ASi Convention Opens Challenging Members to Be Good Citizens of God

August 17, 2023 | Montego Bay, Jamaica | Nigel Coke and Inter-American Division News

Adventist Laymen’s Services and Industries (ASi) Convention for the Inter-American Division (IAD) opened last night during a special ceremony challenging its Adventist professionals, business owners, civic leaders, church leaders and invitees to continue moving forward with the mission of the church in their workplaces and business endeavors every day.

Dozens gathered at Kings Seventh-day Adventist Church in Montego Bay, Jamaica, to enjoy cultural music and encouraging messages from church administrators and officials to set the tone for the four-day event, themed “Reigniting the Flame for Mission.”

During his keynote message, Pastor Leonard Johnson, executive secretary of the IAD, challenged ASi members to be good citizens of Christ wherever they are.

Referencing Acts 11:24, Johnson encouraged the convention attendees to share Christ in the marketplace by doing acts of kindness much like Barnabas did. “Doing so will advance the mission of the church as you have been called to support projects that advance mission,” said Johnson. “Barnabas was good as he was generous and kind toward others.”

Pastor Johnson reminded ASi-ers that they have been called to see potential in people and help them see what they can become through Christ in the service of God. Acts 11:19-26 tells that the interest toward Christ in Antioch was high, he said. “Barnabas departed to Tarsus and found Saul and took him along to Antioch. This act speaks to the fact that Barnabas was not one to seek prominence, fame or praise, but rather simply wanted to do the will of God and sought to encourage Saul.”

Barnabas was remarkable, said Johnson. “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit, a man of faith,” he said. “In many ways, I see him [Barnabas] as an ASi-er. We are called to be like Barnabas by good persons, good members, good citizens, helping others realize their potential to serve in God’s mission.”

Earlier during the opening ceremony, Marston Thomas recounted a brief history of the 25-year anniversary since ASi Inter-America was organized.  “This year marks the 19^th convention since church leaders met in 1988 to lay the charter for ASi in this region of the IAD,” said Thomas. The convention this year becomes the third time it is held in Jamaica, with the first held in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1999, and later the second was held in Ocho Rios in 2011.

This year’s convention becomes the first territory-wide ASi convention held in-person since 2019.

Thomas told the delegates and members that Jamaica is made the better for the evangelistic campaigns held ahead of the ASi Convention.

“In every convention year, a special Impact program is normally done within the country of the convention,” said Thomas. “I am very pleased to report that our Vice President, Elder Eugene Benjamin, and a team of evangelists from Jamaica, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago Antigua, and Tortuga held 56 evangelistic campaigns with some still going on now and to date 782 souls have been baptized so far.”

Participants at this year’s convention will get the opportunity to network, sit in on professional development and business management seminars, and strengthen on-going projects and create new projects to benefit the community.

The convention will also see numerous seminars on business management, digital evangelism, technology, project development, health and more through Aug. 19, 2023.

To watch the ASi Inter-American Division program on Sabbath, August 19, 2023, from Montego Bay, Jamaica, at 9:00 a.m. ( or 10:00 a.m. Miami Time), click HERE