SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine - Leaders of the Central Jamaica Conference of Seventh Day Adventists in Spanish Town say the $9 million it cost them to hold the recent four-week 'Jesus is the answer' evangelistic crusade is insignificant compared to the rich harvest of souls saved there.

Three hundred new souls were baptised into the denomination at the crusade's 'big tent' on Brunswick Avenue and hundreds more are studying the Bible. Three hundred youths from communities around Spanish Town have also been trained after a 45-hour skills training programme implemented as part of crusade activities.

The Central Conference says it forked out some $3 million from its coffers for the crusade, with the balance yielded from 131 churches in central Jamaica, as well as private funding.

The nightly offerings were expected to offset some of the costs, Central Conference secretary, pastor Levi Johnson said.

On Saturday, the 'big tent' was the place for the youths' graduation, a programme which cost $200,000 to implement. The youths received training in plumbing, interior decorating, housekeeping, customer service, reading, basic mathematics and basic english. One hundred and fifty have been certified.

The training was the result of a needs survey done in depressed Spanish Town communities including Jobs Lane, Irish Pen, Wynter's Pen, Naseberry Grove, St John's Road, Homestead and Brunswick Avenue to determine the level of employment and underemployment and what skills were required. The survey found also that illiteracy was very high in these communities hence the course in basic Maths and English.

Johnson said that what the crusade accomplished over the period is a significant feat.

"What we have accomplished for God and society is not really a phenomenon, but a significant blow against rampant wickedness in high and low places. The 300 persons who gave themselves through baptism will certainly not - with the churches guidance and their own volition - return to the lifestyle they left before they took the major step to embrace godliness," he said.

Johnson said his church was pleased to contribute to a situation which will impact the spread of crime and violence and antisocial behaviour.

The Adventist church is now holding 40 evangelistic crusades islandwide.

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