BBC Magazine Feb 2014
BBC Magazine Feb 2014
BBC Magazine Feb 2014
Boulevard Baptist
10
45
th
Anniversary Celebrations
My Salvation Testimony
Patrick N. Anderson:
Mission Statement:
To develop our spiritual lives, evangelize the wider community and influence the world through Christ by organized preaching, public and private worship, Christian education and fellowship, while co-operating with other Christian bodies.
Boulevard Baptist Church 2 Washington Boulevard, Kingston 20 Tel.: 905-2422, 905-0118 or 832-1522 Email: [email protected] | Website: www.boulevardbaptist.org.jm Pastor: Rev. Dr. Devon Dick Opportunities For Worship Sundays at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday School: 8:00 a.m. 8:50 a.m. Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. Prayer and Fasting: 1st Saturdays, 7:00 a.m. Editor-in-Chief: Sophia Williams Other Team Members: Hyacinth Brown, Carla Wilson-Redden, Francine Dallas, Simone Hull-Lloyd, Verna Edwards, Ricardo Holness, Claudette Reid , Duvaughn Dick, Petrona Faulknor, Claudette Reid and Lorna Fraser.
W E A LT H
www.weareproven.com
Head Office: 26 Belmont Road, Kingston 5, Tel: 876.908.3800-2 Mandeville Branch: 5-7 Ward Avenue, Tel: 876.625.0845-6 Montego Bay Branch: Unit 11, Suite B, Fairview II Shopping Centre, Bogue, Montego Bay, Tel: 876.908.3800-2 [email protected]
45
th
Anniversary Celebrations
The Joy of Remembering
The 45th Anniversary of the Boulevard Baptist Church was marked on February 9, 2014 with signicant activities and achievements forming part of the celebrations. Signicant to the 45 years existence of the Church, the foundation members were recognized with the unveiling of a plaque. The nine surviving foundation members of the thirty two members who formed the membership 45 years ago are Rev. Luther Gibbs, Sylvester Brown, Leleka Champagnie, Gloria Walters, Ronald Walters, Constance Weathers, Dorleen Williams and Elaine Williams. A new Church sign was also unveiled. A major achievement celebrated by the Church was the Blessing and Tour of the Kings Manor Townhouse Development. Anniversary Message The 45th Anniversary message by Rev. Wilmer Jackson, former General Secretary of the Church of God of Jamaica, exhorted us to Be faithful to the unnished task. This he stated, was a call for Christian action and commitment. He focused on Hebrews 10:22-25 and indicated that each verse introduced something to Christian living.
Foundation Members L-R: Dorleen Williams, Elaine Williams, Sylvester Brown and Gloria Walters
We were encouraged to draw near to God, avoiding the distractions and ensuring that we are connected to the source of power. His second point was for us to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess. Our faith and hope must be grounded, and Christian hope, is standing on the promises of God. Rev. Wilmer Jacksons third point urged us to consider how we may spur one another unto love and good deed, indicating that it takes kind words to stir up love and good deeds. A kind word spurs kindness and you should do unto others as you would like them do unto you. Positing his fourth point, Rev. Jackson advised us not to give up meeting together. Church attendance, he stated, is an example set by Jesus Christ, asserting that we must not get in the habit of not attending Church. Lastly we were urged to encourage one another. A word of encouragement can have a powerful effect on others, he added. Let these ve things remain in your mind as a Church, declared Rev. Jackson. God is adding His blessings for years to come.
