From May 4 to 5, 2018, Seventh-day Adventists on St. Thomas reaffirmed their faith in God during a Bible Conference with guest presenter Dr. Lael Caesar, Associate Editor of the Adventist Review.
During opening remarks, Pastor Royston Philbert, Ministerial Secretary of the North Caribbean Conference (NCC), challenged leaders and members to embrace the Word of God as authentic and valid in today’s world where alternative facts seem to matter more: “The journey of faith that keeps Adventists believing in our [blessed hope] is being questioned by [members]. Adventists have always been people of the Book and this Bible Conference helps us to solidify our belief in God’s Word as the unfailing rule of faith and practice for the Christian.”
As he weaved the theme, Transformed through His Word, into his slate of presentations, Dr. Caesar reminded attendees that authenticity to the Word must define the character of leaders: “Global threats manipulate the thinking of our world and church leaders must not compromise the character of Adventist church leadership with mediocrity. We have a mission to preserve. We must remain Biblically-grounded and founded while facing issues the Church, as a whole, encounters.”
Dr. Caesar also urged church leaders not to stand on the wisdom of men but on the wisdom of God: “There is a new dynamism that is trending in the Church today but it can be the enemy of good. You can get disrespected today for being static and the result is that the church begins to throw away its traditional values and beliefs for new feelings and teachings that are not Bible-based. Adventists have always stood by and on the Word of God. Human logic must never reign over the Word of God. No human knowledge should be raised up against God. We stand on the Word of God. We come to it and we fall before it. Not the notion of brilliance but on the Word of God.”
Some of the pastors on St. Thomas responded to Dr. Caesar’s timely reminders: “We needed that. The members of the church need to know where we came from and what has been the basis of our fundamentals. That fundamental is the Word of God,” said Pastor Noel James of the City and Maranatha SDA Churches. Pastor Wynfield Ambrose of the Agape and Cruz Bay SDA Churches added, “Around the NCC today, there are movements that cast doubt on the operations of the Church and many seek to use the time to break the confidence of members in the Advent movement. The preacher said it well—to gain the victory, the Christian do[es] not need fame or doubt. He needs faith.”