Adventist Church in the Cayman Islands hosts national service on International Women’s Day

Carol Best-Gould (left), Women’s Ministries leader at Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church with Family Resource Center Director Miriam Foster during the national launch of Honouring Women Month in the Cayman Islands, Mar. 5, 2016. Images by Patricia Ebanks

March 10, 2016 | Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands | Patricia Ebanks/IAD

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Cayman Islands hosted this year’s national service to launch Honouring Women Month kick off at the Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church in Grand Cayman, on Mar. 5, 2016. The Honouring Women Month, comprises a month-long program of activities organized in conjunction with the observance of International’s Women’s Day.

Premier Alden McLaughlin speaking during Honouring Women Month at Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Premier of the Cayman Islands Hon. Alden McLaughlin praised women for being “the most powerful prayer warriors,” he said. “Prayer develops powerful thinking.”

The Premier reflected on his own mother’s legacy as a “prayer warrior,” and on a history in which “many of our forefathers were praying people,” he added. “Cayman Islands’ blessings beyond measure were evidence of answered prayers.”

Hon. McLaughlin thanked church leaders and local Adventist churches who engaged in prayer and fasting for the well-being of women across the island during the week.

This year’s theme “Step it Up for Gender Equality” was highlighted during the packed church ceremony, where Minister of Education and Employment and Gender Affairs Tara Rivers spoke on the policies and achievements towards creating a level playing field for women.

It is the first time in 18 years of its annual observance that an Adventist Church has hosted the service to launch the month’s activities spotlighting progress in closing the gender gap, local church leaders said.

“We are delighted that you have chosen one of our Seventh-day Adventist churches to worship on this important occasion,” said Pastor Reinaldo Dracket, executive secretary of the church in Cayman islands, adding that with God’s help, leaders and agencies could achieve even greater things.”

Director of the Government’s Family Resource Centre Miriam Foster praised the work of the Adventist Church in “doing much towards stepping up gender equality.” Foster noted that she visited Cayman Academy, the island’s only Adventist school, while students were attending a course at the school in the area of dating protocols and gender-related concerns.