Tobago Mission Elevated to Conference Status: A Historic Milestone in Caribbean Union Conference
President Vishnu Persad of the Tobago Mission indicates that it was always the desire for the people of Tobago to have autonomy with their church affairs. The decision was twenty years in coming, but it is finally here.
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Pastor Kern Tobias (right), president of the Caribbean Union and his wife Linda, raise their hands and celebrate the vote taken to upgrade the Tobago Mission to conference status, on Oct. 31, 2023, during the year-end meetings. Both are natives of Tobago. [Photo: Libna Stevens/IAD]
On October 31, 2023, the second day of the year-end business session in Miami, Florida, members of the General Conference Executive Committee, Inter-American Division, voted to grant conference status to the Tobago Mission (TM) of the Caribbean Union Conference (CARU). This is historic, said Dr. Kern Tobias, President of the Caribbean Union Conference, a native Tobago. "It is the first time we have one country with two conferences in the Caribbean Union."
The Church leader explained that the motion brought to the IAD Executive Committee reflects the Caribbean region's steady growth and financial stability. "Before a field can become a conference, it must demonstrate adequate spiritual leadership at the administrative, directors', and pastoral levels, " said an elated Dr. Kern Tobias. "There must also be strong leadership on the educational institutions, evidence of strong leadership on infer structural level and evidence of financial viability and the capacity to carry the church's mission."
President Vishnu Persad of the Tobago Mission speaking to Tobago ASI News following the decision taken by the inter AMERICAN DIVISION to transition the Mission to Conference status. Image from ASI Video News
Dr. Tobias affirmed that the Tobago Mission had fulfilled the requirements on all counts. The Caribbean Union Conference recommended to the Inter-American Division the change of Tobago’s' status from Mission to Conference. In keeping with policy, the General Conference appointed a survey commission to study the mission's readiness before considering a change of status. The next crucial step in this historic process will occur on November 20-21, 2023, when Administrators from the Inter-American Division travel to Tobago to oversee the special ceremony that ensures a seamless transition and lays the foundation for the impactful work ahead.
The organization of the Tobago Mission took place in 2003 with its office at Bad Hill, Plymouth, Tobago. Statistics from the Office of Archives and Statistics of the Adventist Church suggest that transition is taking place with a membership of over 8,500 members in thirty-two congregations across its one-island territory. The Tobago Mission administrates the work of the Adventist church on the island of Tobago. The members are passionate about the church's mission, and an active neighbourhoods ministry invests heavily in the Adventist philosophy of Christian education. The future is bright for the church in the Caribbean Union Conference as this new conference embarks on a journey of faith, unity, and purpose.
Elder Lyndon Antoine of the Mt. Pleasant Seventh day Adventist Church in Tobago speaking to ASI News after the historic vote that transitions the Tobago Mission to Conference status. . Image from ASI Video News
President Vishnu Persad of the Tobago Mission indicates that it was always the desire for the people of Tobago to have autonomy with their church affairs. The decision was twenty years in coming, but it is finally here. He believes that with the status change, more individuals will unite to harness the church's mission opportunities. "The drive that started with mission status did not die down, but with this new status, we can relive the dream."
This new status means that the constituency will now choose administrators, directors, and executive committee members at business meetings once every four years in session -another pivotal moment for the church in Tobago said Elder Lyndon Antoine of the Mt. Pleasant Seventh day Adventist Church in Tobago. "It speaks of the growth and progress of the church." Church leaders believe that the church will be encouraged to do even greater exploits for God with the status change. "This is a tangible testament to God's ongoing work in Tobago," said Dr. Tobias, urging all members to wholeheartedly embrace their commission as an integral part of His divine plan. With this firm belief, President Tobias emphasizes the boundless potential for growth, outreach, and congregational strengthening this development brings by exclaiming, "This moment marks the dawn of a new chapter, where we unite under God's guidance to further His purpose and expand our impact."