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Total War Humanity has, since the middle of the last century, been living in an age of total war. Total war implies the theoretical possibility that, except for the providence of God, earth's inhabitants could wipe out their entire civilization. Nuclear weapons and biochemical arms of mass destruction are aimed at centers of population. Whole nations and societies are mobilized or targeted for war, and when such war erupts, it is carried on with the greatest violence and destruction. The justification of war has become more complex, even though advances in technology make possible greater precision in destroying targets with a minimum of civilian casualties. A New Dimension While both the United Nations and various religious bodies have proclaimed the first decade of the 21st century as a decade for the promotion of peace and security in the place of violence in its various forms, a new and insidious dimension of violence has emerged: organized international terrorism. Terrorism itself is not new, but worldwide terrorist networks are. Another new factor is the appeal to so-called divine mandates as the rationale for terrorist activity under the guise of culture war, or even "religious" war. The rise of international terrorism makes it clear that it is not only a nation or state that makes war, but human beings in various combinations. As one of the leading founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church pointed out a century ago, "The inhumanity of man toward man is our greatest sin." Indeed, human nature is prone to violence. From a Christian perspective, all this inhumanity is really part of a cosmic war, the great controversy between good and evil. Terrorists take lives indiscrimately; therefore terrorism misrepresents God’s love and justice. Further, the religious and/or political fanaticism displayed by international terrorism disregards religious freedom and human dignity. At the same time the attempt to counteract terrorism by violent means will not produce meaningful peace. Only through dialogue, the execution of justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation will lasting peace become a reality. Christian churches can contribute toward peace of humanity by giving both spiritual and social nurture. The Seventh-day Adventist Church, in particular, supports all efforts for peace and reconciliation. This approach is supported and fostered through the world-wide educational system operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Although the attempts to make peace may seem to be an impossible task, the Christian is assured that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, will eventually make peace a reality in the new earth. While we wait for this to happen, let us follow the golden rule (see Matt. 7:12) and love as God loves. ACN
Good News Church to Celebrate Homecoming March 29, 2003. Former pastors and president to speak
Bahamas
Conference Deploys Troops to War The world is in need of a
light to shine Satan seems to be gaining momentum in every nation of the world, including the nation in which we live. The church is determined not to shrink in the face of the foe. On the contrary, we are responding by rising up to meet the challenges head on. We are going into the high ways and byways to preach the third angel’s message of Revelation 14 with power and conviction. This church has a unique message, relevant for the times in which we live. Hence, the troops are being deployed. The real war is not between the US and Iraq. The real war is between God and Satan and the scriptures are abundantly clear, "God will win." General E. D. Clarke and the Grant’s Town battalion began the onslaught two weeks ago and are steadily gaining ground on the enemy’s territory under the caption "The Search for Truth Gospel Crusade." Major-General Howard Barr, accompanied by the Marines of the Johnson Park Church, is disarming the enemy in Farrington Road. Admiral Peter Joseph and our Lord’s Bahamian ship "New Providence" sailed into the troubled seas of Pinewood Gardens to reap a "Real Harvest" for the Lord. Joining the battle this week were two four- star generals, Michael A. Smith and Edward St. Fleur. Generals Smith and St. Fleur launched an aerial attack on Yellow Elder and Carmichael respectively. Troops are being deployed weekly as we fight with God’s help to destroy Satan’s weapons of mass destruction. We invite all members to enlist in their local church today. Be all that you can be. We need you in the Lord’s army. - T. Basil Sturrup, Departmental Director
Courtesy Call on The Directors at Immigration Department Dr. L. A. Johnson, President, Pastor E. D. Clarke, Executive Secretary, Pastor T. Basil Sturrup, Personal Ministries Director, and Pastor A. E. Burrows, Youth Director, made up team that paid a courtesy call on the Director of Immigration, Mr. Vernon Burrows, Deputy Director Mr. Lambert Campbell, and Assistant Director Mr. William McDonald. The intent of their visit was to present concerns of the church with regards to members from foreign countries and to pray for those whose lives are at risk daily in defense of our Commonwealth. Our President expressed gratitude to the Directors for their assistance and continuing accommodation of our requests for teachers, colporteurs and medical personnel. The Immigration Officers were commended for their efficient hands-on approach to handling situations that confront them. Mr. Burrows commended the church for its Community Services Department's assistance given to the Detention Center, in the form of blankets and food items. Support was given for the Masterguides Camporee and the attendees who will come from the Caribbean, Canada and America. The amicable meeting ended with Pastor Clarke praying for the Officers and staff of the Immigration Department. Oldest Grandchild of
First Adventist Dies at 96 Sister Floy Louise Wood-Rollins, the
