adventist Church officials in Jamaica on Sunday launched a city campaign dubbed “Metro Mission 14—Hope for the City” in Half Way Tree, Kingston. Everett Brown, left, president of the church’s Jamaican Union, said the assistance of the more than 730 congregations will be sought to implement various projects to reach members of their community. Image by Nigel Coke/IAD

January 21, 2014 – Kingston, Jamaica… Nigel Coke/IAD

The Seventh-day Adventist Church launched its mega city campaign in Half Way Tree square in Kingston, Jamaica, where thousands of members and commuters were present during the event on January 12, 2014. The campaign dubbed as “Metro Mission 14 (MM14) – Hope for the City” is intended to target the largest urban populated region in Jamaica under the initiative “Hope for the Big Cities”, which is part of the Global Seventh-day Adventists’ campaign to evangelize the major cities of the world.

Pastor Everett Brown, president of the church in Jamaica, in giving an overview of the MM14, not only in Kingston, but the entire island, emphasized that the assistance of each of the more than 730 congregations will be sought to execute the various projects to reach members of their community.

“We seek through this initiative to address the spiritual needs of people in the city of Kingston and in the major urban centers right across Jamaica from Montego Bay in the west to Morant Bay in the east,” said Brown. “We believe that it is our duty as a church to address not only the spiritual needs of people, but to address the social, emotional and the physical needs of people.”

Pastor Brown highlighted that the programs will rely on financial and human resources to get into the communities and touch the lives of individuals.”

Forty-seven year-old Vinette Green (in wheel chair) celebrates God’s goodness despite being physically challenged. Green was among thousands of Seventh-day Adventists members and commuters who gathered in Half Way Tree Square, Kingston, Jamaica on Jan. 12, 2014, for the launch of Metro Mission 14 (MM14) – Hope for the City. Image by Nigel Coke/IAD.

The areas of focus for MM14 will include meeting the physical demands of needy individuals by providing clean clothes, give medical attention and educate on health in nutrition, assist in resolving family and conflict issues, rehabilitate law offenders, help marginalized youth, and provide training and academic empowerment.

All members to be involved
“We want to reach every person in Kingston”, Brown emphasized. “We want to reach every home and so we are calling upon the members of the church – each one to reach one. No home must be left untouched, no street, city or town in Jamaica must be left untouched.We want to turn Jamaica upside down and make it a better place for people to live by sharing Jesus Christ with them.”

In the church’s eastern region, the humanitarian and spiritual mission will assist the most vulnerable in Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Thomas with more than 100 churches in these three parishes being actively involved.

The launched included Adventist singers from across the region who kept the huge crowd singing, clapping and praising the Lord.

In giving the charge for the afternoon, Pastor Glen O. Samuels, personal ministries and Sabbath School director for the church in Jamaica, shared biblical analogies of Nicodemus who was told by Jesus that he needed to be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God. “There are some things money can’t give. Nicodemus was told that he needed to be transformed and somebody here needs a new start.”

A call to commitment was made following the charge and scores of persons responded and filled out commitment cards.

For more on the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica, visit jmunion.org