Thursday, November 26, 2009

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100 years of worship By CHAKARA BENNETT ~ Guardian Intern: A time of celebration is surely the theme this time of year, not only because Christmas is around the corner but also because the Church of God of Prophecy is celebrating the centennial anniversary of its establishment in The Bahamas this year. This Christian denomination, which settled upon the shores of this country in 1909, has grown immensely from its humble roots to its current state. Bishop Elgarnet Rahming, the national overseer of the local denomination, says that he feels the most significant change in the denomination lies in the test of time. "We have become more community impacting and involved in the latter stages of our hundred years than we were in the early stages," he said. "We have done a lot of things like build a lot of buildings and purchased properties to help persons socially. But I feel that it is one of the most significant in community outreach." Rahming said that the church has also become more appealing to the community. "That's an actual change," he said. "We were not accepted, called Jumpers, Holy rollers. This was in the early days. But now we have gained respect, public appeal and [become] socially acceptable. Because of this we have been able to be more community impacting as a direct offshoot of that." The local denomination is considered to be the first mission field to reside outside America and was brought to The Bahamas in November 1909 by Rev'd Edmond S. Barr and his wife Rebecca, who both originated from Exuma but were residing in Florida where they were converted. They returned to the islands to bring the good news to our shores and slowly but surely, while facing trials and tribulations, this denomination has grown from street meetings to having 54 churches and three missions that spread from Grand Bahama to Inagua. Many members feel that the hardships and successes that shaped the foundation and the current standing of the church were so extraordinary that in this time of celebration much more than a banquet or service of thanks is needed. Many of them gathered to create an exhaustive historical exhibiton of the church's rich history, which is still on display at the Post Office Building. Felton Beneby, the chairman of the exhibition committee, says that documenting this anniversary in such a fashion is essential not to only remind members where they have come from and what they have accomplished but also to share a part of themselves with those less familiar. He says that it is important to have this exhibition because the church has a rich history and doing this is a memorial tribute to our church, to the work and labor of those who pioneered the work over the past 100 years. "We've had many ministries who have evolved and been able to assist in every aspect of the church so that no one is left out," he said. "The Bishop cannot be everywhere but the work and consistency of the word can. We've had groups like the Bahamas Brass Band which everyone probably knows. And we have the junior brass band and we have a strong membership of 50 children in it. We have a multitude of other ministries which are equally important which include the family ministry, Christian Education Ministry, Children's Ministry, Women's Ministry and Leadership Development and Training ministry, just to name a few. "0 we even had an auxiliary group called the Marker Association, which is no longer in existence but we are still carrying on the works of God. So it is clear to see that of course we have a strong foundation to build upon and we will continue to spread the good news of salvation to win souls for the Kingdom of God." Also to celebrate this festive period on November 18 the Church of God East Street Tabernacle, which was re-dedicated in March 1956, was officially depicted on a 15 cent stamp in commemoration of this grand event. In addition, a special banquet also took place on Saturday, November 20 and attracted more than 600 guests. Some members feel that while this is a milestone, it is only the beginning of the celebrations, as there is much more work to be done and many more lives to touch and save. Bishop Rahming says that he sees this denomination going forward by the help of the Lord in many ways which includes in the ministerial base, accelerating the growth in the membership numbers and improving upon the different ministries within the church. He hopes to focus on the youth of the church whom he sees as the future, and to concentrate on their further training and development because they have much to offer the church and community. He says that there is so much going on and there is so much to do in these times but one of the main things he hopes to focus on is also the newly created social outreach ministry so that the church will be in the position to offer more assistance to more of our hurting people. "We certainly in these times of crisis where the family institution is under attack, we shall re-strengthen our programs in the family ministry in the view to reaching in, counseling and helping families in the communities of our churches to live the kind of lives to enhance their relationships. "In terms of evangelism and outreach we shall continue to send our teams from island to island, from community to community and from street to street. And our focus will be on problematic communities and areas such as crime hotshots with a view to giving people the message of God's love. By and large we hope to continue to make positive impacts on the community all for the praise and glory of God." Thursday, November 26, 2009