The Seven Day Adventist movement, in Jamaica, has been the first segment of the Church to respond to the challenges and problems posed by urbanization be it by plan or by accident.

 The success of the Seven Day Adventist Movement lays not so much in its ability to meet the spiritual needs of the community it serves, but rather it ability to create a sense of belongingness. Wherein other segments of the Church focus only on meeting the spiritual needs of its membership, the Seven Day Adventists goes to great pains to create a sense of community and a sense of belongingness, both in a structured manner and unstructured, and focus on the varied needs of the individual, be it on questions related to health, education, social life etc.

  The “Fellowship” segment of the Adventist Sabbath, is a most powerful tool in its arsenal. It allows people of to come together with those of like mind, in a free unstructured manner and discuss any range of topics, be it about Church matters or the state of violence in their respective communities. This form of “Fellowship creates very strong “multi –dimensional” bonds and friendship between individual members, of a type which surpasses the “Praise The Lord Sister Bennett” types of bonds which exist in so many other segments of the Church.

 This Seven Day “Fellowship” also has the ability to bring to the attention of the leadership the day to day issues facing the membership.

 The Adventist Movement is strong and growing, because of its ability to focus on the whole man, man the spiritual, man the physical and man the social being. It is growing, because along with a very formal structure there is a very informal side to the Church. It is growing because of and absence of competition between members to see who is “Filled” or “ Who is Speaking in Tongues”  or “Who is Getting This or That Position” emphasis is placed on cooperation and brotherhood (sisterhood).

 The Adventist Movement is not raiding the membership of sister Churches, but rather pulling into its fold, those who hold similar beliefs about the Sabbath and perhaps about the Catholic Church.

 Basil Fletcher

 The fact, that all forces are now recognizable means that it is possible not only to establish but also to maintain lines of communication between then, to prevent the more adventurous elements from the various sides form acting as they would like to.

 Is this situation new to the Church? Firstly one must remember that political parties and their leadership are all bastard children of the Church itself. Political parties and their leadership came into being with the blessing of the Church, it is not the political elite nor the political parties that gave birth or life to the Church. In short the Church when its speaks, it speaks with the authority of a parent addressing wayward and mischievous children.

 At this m0oment in time a reading of Black Baltimore, by Harold A McDooglas , Main Street on the Middle Border by Lewis Atherton is very instructive. The current situation is not new to the Church. The Church needs to go back into its own history, in order to be better able to guide the country through these rock seas.

At present there are hundreds of churches formed within the UK each year and they are answerable to no one. Yes, if their income is above £5,000 they are required to register with the Charity Commission and registration with the Charity Commission only means that their finances will be accounted for. The Charity Commission investigate financial irregularities and do not get involve in the trustees’ general administration of churches, their general conduct or misconduct, investigate non-financial complains or get involves in or specify disciplinary measures or complain handling procedures. Read More

The pastor who is active at New Testament Church of God conventions in London was reported by the Jamaica Gleaner to have: 

…allegedly took the girls to the hotel at which he was staying in Negril, claiming it was late. About 2 a.m. on Sunday, he sexually assaulted the 15-year-old twice while the younger girl watched.

Persons who became suspicious of the pastor?s activities informed the police and the girls, after being questioned, admitted what had occurred. The reverend was arrested Sunday evening, just as he was about to take the pulpit in front of thousands of people, from all across the island, who had travelled to witness his preaching.

It is believed Lewis paid the girls not to tell.

He is believe to have been doing in in London up to 8 yrs ago as my uncle rented an office in London some 8 yrs ago to Lewis and questioned his secretary about floating allegations that he was a peadophile which was vigorously denied! My uncle did not want anything to do with them as there were so many rumours about his alleged sexual activities.

Unaware that I was dealing with the same Lewis over one year ago I saw his programme on British TV where he was promoting his ‘Miracle Olive Oil Soap’ which he asked viewers to ring the programme if they need a free bar of these soaps. Out of curiousity I rang the show and left my contact details. I did not get a response for weeks I rang a second time after watching the show again. Few weeks later I got a response from Lewis where I was asked to send him “£50″ if I need the soap as God told him to tell me “nothing from nothing is nothing”. The tone of his letter was disturbing so I became convinced something was up with this guy. I immediately wrote to him telling him “God told me not to support his ministry”. I did not hear from him until several months later when he send me a letter telling me that I have been one of 100 people God selected to “received this special letter from him”. In order to unlock the blessings in the letter I was asked to send large sum of money. I returned his letter in the post without comments. So he is finally caught after years of abusing young girls!

The Reverend Dr. Paul Lewis is still being held in Jamaica jail for allegedly having sex with a 15 year old while her 14 year old friend watched. The SHOCKING truth is that this is not the first time the goodly reverend is accused of  sexual indiscretion.  According to an article in the N.Y. Daily news, Last February a 19 year old female accused Lewis of raping her in a parking lot nearly a year earlier. The young lady later changed her story and no charges were filed against Reverend Lewis. If this story is true this would place Lewis in the category of a serial sexual predator and he should be treated as such. We can’t thank the Jamaican authorities enough for their courage in arresting Lewis and keeping him in jail. Lewis is very powerful and there are those who believe that he is incapable of doing wrongs and they would not hesitate to assist him in breaking the law. This shows that not all Jamaican police are corrupt.

Below: Excerpt from the Jamaican Gleaner

The Jamaican-born international pastor, who allegedly gave two teenage girls money in exchange for sexual favours, was remanded when he appeared in the Savanna-la-mar Resident Magistrate’s Court late yesterday afternoon.

He has been remanded until July 7.

The police yesterday afternoon charged the accused, Reverend Dr Paul Lewis, with carnal abuse and indecent assault following an interrogation which lasted more than two hours.

Lewis was arrested at a crusade in Little London, Westmoreland, after he allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old girl and kissed and fondled a 14-year-old on Saturday.

According to reports, Lewis met the 14-year-old girl at the crusade and the two exchanged numbers.

It is alleged that he invited the girl to go with him on a trip to Clarendon.

The teenager then asked her 15-year-old friend to accompany her.

The police say that, while on the journey, the pastor fondled and kissed both of the girls.

He later reportedly took the girls to a hotel in Negril on his return to Westmoreland, where it is alleged that he had sex with the 15-year-old twice while the other teenager watched.

He then gave them sums of $5,000 and $3,000 each.

Residents who saw the pastor with the girls got suspicious and called the police.

The girls, who were questioned, admitted to the allegations.

Baptised ninja man

Lewis, well known locally for baptising popular entertainer Desmond Ballentine, also known as Ninja Man, is a Jamaican who migrated to the United States at the age of 12.

He pursued a bachelor of science degree in biblical studies and theology and holds an MBA in theology and a PhD in divinity.

He is an ordained minister who is the founder and president of The Messengers For Christ Ministries World Healing Center, based in New York.

His ministry has other offices in Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, Trinidad, the United Kingdom and Germany.

He is also an author and recently published the book, Walking in the Spirit.