On Monday, May 16, 2022, church leaders and laypersons from throughout the Atlantic Caribbean Union (ATCU) met for the church’s annual mid-year business meeting of the executive committee. More than thirty individuals gathered to hear reports, celebrate mission accomplishments, and vote on initiatives as they reaffirmed the commitment to proclaiming the gospel in the ATCU territory.
Under the theme, Let Him Lead the Way, members met virtually – representing over 27,000 members in four conferences – to review and give direction to the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
The morning began with a time of prayer by committee members. This set the stage for the devotional thought that was shared by North Bahamas Conference executive secretary, Andrew Burrows. Speaking from Exodus 33, he called on all to “stay in the presence of God and allow Him to reveal His presence in His own unique way.” The Atlantic Caribbean Union Executive Committee heard reports of how God is continuing to work in the four-conference territory and gave God thanks for the 450 baptisms that took place across the union during the first quarter of 2022.
Important Union Initiatives
Among the initiatives that committee members voted to adopt and support included the following:
Festival of the Laity
The Festival of the Laity celebrates the involvement of laypersons in soulwinning and gives recognition to lay members who have given outstanding service to the mission of the Inter-American Division (IAD). ATCU will be sending 10 delegates from the 4 conferences to engage in the celebration of the Festival of the Laity that will be held in Panama, August 4-6, 2022.
Evangelism Program of the Three Americas
Coordinated by the General Conference, the Inter-, South, and North American Divisions are collaborating in an evangelistic effort to win, retain, and disciple souls for the Kingdom of God and to serve humanity. ATCU will be sending five persons to preach in North America, April 1-9, 2023, to reach residents in cities with the Three Angels’ Messages.
Missionary Book of the Year
Plans for the missionary book of the year for the period 2023-2025 were shared and endorsed by the committee. This initiative of the global Adventist church will feature the mass distribution of the book “The Great Controversy” during 2023, 2024, and 2025. The program will include a mass digital distribution of the book to reach those who are technologically savvy. All departments, institutions, and members of the church will be mobilized to distribute one million copies of the book through hand-to-hand gifts, door-to-door distribution, mass mailings, and public book displays.
EnditNow (Stop the Violence)
Leaders and lay persons endorsed EnditNow, an initiative of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to stop now violence against the most vulnerable, which will be held across the ATCU territory during August 26 – 27, 2022. A joint union-wide service via zoom will be held on Friday evening, August 26. On August 27, there will be a first of its kind simultaneous mega rally across the ATCU territory. Various church departments will come together in the conferences to make this initiative possible as ATCU looks to make a major impact in our local communities. Arleen Sands, ATCU Women’s Ministries director, stated, “Our directors are excited about this powerful initiative, and we look forward to joining hands and voices across ATCU to say enditnow, stop the violence now!” In giving thanks to God for what the conferences and institutions are doing to carry forward the mission of the church in ATCU, Pastor Peter Kerr, ATCU president, thanked executive committee members for their service and reminded them to continue to maintain safety in carrying out the work of God.
With a membership of 27,883, ATCU, which is headquartered in Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas, comprises four fields, namely, the Cayman Islands Conference, the North Bahamas Conference, the South Bahamas Conference, and the Turks and Caicos Islands Conference. In addition, Northern Caribbean University, which is in Mandeville, Jamaica, is jointly owned and operated by ATCU and the Jamaica Union. To learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Atlantic Caribbean Union and its Mid-year Executive Committee Meetings, visit www.atcunion.org