Headquarters for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Guyana
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Guyana will today commence activities for the hosting of its fourth quadrennial session.
The four-day session will see the election of church officers including its President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Church’s Communication Director, Barbara Savory told the Guyana Times that the religious body, which has been in Guyana for over a century, is a highly organised institution.
Every four years, delegates, representing the over 60,000 members from some 216 congregations across the country convene to elect the three-member administration to serve the religious organisation.
This year’s session, which commences today at the Central Seventh- day Adventist Church, will have in attendance President Donald Ramotar, who will deliver an address, along with Opposition Leader David Granger.
The feature address will be presented by the Assistant to the World Church President Orville D Parchment. During the session, the sitting officers are also expected to deliver reports of their work over the four-year period.
Savory told the Guyana Times that the religious organisation remained committed to the development of Guyana, and has been contributing in every aspect through its membership. Seventh-day Adventist teachings reached British Guiana in 1883, making it the first country on the continent of South America to receive the Advent message.
The Church is currently under the stewardship of President Avert James, Executive Secretary Exton Clarke and Treasurer Margaret Ramsarran. From the time of its humble beginnings to now, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has emerged into a multi-ethnic, multicultural religious organisation with approximately over 60,000 members woven into the tapestry of Guyanese society. One that is built on sound biblical principles which holds to a creed that genuinely works for the holistic development of humanity. It is part of a worldwide church with a membership of approximately 20 million along with hospitals, schools, special needs homes and other institutions for the benefit of humanity.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Guyana is a genuine representation of the cultural mix of a beautiful multi-ethnic society. Its message is based on unity as opposed to division. Each “people” group or culture group is welcomed to be part of the church.
“A visit to any of our 216 congregations would reveal that members of all the ethnic groups in Guyana worship and interact in oneness and togetherness under a common gospel of unity. This unity is of special note given the current political climate in our country. We do not see skin colour or hair texture, we see humans with a possibility of uniting under the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”