By Henry R. Moncur III | ACTU Communication
Over 500 women gathered at the Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, The Bahamas on the weekend of October 11-13, 2024, for the Women’s Ministries retreat of the Atlantic Caribbean Union of Seventh-day Adventists (ATCU). Under the theme “Rescuing Your Value for Mission,” women gathered to share in a time of spiritual renewal, growth, prayer, and sisterhood.
The retreat offered an opportunity for participants to deepen their faith, connect with one another, celebrate their service, and draw inspiration from biblical teachings. Arleen Sands, ATCU Women’s Ministries director and coordinator of the weekend, declared the main purpose of the event. “We came with great expectation to be revived, renewed, and restored for mission.” She challenged the ladies to use the weekend to pour out their praise to God for rescuing them and making them women of value.
Ann-Marie Davis, the spouse of the prime minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, was in attendance and shared official remarks as the leader of the Office of the Spouse of the Prime Minister. Acknowledging that she was happy to be in the presence of what felt like a strong sisterhood, Davis said, “Our value does not rest in what we do, but in who we are as daughters of the Lord.” She challenged the ladies to use the retreat to be refreshed. “Allow the Holy Spirit to guide our hearts and minds as we live out our calling for God; and as we leave, to walk with a fresher sense of purpose and a deeper understanding in God’s great design for you in fulfilling your mission, during and after this conference, in our families, our churches, and our communities.”
Dr. Kent Price, assistant to the president of ATCU for evangelism, brought remarks on behalf of the president of ATCU, Peter Kerr, while Kenny Deveaux, president of the South Bahamas Conference (SBC), brought remarks on behalf of the host conference where the retreat was held.
The retreat featured a blend of praise and worship, inspiring sermons, a 24-hour prayer room, moments of reflection, celebration, heartfelt testimonies, and joyful performances that encouraged spiritual growth and created a warm, supportive environment for all attendees.
The Girls Empowered for Ministry and Service (GEMS) nominee, Kaycee Gordon from the Cayman Islands Conference, was excited about the conference and how it benefitted her in so many ways. “It is a great honor and privilege to even be selected by the union for this award as someone that other young people can look up to and say, “yes, she is someone who can be selected as a GEMS awardee” which lets me ask if this is how my church and other young people see me. I can only imagine how much more God sees me which means a lot to me because He sees me as a young person who can represent Him everywhere I go.”
Guest speaker for the retreat was Jill Morikone, vice president and chief operating officer for Three Angles Broadcasting Network. She encouraged the ladies – young and young-at-heart who attended – to remember their identity in Jesus, to have restored relationships with Jesus and others, to be revived in service, and to be renewed in witness. She shared with the ladies about the importance of understanding how one’s identity in Jesus changes everything, allowing one to love, forgive, serve, and witness. Like Mrs. Davis, she reminded the ladies of the Source of their worth. “Our value does not come from what we do. It comes from who we belong to, and we belong to Jesus Christ. As daughters of God, our job is to show, be faithful in the work we are called to do, and let God do the rest.” Morikone’s sermons left an indelible impression on all, especially the young ladies in attendance who opined that the messages were down to their level and easy to understand.
One highlight of the retreat was the baptismal service when two ladies were baptized. Of this special service Mrs. Sands said, “Evangelism is the life of our church, and we wanted our sisters to know that we are not just coming together for fun, but to be instruments in the hand of God to reach others.” Another significant event was an awards ceremony when ladies from The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands were honored in the areas of evangelism, community services, and administration. In addition, awards were given to outstanding Women’s Ministries leaders in the local church and at the conference level and to the most outstanding GEMS member in each conference. The ladies also received a special cookbook, compiled by Sands, which is a feature of all the retreats she has led.
A moment of silence was held for all of the ladies across ATCU who had fallen asleep since the beginning of the year, several of whom had already paid for the retreat. Included in the moment was the late Heather-Dawn Small, former Women’s Ministries director of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
As the retreat came to a close, participants shared that the weekend had left them rejuvenated and inspired. Carol Dorsett from SBC remarked, “It was an inspiration being able to interact around the table during mealtimes with sisters and share in their testimonies of how God is using them in serving. It is something to take back to my church to inspire others.” Jacqueline Russell from the North Bahamas Conference shared how the retreat was a blessing. “The retreat was a renewed challenge to continue in my journey in restoring my value in Christ Jesus and to serve Him in all I do.”
Those in attendance were abundantly blessed and left the retreat giving praise to God for the opportunity to get together in love and looking forward to the next Women’s Ministries retreat of the Atlantic Caribbean Union.
With a membership of 27,694, 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.