JAMAICA'S largest Christian denomination, the West Indies Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) will kick off a year of celebrations to mark its 100th anniversary with a series of activities starting this coming weekend.

"The West Indies Union celebrates 100 years of growth and development as an organised unit, in service to our Lord and the community, having been formed in 1906, when it comprised all the conferences and missions in the Caribbean and Central America with 4,000 members," said SDA president, Dr Patrick Allen.

"Today, the Union comprising Jamaica, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, and the Cayman Islands has a membership of over 240,000, making it the largest and fastest growing denomination," he said.
The Turks & Caicos Islands also celebrate 100 years of Adventist presence this year.

The highlight of the weekend will be a Service of Thanksgiving and Praise on Saturday, July 1 at the North Street Church, Kingston, under the theme for the year's celebration "Ebenezer! Hitherto hath the Lord helped us".
The speaker for the service will be Pastor Israel Leito, president of the Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.

The weekend's activities will also feature a vesper service at 7:15 pm on Friday entitled "Reflection on the Pioneers", which will highlight the work of SDA pioneers in establishing the West Indies Union Conference. Vice-president and health ministries director of the Conference, Pastor Milton Gregory, will deliver the vesper charge.

The Adventists Youth Programme will take the spotlight at 4:30 pm with inspirational singing by the North Street combined choir, a Corporate Area mass choir, the King's Men, Men of Valour and many others.

Other activities planned for the year-long celebrations include: One hundred days of prayer and praise; an exhibition on the history of the West Indies Union Conference, to be mounted, transported and displayed in all the island groups of the Union territory; newspaper features; praise re-union concerts throughout the Union territory; a symposium; and an awards ceremony - recognising 100 outstanding individuals both within and outside of the church.

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