Firstly I would like to say, that on critically reading about the Seven Day Adventist, I do not believe that one is dealing with a cult or anything evil. In fact, while I fundamental disagree with their view of the Anti-Christ, I find their approach on many issues to be very thought out and sound.

 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

Filed under: Religion

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