ECC Honors Deacons and Deaconesses in Dominica for their Years of Service and Commitment
On Sabbath, September 9, 2023, the East Caribbean Conference (ECC) of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) held a special event to honor the deacons and deaconesses in Dominica for their longstanding commitment and dedicated service to the church.
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Deacons and deaconesses who serve and minister for the good of the church, met at the Portsmouth Seventh-Day Adventist Church on September 9, 2023 for a service of consecration, fulfilling the task at hand to advance the gospel message in everything they do . Image by Kendal Barrie
On Sabbath, September 9, 2023, the East Caribbean Conference (ECC) of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) held a special event to honor the deacons and deaconesses in Dominica for their longstanding commitment and dedicated service to the church.
The event, held under the theme "Moving Forward through Transformation," was hosted by the ministerial secretary of the East Caribbean Conference, Pastor Maurice Morancie and support by the Caribbean Union Conference Ministerial Secretary Pastor Ammaran Williams, and East Caribbean Conference President Pastor Anthony Hall. More than 50 deacons and deaconesses from the 32 congregations across the island received tokens of appreciation for their unwavering service.
During his address to esteemed guests and supporters, Pastor Morancie expressed his deep gratitude for the tireless efforts of the deacons and deaconesses over the years and encouraged them to foster partnerships with other department officers as they continue to serve God proudly with humility and commitment.
Left to right: Caribbean Union Conference Ministerial Secretary Pastor Ammaran Williams, East Caribbean Conference ministerial secretary Pastor Morancie, Bro. Joffre Magloire (the longest serving deacon) who served faithfully for over 60 years, Andrina Antonia Remie (the longest serving deaconess) who served for over 50 years faithfully, and, President Pastor Anthony Hall of the East Caribbean Conference. Image by ECC Media
In his address to the congregants Pastor Morancie emphasized that "Our deacons and deaconesses constitute the largest group of church officers in our congregations. If we grasp the significance of our calling, we can achieve even greater things by God's grace. To enhance our effectiveness, we must strengthen the bonds of partnership between pastors, elders, and deacons/deaconesses, as we fulfill our roles in caring for God's people and His property." He reminded the congregation that their ultimate goal is to elevate the quality of service to both God and humanity. "We are raising the bar in our church service, reimagining our visitation to our members, enhancing the quality of our church services, improving our preaching, and positioning ourselves to take on more active leadership roles within the church...my prayer is that we continue to serve with hearts completely surrendered to the will of God."
President of the East Caribbean Conference of SDA, Pastor Anthony Hall, expressed his appreciation to the deacons and deaconesses for their invaluable contributions to ministry and acknowledged the pivotal role they play in supporting pastors and elders. He expressed gratitude for their work noting that without them pastors and elders would face significant challenges. "You consistently arrive early and stay late, you are the ones responsible for maintaining the church's cleanliness and order." He referred to their service a s a labor of love and commitment", noting that for many years their work went unnoticed and stating that, " It would be remiss of me not to recognize the indispensable role you play." The deacons and deaconesses
The group of deacons and deaconesses who handle tasks such as carpentry, maintenance, cleaning and visitation, show off their certificates after receiving training for their responsibilities. Image by Kendal Barrie
The keynote speaker, Pastor Ammaran Williams underscored the essential role of the office of the deaconry in the church as fundamental to the church's work, established from the very beginning. "Your ministry reflects who Jesus is to others," Pastor Williams emphasized.
Bro. Joffre Magloire (the longest serving deacon), shared his gratitude for the recognition by saying, "I thank God for the opportunity to serve for such a long time, and I am grateful to the ministerial department for bestowing this honor upon me. This event reminds me of the day when God will reward me for my service in His vineyard."
The longest-serving deacons and deaconesses from every congregation received a gift bag as a token of appreciation. The service was warmly received by the deaconry, and the honorees expressed their collective gratitude for the heartfelt gestur