Seventh-day Adventists in the British Virgin Islands (on Virgin Gorda and Tortola) and St. Maarten have been volunteering their time and talents to numerous roof re-construction projects, in the wake of the devastating 2017 hurricane season. The Seventh-day Adventist(SDA) Church believes that preaching the Good News must be accompanied with good deeds. The community must be impacted by the Church.
Henry Peters, Community Services Director of the North Caribbean Conference (NCC), shared: “ fulfilling the mission we all embrace. While building a house, they build meaningful relationships while working alongside each other and at the same time share the love of Jesus. It is truly a life-changing experience for the brethren and the community alike.”
The building committee of the Virgin Gorda SDA Church galvanized all able-bodied members to invest weekends and afternoons into community roof-replacement projects. Materials for the re-building were sourced a private donor from the Czech Republic and have been directed to residents who have no to cover replacement costs. The district pastor, Sylvester Williams, explained: “We are in the process of assisting [residents] rebuild their homes. A life touched by God always ends in touching others. You touch lives through your influence in doing what we are doing now, compassion and caring. Love is the best way to lead and move others toward God. It’s a church-community service project.”
The community of believers in Tortola are similarly poised for re-construction. Unlike its sister church on Virgin Gorda which was relatively unscathed, the SDA Church’s properties on Tortola sustained major damage. While the Carrot Bay SDA Church was severely battered by a storm surge, the first floor of the Road Town SDA Church was demolished and the SDA School was severely damaged. Church members remain optimistic as expressed by Elder Nigel Henry, “God has been good to us, and we are moving on.”
“The members continue to be strong and resilient. Many of them have been affected, and we are trying all we can to support them and be there for them,” added Pastor Howard Simon, one of two SDA pastors on the island.
On St. Maarten, members of the Philipsburg SDA Church are also engaged re-construction. The church voted over $30,000.00 assist its members in putting their lives back together and provision has been made for the community. “It’s a commendable effort from the Church and its members. Its building bridges to your community,” commented President of the NCC, Pastor Desmond James.
The Seventh-day Adventist community in the British Virgin Islands worships in nine congregations which are shepherded by three pastors. The church oversees the BVI Adventist School, which is an accredited institution with over 300 students in the primary and secondary divisions. On St. Maarten, the community of believers worships in nine congregations and manages a primary school. The institutions of influence in the BVI and St. Maarten are managed by the North Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.