News
Adventists Give Support to Haiti
By: Nigel Coke
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in West Indies Union with headquarters in Mandeville, Jamaica has donated US$10,000.00 and is calling upon its members in the more than 735 congregations in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands and the Cayman Islands, to support a collection drive to assist the thousands affected by the devastating earthquake, which rocked Haiti on Tuesday January 12.
quot;We are deeply moved by this tragic, human catastrophe that has affected our Caribbean neighbourquot;, said Pastor Derek Bignall, President of the Adventist Church in West Indies Union. quot;We are calling on each of our members to give a liberal offering beginning this weekend at our church services and conventions throughout the region. Also, in conjunction with the other church umbrella groups in Jamaica, I am asking for a sacrificial offering on January 30, 2010. Let us render special prayers for those who are bereaved and also for the rescue efforts to save the hundreds who are still trapped in buildings.quot;
Pastor Bignall added that quot;We are also aware that there might be some fleeing from the country, as happened in the past when there is a crisis, and so the Church is on the alert to assist in this area with housing especially in Portland.quot;
The Church′s Community Services Department and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Jamaica are already collecting non-perishable food items, clothing and bedding from individuals and companies in the region. ADRA-Cayman is ready to go to Haiti with Adventist construction workers to assist with temporary shelter facilities. ADRA International has already launched a disaster response in Haiti. The Adventist-laypersons Services and Industries (ASi) – the business and professional arm of the Church - is also joining to make their contribution.
Northern Caribbean University (NCU) through its Spiritual Affairs and Outreach Department will make available counseling for persons who have relatives and friends in Haiti and are traumatized by the event. They are located at the RADA Building in Mandeville – 2B Caledonia Road or call 876-625-1386.
Persons wishing to donate cash can do so through the ADRA-Jamaica account # 187917 at any branch of the Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS).
The Adventist Church has approximately 335,000 members and 470 churches in Haiti. It is the second largest Union in the Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. So far we have had report of the death of one Adventist worker. The university and hospital were badly damaged and there is no report of any survivors in one of our primary school that was in session at the time of the earthquake. Two churches have also been reported demolished.
