The women of the Cayman Islands Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, along with many friends from the community, assembled at the Lions Centre last weekend for their annual Women’s Ministries Convention under the theme, ‘In Christ’. It was a time for spiritual refreshing and fellowship.
In her opening remarks on Friday evening, Women’s Ministries Director, Mrs Sheila Woods, asked: ‘Why the theme “In Christ’’’? Her response was: ‘Without Christ we can do nothing’. Her desire for the weekend was that the women would be drawn closer to Christ so that they can experience the same relationship with Jesus as He had with His Father’. She encouraged the women to continue to support their local congregations and in her words: ‘The work on earth will never be completed without the women’.
The president of the conference, Pastor Reinaldo Dracket, brought greetings on behalf of the Conference Administrators and workers. He reminded the women that: ‘They were special because they were designed by the most skilled artisan the world has ever known. In Christ, every woman can become what He designed her to be’. In his message, to the women, he wrote: ‘Paul reminds us that every single believer has a unique place and function in the body of Christ’.
Special guest speaker for the event was Pastor Chanda M. Nunes, associate pastor for the Capitol City Adventist Church in Sacramento, CA. She was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, in a Christian home by two God-fearing Jamaican parents. She responded to the call to pastoral ministry in 2003 and served in the Alberta and Kansas-Nebraska Conferences prior to accepting her present position.
On Friday evening Pastor Nunes used the inspiring story of Hannah, found in 1 Samuel chapter one, to bring out the topic: ‘Moving from Breakdowns to Breakthroughs’. She left the women with three lessons 1. Like Hannah, make your requests known to God because nothing is impossible with Him. 2. Trust God’s perfect timing because even when you think He is late, He is just on time. 3. Worship like you lost your mind. When you get your breakthroughs praise God.
Saturday morning, the programme began with songs of praise to the almighty King. Sabbath School Leader for Ebenezer Church, Ms Dausea Scott, and her team of leaders from the various churches directed the Sabbath School programme. Pastor and Mrs Dracket, along with three volunteers from the audience, gave a summary of the week’s lesson based on the first two chapters of Nehemiah. The main message was that God is faithful and keeps His promises.
At the mid-day worship service, once again, Pastor Nunes stirred the hearts of hundreds of women with the topic: ‘A Royal Invitation’ based on the story found in 2 Samuel chapter nine. It recounts the steps leading to the invitation of King David to Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of King Saul. She emphasised that, just as David sought out the heir of his friend Jonathan, gave him back his inheritance and restored him as a prince; God also searches for us and restores us to become heirs of the kingdom. As she boldly proclaimed, ‘There is power in the name of Jesus to break every chain.
Saturday afternoon, under the topic: ‘No one wants to be left behind’, Pastor Nunes used the story recorded in Mark chapter five, of the man whom Jesus cast out the legion of demons, to bring out valuable lessons. When Jesus was leaving town, this man, who was now clothed in his right mind, did not want to be left behind so he asked Jesus to take Him along. Jesus refused and told him to go back to his home and share what great things God had done for him. The Bible record shows that he was obedient and went. She encouraged all present to go back to their country and tell what great things God had done in their lives; ‘for no one who has had an encounter with Jesus can keep silent’.
The weekend-long event ended with a prayer breakfast on Sunday morning. Pastor Kevin Danvers, the prayer coordinator for the conference, led out in an uplifting prayer session and Ms Jewel Meikle and Mrs Cameil Beckford-Johnson involved all of the women in a ‘table talk’ sharing the impact that Bible verses have on their lives. Pastor Nunes ended the session with a soul-searching devotional.
Mrs Woods said that: ‘The weekend was truly a blessing, and she was happy for the impact the programme had on the lives of those in attendance’. According to her: ‘The main objective she wishes to accomplish is for these conventions to be a witnessing tool to lead women to Jesus’.
