Road Town, Tortola, was the stage chosen to host the life-impacting Living Hope Gospel Explosion Series, from September to October, 2019. Men, women and children from the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) congregations arrayed themselves with spiritual armor to support the efforts of the renowned evangelist, Dr. Henry Peters, faithful district pastors and Bible workers. After the trumpet sounded and the call was made, 35 souls committed their lives to Jesus Christ through baptism.
“We are delighted for the 35 precious souls who have taken the step to commit their lives to Jesus,” stated Pastor Desmond James, President of the North Caribbean Conference (NCC). “In this time of hopelessness in many areas of life, it is good to know that they can find hope, purpose and direction in a life dedicated to the service of the Lord.”
Echoing the sentiments of the President was Pastor Hesketh Matthew, the Assistant to the President for Evangelism, “The Seventh-day Adventist Church is committed to offering a better way to those who long for a brighter future, to young people who see their peers succumbing to drugs and violence and despair; there is a better way for families that are being ripped apart by strife and confusion; there is a better way for a society that faces darkness and despair; there is a better way, and that better way can be found in a life surrendered to Jesus.”
The evangelistic campaign lost an entire week of meetings due to the threat of an impending storm which led regional emergency services to issue storm warnings and the government to curtail the movement of residents. Dr. Peters, who also serves as the Personal Ministries and Community Services Director of the NCC, reflected on the campaign. “We continued to believe that God would work it out. We made plans to have the tent taken down, in the event we were required to do so. Thankfully, the tent was not taken down; members stood with us and God blessed. I am happy to see the people who followed the campaign. It, indeed, was a joy to see those who decided to surrender.”
Dr. Peters is an international evangelist and has been engaged in team ministry for more than 30 years with his wife, Margaret, who worked assiduously with the campaign’s team of Bible workers. Dr. and Mrs. Peters have shepherded hundreds of members into the fold of the SDA Church. Mrs. Margaret Peters is an experienced Bible instructor, employed with the North Caribbean Conference.
Pastor Ray Edwards, the Ministerial Intern attached to SDA District #1 on Tortola, commented on the campaign, “The impact of the series, on me, has been great. I was really overjoyed to see young people involved in the program and it has given me a greater spiritual energy.” Pastor Edwards is also a seasoned evangelist and was recently assigned to Tortola, with his family, after serving as an educator at the St. Croix SDA School.
Several ministries of the SDA Church on Tortola supported the campaign. The Community Services Department encouraged guests to visit its free variety mart for clothing and other personal items. Highly informative health segments were woven into the fabric of the meetings. And, a strong youth presence was noted in addition to the cadre of young people who served as support staff.
In an age where people are bombarded with the pressure of engaging in frivolous, meaningless and criminal activities, the youth and adults of the SDA Church are to be commended for choosing to dedicate their energies into witnessing to their counterparts, both in the church and surrounding communities.