June 29, 2010 –Atlanta, Georgia, United States…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
Crowds pressed together to visit the Inter-American Division exhibit at the Georgia World Congress Center on Day 6 in Atlanta, Georgia today. People lined up to visit the West Indies Union’s and the Puerto Rican Union’s stands to collect small gifts and souvenirs.
West Indies Union
The West Indies Union has more than 268,300 church members in its territory, which includes Jamaica, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands,and Turks and Caicos.
Just recently, the West Indies Union, which is headquartered in Jamaica, was recently reorganized to become two unions: the Jamaica Union, which covers Jamaica, and the Atlantic Caribbean Union, which is responsible for The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos.
“We are a people who treat people good,” says Nigel Coke, communication director of the church in the West Indies Union. “Our church continues to grow fast, with people coming into the church daily.” Coke says that a significant number of children and young people are giving their lives to Christ, which will continue to ensure membership growth in the union.
Pastor Leonard Johnson, president of the Bahamas Conference, says that there are more than 17,000 church members throughout the entire region of The Bahamas.
According to Johnson, the most effective way to attract people into the church in The Bahamas is through what they call friendship evangelism, where non-believers are attracted to the church through relationships with Seventh-day Adventist, not by doctrine.
Puerto Rican Union
Nestled in the Caribbean with an active Adventist presence on the island, the Puerto Rican Union boasts some 36,000 church members in more 296 churches and congregations.
“We work hard at spreading the gospel,” said PastorJoel Almaguel, president of the church in the North Mission. “We have been really successful in working with the lower classes and with programs that emphasize the family unit,” he says.
Every year during the last few years the church in Puerto Rico has successfully distributed more than 300,000 magazines on thefamily and health, and address social issues such as violence against women and children.
Thousands of church leaders and members have united their efforts to reach dozens of inmates at prisons on the island, offering hygiene kits, counseling and the message of hope.
The church in Puerto Rico also operates a university, a hospital, a clinic, and 24 primary and secondary schools.
To view a video report of the West Indies and Puerto Rican Unions, go
to https://recursing-golick.147-182-135-0.plesk.page/users/index.php?language=en&type=subsection&id=289
