A six-day men’s convention, under the theme ‘Men of Power – Where are You?’, was hosted at the Kings Adventist Church by the Men’s Ministries Department of the Cayman Islands Conference of Seventh-day Adventists from the 25th – 30th October 2019. A variety of topics, geared to enlighten, enrich, and give support to men, young and older, were presented by local and overseas professionals and pastors.
The special guest speaker for the weekend was Dr. Minner Labrador, Jr., who was accompanied by his wife, Evelyn. He serves as president of the Upper Columbia Conference. Together with the Upper Columbia Conference team and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he provides spiritual and administrative leadership to the pastors, teachers and membership. His mission is to empower all leaders and members, to grow the church and together prepare for the soon return of Jesus.
Dr. Labrador, through the word of God and personal testimonies, encouraged the men in their walk with the Lord. His main emphasis was: ‘Ordinary men, who trust in God, can be men of power; no matter what our past may have been’.
On Friday evening, Dr. Mark Lockhart, director of the Inpatient Psychiatry Unit at the Health Service Authority in the Cayman Islands, spoke to the men on ‘The Art of Confidence’. He compared common confident behaviour with behaviour associated with low self-confidence. Showing that low self-confidence can be self-destructive, and it often manifests itself as negativity; whereas confident people are generally more positive – they believe in themselves and their abilities, and they also believe in living life to the full.
Saturday morning, Pastor Kevin Danvers, personal ministries director for the conference, presented the topic, ‘How to Develop Spiritual Confidence Through Prayer and Bible Study’. Pastor Jovan Whyte, marriage and family counsellor from the USA, spoke especially to the younger men, on the topic ‘Man Up’. The presentation provided encouragement on how to face different life challenges with confidence.
The programme continued in the afternoon with a presentation by Mr. Ormond Williams, former president of Cayman National Bank, on ‘Men, Work and Money’. He spoke to how a man’s confidence can be affected when his spouse is the major breadwinner and how to work together to achieve family goals. He mentioned that many women were pursuing higher educational goals and encouraged the men to do the same so as not to be left behind.
In collaboration with the Family Ministries Department, the programme continued with a presentation on Sunday evening by Pastor Obed Babb, pastor of Solid Rock Ministries, with the topic ‘Sexuality’. Family Ministries Director, Pastor Ivor Harry, presented ‘Regaining Your Confidence as You Age’, on Monday evening, and Tuesday evening, supported by Elder Bentley Vaughan from the Bodden Town Adventist Church, he presented ‘How to Manage Singleness in Marriage’. Dr. Livingston Smith, Vice President and Provost of the University College of the Cayman Islands, wrapped up the programme on Wednesday with the topic ‘Work-Life Balance’.
In his greetings to the men, the President of the Cayman Islands Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Pastor Reinaldo Dracket, encouraged the men to be honourable fathers and husbands and that through our example we can make our communities stronger.
The Men’s Ministries Director for the conference, Mr. Terence Blake, in summing up the event said: ‘We had a great men’s convention. The topics and presentations were relevant and spoke to the daily issues that affect our growth, spiritually and otherwise. The entire programme was educational, spiritual and empowering. I thank God for the leading of His Spirit’.
Testimonials from men who attended the event all agreed that the programme was very inspirational and rewarding. In their words: ‘The subjects were relevant to the current challenges facing men today, and overall an excellent experience’.
By: Nelda Rose Dracket | Photos by John Wesley
