The recently concluded 2021 Christian men’s retreat hosted by Fellowship Tabernacle (FelTab) Church has brought to the fore the recognition that the 21st-century church needs to be more involved in economic endeavours to unlock kingdom wealth for its followers.

The conference, which had a focus on financial wellness among Christian men in Jamaica, sought to encourage men in general to find their God-given purpose in life, which is their assignment in life. The two-day conference underscored the point that unlocking kingdom wealth is no easy feat given the many obstacles to be faced such as idolatry, whereby wealth creation is competing with the principles of God.

However, FelTab as a church for the 21st century is seeking to lead the way in creating an avenue, whereby its members and followers can be educated about unlocking kingdom wealth through this and other similar conferences. The teachings of the church in this respect are grounded in the belief that wealth without God’s purpose is materialistic since kingdom wealth is about the kingdom and not individual self.

An important point was made by one of the speakers at the conference, Bishop Everton Thomas, senior pastor of the Emmanuel Apostolic Church, who raised the question about Christian men who can’t even finance their household much less being able to finance the kingdom of God. He went even deeper declaring that this is the case because many kingdom men go to the grave without ever finding their purpose in life.

Graveyard richest place on earth

He told the conference that it is for this reason why many say the graveyard is the richest place on earth because so much unexploited wealth lies within. The clergyman opined that God will get wealth to man if he can get it through man but the problem is God doesn’t trust most of us.

Another speaker at the conference, Rev Dr Samuel Vassel, district superintendent of the district of Church of the Nazarene, argued that, “God will trust you with things (wealth) so you can use those things (wealth) to do the things he wants done in the world.” He contended that wealth tends to be a competitor to the principles of God, leading to the notion that, “you can’t serve God and money at the same time.”

However, keynote speaker Zimbabwean-born Australian billionaire Dave Hodgson showed how to build wealth, serving God’s purpose and at the same time finding one’s purpose in life. He gave a rags to business — to bankruptcy — to financial success testimony to the over 200 men from Jamaica and overseas who attended the conference online.

Hodgson, who spoke about kingdom men in the marketplace, advised that he moved from being a $2-million man to being a $1.5-billion man through the growth of his businesses by honouring kingdom principles and finding his purpose in life. He testified that having applied the principles of the Bible in creating wealth led him to create kingdom investors, which teaches about wealth creation and financial wellness based on Christian principles.

Agriculture minister invites churches to partner in Agriculture

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Floyd Green, who was also one of the speakers, sought to encourage the church to get involved in the business of agriculture through partnerships, highlighting the fact that many businessmen are in the church with wealth to spend. He also invited the church to explore what is taking place with the agro parks, noting to the latest invitation by his ministry for businesses to lease farm lands from the Government, which are under cultivation.

He cited the case of the Agro-Investment Corporation, an entity under the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, which is seeking investors/farmers to invest in its new Mango Agro Park located in Toll Gate, Clarendon. Minister Green invited churches in Jamaica to get involved in these entrepreneurial activities to growth wealth within God’s Kingdom for their followers.