In Inter-America, Super Bible Boom winner becomes youth delegate to the church’s upcoming General Conference Session
IAD President Pastor Israel Leito (left) congratulates and officially names Inter-America’s Super Bible Boom Winner Waylon Johnson of the Atlantic Caribbean Union as a youth delegate to attend the 60th General Conference Session in San Antonio, Texas, this coming July. Johnson beat other three finalists who flew into Miami, Florida, to participate in the church’s final competition on May 9, 2015, where winners of the last four annual territory-wide Bible bowl competition competed for the 2010-2015 title. Images by Libna Stevens/IAD
May 10, 2015 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens/IAD
It took a total of 10:07 minutes for Waylon Johnson of the Atlantic Caribbean Union to answer 50 Bible questions and become the winner of Inter-America’s 2010-2015 Super Bible Boom competition yesterday. With the win, Johnson will get to travel as an official delegate to the Adventist World Church’s 60th General Conference Session to be held in San Antonio, Texas, this July.
Waylon Johnson surrounded by Atlantic Caribbean union leaders.
Johnson, who had a total score of 445 points, shocked the audience of almost 200 people gathered in the Inter-American Division (IAD) headquarter office auditorium in Miami, Florida, when the final scores were announced because he appeared to be trailing after question 15. Top church leaders from across the 24 major Seventh-day Adventist Church regions in Inter-America burst into shouts and applause as Johnson was crowned the winner.
With a look of astonishment and a big smile, Johnson was hugged and congratulated by his church leaders who wrapped him in The Bahamas flag—his home country, as well as Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos flags, representing the countries in the Atlantic Caribbean Union.
His victory took him back to 2011 when he shocked audiences in San Juan, Puerto Rico and became IAD’s top Bible Boom winner after coming from the bottom against more than a dozen other finalists.
Waylon Johnson (left) of Atlantic Caribbean took the win, Miriam Orozco (right)of the North Mexican Union won third place, and Victor Jaimes of South Colombia took second place.
“I’m excited to have this opportunity go to be part of the General Conference session,” said Johnson. Johnson admitted he was a bit nervous and not that confident hours before he had to answer questions on the 22 books of the Bible he had to review to compete during the two-hour live online program began.
Johnson, 30, who won a one-year scholarship to Antillean Adventist University in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, when he won in 2011, said studying the Bible for this competition has blessed him immensely in his spiritual life and allowed him to share God’s Bible promises with others. He is on his second year of theology at Antillean Adventist University and takes his final exams this coming week.
President of the Church in Puerto Rico Pastor Jose Alberto Rodriguez announced that his union office would donate $2,000 toward Johnson’s studies at the Antillean Adventist University. In addition, President of the Atlantic Caribbean Union Pastor Leonard Johnson announced his union would contribute $3,000 to assist in Johnson’s studies as well.
Nearly 200 IAD church leaders witnessed the event at the Division’s headquarter office in Miami, Florida.
Victor Jaimes of South Colombia, winner of IAD’s 2012 Bible competition, trailed Johnson by only five points and five seconds. Jaimes, 27, will graduate from his theology studies next month at Colombia Adventist University. As second place winner, Jaimes took a new laptop computer, a $500 cash prize from the IAD, and a $1,000 donation from his union as announced by his President Pastor Eliseo Bustamante.
“Just getting to be here is such a blessing, and I just came here to enjoy every moment during this final competition,” said Jaimes, who fell in love with the book of Jonah again as he reviewed all 22 chapters for the competition.
Miriam Orozco of North Mexico, 2014’s Bible Boom winner, said she took to reviewing the books of the Bible as devotional readings before diving into her nursing studies. Orozco began her degree in nursing at Navojoa Adventist University in North Mexico after winning a partial scholarship when she won last year during the territory-wide final competition.
Pastor Abner De Los Santos, IAD vice president and advisor to youth ministries speaks alongside Louise Nocandy, IAD associate youth ministries director as the online event began.
Orozco came in third place and won a laptop computer, a $300 cash prize from the IAD and was given a $2,000 donation to go towards her studies announced Pastor Arturo King, president of the North Mexican Union.
She was most impressed with the letters Paul wrote for the church in his time and how they are applicable to today’s church. She said she also loved reviewing the Book of Luke and Acts of the Apostles.
“A Bible Boom competition should not be seen as something to participate in just to win,” said Orozco. “It is a great blessing to get to know more of God because it drives you to be well within yourself, with God as you use the Bible as a daily guide.”
Using the Bible as a daily guide has been the initiative that has swept through the Inter-American Division since the Bible reading initiative was heavily implemented in 2004 when the territory-wide competitions began, organizers said.
“The Bible Boom needs to continue enlisting the interest of our children and young people in our churches, schools, and activities,” said Louise Nocandy, associate youth ministries director for the church in Inter-American and organizer of the Bible competition initiative.
“We praise the Lord because the interest in the Bible Boom initiative across the territory has been growing among the 1.5 million young people in the IAD,” said Nocandy. The competition has also expanded to include children participating in Adventurer Clubs across churches in the territory, she added.
IAD President Pastor Israel Leito, speaks on the importance of the Bible initiative set in motion across the territory while union presidents are thanked for carrying it through in their regions.
A special award was given to church leaders from the Haitian Union for Jempsey Jugerson Tisma who was the IAD’s 2013 Bible Boom winner. Because of travel visa delays, Tisma could not attend the event. Tisma, who is studying theology at Cuba’s Adventist Theological Seminary, also received a $300 cash prize.
All of the finalists also received an Andrews Study Bible.
Pastor Abner De Los Santos, IAD vice president and adviser to youth ministries department, thanked church administrators from Division level to church level for their efforts in supporting the initiative throughout the territory.
“The church belongs to the young people and we want to recognize our top leaders and youth ministries directors for their commitment to ensuring that this Bible initiative continues,” said De Los Santos.
Church leaders were recognized with awards for their support of the initiative.
Youth ministries directors from IAD’s 24 major church regions stand behind the finalists at the end of the live program.
De Los Santos said that leaders were working on presenting a special action to invite the Adventist World Church to organize a Bible initiative that can be put in place for young people across all of the 13 world church divisions. The action is scheduled to be voted during Inter-America’s executive committee meetings to take place this week.
Administrators and youth leaders across the territory not only rejoice for the accomplishments of the finalists and thousands of young people who competed during the last five-year period, but those who continue week by week, month by month and year by year studying the Word of God.
“We are thankful to enjoy what the church does for the young people, loving the youth, helping the youth and showing them that there is nothing better than for us to dive into the Word of God,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in the Inter-American Division.
Super Bible Boom ending scores. Image by Juan Carlos Niño
“My wish is that young people are not simply reading the Bible to participate in competitions but to be truly transformed for the rest of their lives because of God’s promises,” he said.
To view photos of Inter-America’s Super Bible Boom, click HERE
To view the online program, click HERE