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Funding for the housing development was provided by the Church and the National Housing Trust which approved an interim construction loan in June 2012. Special commendation is due to the directors of KMDC who provided personal guarantees to the NHT as part of the security for the construction loan. The construction project team is comprised of Taylor Architects, Burrowes & Wallace, Quantity Surveyors, Surrey Paving & Aggregates Co. Ltd., Contractors, Ainsworth Dick, Land Surveyor, and Carl Chin, Structural Engineer. I am sure you will agree with me that the construction team has done their job well. The ve 2 bedroom, 2 and half bathroom townhouse units are 1,153 sq. ft. situated on lots of 1,630 sq. ft.) and were initially priced at 21 million dollars subject to certied escalation, which we estimate will be 10%. In this regard it should be noted that the initial design was based on on-site sewage disposal using a reed bed but this has now been upgraded and the development is now connected into the NWC central sewage line. The development is a gated community with guard house and features, inter alia, a front garden (on which the unit owners will work their magic), a back patio, internal laundry area, solid surface kitchen counter tops and ceramic tiles. Each unit has 2 parking bays assigned. Four units will be sold and the fth unit will be retained by the church. Provisions have also been made for the construction of a sixth unit by the Church and we will await Gods direction in this regard.
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. (Psalm 127:1) 3.
2014
Boulevard Baptist Junior Choir, one of the star performers!
The Annual Festival of Choirs was held on February 2, 2014, under the distinguished patronage of Her Excellency the Most Honourable Lady Allen. It was another stellar presentation featuring local Church Choirs, guest Choirs, renowned Jamaican Soloists, acclaimed Music Directors, and Musicians. An event which started in 2010 under the theme: A Journey of Faith, culminates with the Churchs yearly anniversary celebrations.
The Festival of Choirs this year was held under the theme: The Journey Continues God and God alone, and had first time performers such as the Jamaica Youth Chorale, Jamaica Folk Singers and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Jamaica. A new feature of this years staging was the inclusion of the Combined Male Choir comprising 45 voices, significant to the 45 years of Boulevard Baptist Church witness. Compere for the evening, Dr. Melody Williams, skillfully took us on the journey as we re-lived moments of the past themes from previous years and embraced the current theme with outstanding performances from the Boulevard Baptist Senior and Junior choirs, the Tarrant and Bethel Baptist choirs, also the Haven Hill
and East Queens Street Baptist Choirs, the Diocesan Festival Choir, the Andrews Seventh Day Adventist Choir, Nexxus, Lori Burnett and the aforementioned first time performers.
The musical treat included popular pieces such as, Jah is my keeper, A fi wi culture, Daniels God, Everytime I feel the Spirit, Hallelujah, Great is Thy faithfulness, We are rejoicing, Total Praise and the congregation presenting O Praise Ye the Lord. The Festival also featured choir master and conductor extraordinaire, Franklin Halliburton, and organist, Livingston Burnett. It was a festival where we were revived, renewed and inspired, certainly through the efforts of our Music Director, Joseph McIntyre who developed and choreographed the theme each year, along with a Planning Committee chaired by Jasmin Ramsay.
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MY SALVATION TESTIMONY
Photo Caption: Patrick Anderson with wife, Diana and granddaughter Zoe
Patrick N. Anderson
I thank God for Christian parents. As a child going to Church on Sunday was just something the family did, no debate. As children we HAD to go to Sunday school, which was at 3:00 oclock in the afternoon. On a Sunday evening we got the chance to visit other Churches. My parents were members of the Olivet Brethren Assembly (Waltham Park Road) and that is where we attend Church and Sunday school.
It was made clear to us that we couldnt be saved by virtue of our parents salvation. This was something we had to take care of ourselves. We visited Ms. Ethels Church off Waltham Park Road when we could get a young adult to go with us. Another favourite for Sunday evening visitation was the Church of God on Waltham Park Road. These services were attractive because of the lively Pentecostal flavour. It was on a Sunday evening at Church, at age eight or nine years old that I became convicted of the need to surrender my life to Jesus Christ.