oldest Sis. Rollins was born in Lower Bogue, Eleuthera on 25th October, 1906. She was the second child born to the late Sis. Evangeline Louise Antonio-Wood (the oldest child of her grandparents) and Elijah Conrad Wood of Gregory Town, Eleuthera. He was a schoolteacher and accomplished musician; she was a dedicated Bible worker. Her grandparents and mother are credited with the establishment of the Seventh-day Adventist Churches in the Bahamas. They were responsible for persons coming to know Jesus and the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist fsaith. Her grandparents held the first Sabbath School in their modest home in Hospital Lane North for fourteen years. Church services were held each Sabbath with the assistance of Sis. Rollins’ mother before moving to the Odd Fellow Lodge Hall on Meeting Street. Sis. Rollins was married to the late Bro. Hastings Harrold Rollins of Bimini. He was a master carpenter and boatbuilder. She was a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker. They were members of the historic Shirley Street SDA Church and later on Johnson Park Church. While at Shirley Street Church, Bro. Rollins held the post of choir conductor in the 1930's and ‘40s During 1950, Bro. and Sis. Rollins and their daughter Rosie moved to Miami, Florida. While in the U.S.A, they attended many camp meetings and continued their efforts in spreading the gospel. They were members of Bethany, Berea, and Apopka SDA Churches in Florida. A vegetarian for more than fifty years, Sis. Rollins did her daily routine of exercise until the age of eighty-eight. Sis. Rollins’ faith in her God grew stronger as the years went by. On her last birthday, she told her daughter Rosie, "just to think God spared me to see all of these years." A few minutes before she dozed off, she said quietly, "Lord, you’re coming in the clouds of glory. Come Lord Jesus, quickly come." -Copyright Guillaume/Guillaume, All rights reserved
Funeral Service Funeral service for Sis. Floy Rollins will be held at the Hillview SDA Church, Harrold Road, Sunday, March 23, at 11 a.m. Pastor M. A. Smith will officiate. Go One Million Rally And Training There will be a special Go One Million Rally and Training March 29, 2003, at 7:00 p.m. at the Hillview Church. Our special guests will be Dr. Patrick Allen and Elder Herman Ming of West Indies Union who will give demonstrations on how to utilize the Go One Million equipment. Pastors, Elders and all Lay Preachers are especially invited to attend. - T. Basil Sturrup, Departmental Director
Legal Advisor From the Ministry of Finance gives Presentation on E-Commerce Attorney Rowena G. Bethel, Legal Advisor in the Ministry of Finance, gave an informative presentation on "Bahamian Foundation For E-Commerce" to pastors, departmental directors and administrators of Bahamas Conference of SDA on Tuesday morning, March 11, 2003, at the Conference Office. She discussed the financial, legal, and market access issues that are involved in the use of the Internet. She also commended the Conference for the quality and the content of its website. She stated that this website should be brought to the attention of the other churches and the Bahamian public as an example of the positive, cultural information that is available for young internet users. Since January, 2001, Mrs. Bethel has served as an inaugural member of the Government’s Compliance Commission, an independent statutory body established to supervise and enforce anti-money-laundering regulations imposed on financial intermediaries such as lawyers, accountants and others. She was a feature writer for the Nassau Guardian on matters regarding the Internet and Cyberspace. She is also a member of the Florida Chapter of the Internet Society, the International Bar Association, the Society of Computer and the Law of the United Kingdom, and the Association of Certified Anti-Money-laundering specialists.
VBA Alert Skilled volunteers are needed to go to Long Island on Friday, March 28, to help complete the Steven’s Church building. Interested persons may contact Bro. W. Ash for further details at 324-7790 or 394-1063-Winston Ash, President, VBA
Education Corner (This is a weekly column sponsored by Bahamas Academy of SDA) Our students are once again making us proud as they enter competitions. Their performance displays excellent quality and is of a high caliber! First of all, four of our students represented Bahamas Academy in the recent Mock United Nations Session held at the Radisson Cable Beach Hotel. Brehon Davis and Mia Pintard, both 11th graders, were the main speakers at this session, with Pedro Rolle, Jr, and Riccara Miller (also 11th graders) as supporting team members. Our school represented the country of India and was among 15 other schools debating the topic "No state should hold weapons of mass destruction". With this relevant subject in the forefront of international events, you can imagine how passionate the debates were. Our school did not place as winners, even though many in the audience felt we should have (we placed 2nd in last year's debates). But our students did extremely well, especially in the rebuttal, which is an area where many schools lose points. So we say "thanks for a job well done" to our debating team who made us proud once again. Kudos also goes out to our up-and-coming track and field team. Last week they competed in the BAISS track and field meet and according to Coach Symonette, "this team put out the best performance in the history of the school in track and field". Durelle Williams placed 1st in the triple jump, Reggie Knowles placed 2nd in the long jump, Stanneka Delancy, Lathara Burrows, Pashley Godet, Isaiah Adderley and others placed in the top ten in several events. By day two of the three-day meet, our junior girls, senior girls, and intermediate boys were in fifth place in their respective divisions (14 schools competed). Our senior boys were in 7th place and our junior boys were in 10th place. According to Coach Symonette, our team faced many challenges. Among them was the fact that some of our students received injuries. For instance, Terrance Brown sprained his ankle playing basketball the night he qualified to run in the finals. The day before, he had run the 100m heats with a 10.93 time (the present record for this event is 10.65 which was set in 1991 by Don Woods). Our relay teams and our hurdlers did exceptionally well, making the finals in most of the events. Day three saw Bahamas Academy featured with the top high schools in the BAISS. However, our coaches feel that the lack of consistent technical and strength training was evident because the competition was able to pull away from us. In spite of these challenges, our school placed ninth overall, losing the eighth place by just one quarter of a point! Special thanks and appreciation go out to one of our new staff members, Miss Dianne Woodside, who has been coaching this team since early September in preparation for these events. I can't wait until next year! Our athletic program is improving by leaps and bounds. But we lack some very basic equipment that the students need in order to prepare themselves: 30 hurdles, 2000-3000 lbs. of loose weights, weight benches, stands, mats, 6 javelins, and 6 medicine balls. Maybe some of our loyal readers and supportive alumni will be impressed to make a donation towards these items.
Persons applying for the teaching positions should possess at least a bachelor's degree and have a love for children. Please pick up an application form from the school and apply in writing to The Director of Education, Bahamas Conference of S.D.A., P. O. Box N-356, Nassau, Bahamas. Last date for applications to be turned in is Monday, March 24. We are looking for a new building/location to house our ELC. Please contact the Principal at 394-0094 if you know of a building we can rent temporarily. UPCOMING EVENTS: March 21: Deadline for tuition
Children’s Ministries Department All Children’s Ministries Leaders are invited to attend a seminar on Sunday, March 23, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Philadelphia Church, Elizabeth Estates. -Cheryl Rolle, Departmental Director
Health Ministries "The 3rd Annual Be Healthy, Be Happy Fun Run" will take place this Easter Monday, beginning at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field entrance, ending at the Bahamas Youth Camp as a part of the Camporee Activities. Registration is now in progress.
Bahamas SDA Educators Association Seminar All SDA Educators are invited to attend ain informative education seminar on Sunday, April 6, 2003, from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Philadelphia SDA Church, Elizabeth Estates. The topic to be presented is "Effective Methods of Teaching in a World of Change."
Harmonious Praise to host Boat Cruise Tonight Harmonious Praise presents "The Best Is Yet To Come" Boat cruise tonight, March 22, 2003, at 8:00 o’clock on board the Glass Bottom Party Boat. The Boat departs Prince George Dock at 8:00 sharp!
New Branch Sabbath School On March 29, 2003, a new branch Sabbath School will be officially opened in Gambier. All members interested in assisting with this project may contact Pastor Sturrup at 341-4021 or 322-4139. ABC On The Move On March 29, the ABC will be at the New Providence Church, Soldier Road, for your convenient shopping. The 2nd quarter’s Sabbath School Supplies are ready for collection. Lay Activities Secretaries are asked to verify supplies and pay upon receipt of them. -K. Deveaux, ABNC Manager
! There will be a very important meeting for all A.Y. Leaders and assistants on Sunday, March 23, 2003, at the Berea Church at 4:00 p.m. All leaders are asked to come with their calendar of events, as well as projections and ideas for 2003.! Youth Forum will discuss provocative and mind-stimulating topics at its regular Friday evening meetings at 7:00 o’clock. This Friday, Youth Forum will be held at the Grant’s Town Church. Tell a friend and come prepared to enjoy spirit-filled discussions lifting up the name of Jesus.! Adventurers from all around the conference will be handing out "stop the violence" leaflets and tracts from 3-4 o’clock this Sabbath afternoon. Please support them in your respective areas.
Congratulations Congratulations to Dillette and Mark Miller on the birth of their baby girl , born on March 18, 2003. Reports are that they are all doing well and will return to the Bahamas in early April. Special thanks to all who gave of their love, support, gifts and prayers. Please continue to keep them in your prayerful thoughts. -The Brown and Miller Families ASI Needs your Help ASI needs your help to share Christ in the marketplace. Adventist business men and women, Adventist men, health professionals, Women’s Ministry leaders, laymen and women, you are invited to join ASI for Prayer and Breakfast on Sunday, March 23, 2003, at 8:00 a.m. at the Conference Office, Harrold Road. Attention, All Members The survey for all SDA members is now out at all churches. We solicit your participation in completing and turning it in to your head elder or pastor. Sun sets today at 6:21 p.m. Sun sets next Sabbath at 6:24 p.m.
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grandchild and third descendant of the late Bro. William Charles Antonio
and Sis. Mary C. Griffith-Antonio, who were the first Seventh-day Adventists in
the Colony of the Bahamas in 1895, died on Wednesday, 12th March,
2003, at her residence on Derby Road. She was ninety-six years old. Sis. Rollins
was an Adventist from birth and was the longest serving Adventist in the
Commonwealth of the Bahamas. She was the oldest member in the Hillview SDA
Church.