I cannot remember anything about the sermon, but the hymn,A wonderful Saviour is Jesus my Lord, haunted me. The thought that God loved me so much that he would protect me from danger and sin in such a way overwhelmed me. I left the Church, ran home to my mother and, in tears, told her that I wanted to give my life to Jesus. She was so happy to lead me to Christ then and there. I was not baptized until age sixteen while living in London. My brother and two sisters were baptized with me at a Baptist Church in North London (even though our parents were still Brethren). Between my initial conversion and baptism (and after) there were many ups and downs in my spiritual walk. However, I came to understand the truth of Romans 8:38-39: For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor power. shall be able to separate us (me) from the love of God.. This has been my lifes testimony. In 1978 while teaching at Calabar High School during the summer a few of us decided to go to the beach after school to
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cool off. The nearest decent beach was Cable Hut on the Bull Bay Road. I didnt know at the time that many so-called swimmers had lost their lives to the wicked undertow, that could drag you out to sea if it held you, and you were not a very strong swimmer. It was a very windy day and the waves were very high. A middle aged English looking gentleman said he would love to take a dip but he wouldnt go in by himself. In my youthful exuberance I volunteered to go in with him. We swam out about sixty to eighty metres then decided to turn back. When I tried to turn back I couldnt!! The undertow got hold of me and was pulling me out to sea. I told the gentleman that I was in trouble and asked if he could help. That was the last I saw of him. I learned later that he was also struggling and was afraid that we would both drown if he came near me. So it was me and the LORD, alone. Having first decided to give up and accept that it was my fate to drown at sea, my foot touched a rock. That spurred me on to keep going. I made up my mind not to give up, then that was the last thing I remember. My next memory was waking up on the beach surrounded by people cheering Hes Alive, Hes Alive !!. There is quite a bit more to the story. Only to say that I was seen to be swimming out there, fighting the undertow (unknown to me) and a young gentleman on a tyre tube managed to get to me, put me on the tube, and we both came ashore. I knew nothing of all of this.
God had kept me alive. I resolved that since God must have kept me alive for some purpose. I felt a call to continue working with children, particularly in the Church, and also to do what I could to help the underprivileged. This would be the practical working of my Salvation. I have been teaching in the Sunday school at Boulevard Baptist for over 20 years. Also, in the 1990s we started the Prison Ministry at Boulevard Baptist; I led a team of Church men to General Penitentiary (Tower Street) for several years, moving later to the Tamarind Farm prison in St. Catherine. We offered counselling, advice, prayer, as well as a word of exhortation. We sourced second hand computers for the warders at GP and taught the basics of Word Processing and General Computing. God has a purpose for all our lives. He has never failed me yet! I continue to seek His will for my life daily in prayer. I urge you all to look to Jesus to discover His purpose for your life, and recommend that you pray daily for the grace to fulfill that purpose.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved - (Acts 4:12)
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Celebrating
WILLIARD DICK
The Dick family celebrated the centenary of their late father, Williard Dick on Sunday, January 26, 2014 during the worship service at the Boulevard Baptist Church. Rev. Dr. Devon Dick while delivering his sermon remembered his father as someone who demonstrated kindness and love, not a wishy washy kind of affection, he stated, but one motivated by love. He lived a life synonymous to Gods kindness towards us. His admiration for his father was seen as one who embraced individuals even when they were characterized as a rogue. He noted that his parents would take persons in the family and cared for them. They protected those who were less fortunate. Rev. Devon Dick expressed that kindness is an attribute of God, which does not come naturally to human beings. He posited that we are not normally kind, it is the fruit of the Spirit. We admire from a far but we do not desire it.
He underscored the sacrifice his Mom and Dad made to further their education. In a similar manner Gods kindness is marked by sacrifice manifested in the full salvation through Christ. He did not spare His Son. God did not withhold anything from us, he added. Throughout the Bible we see kindness. To be kind is to show that we are dependent on God. In our kindness it may lead to us suffering. The crowning moment of this kindness is extended to all ages. When we make that final transition we will get that crown. That will be my fathers crowning moment, he declared. I led them with kindness and love. I did not lead them with ropes. I lifted the heavy loads from their shoulders. I bent down and fed them - (Hosea 11:4)
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