Representatives from the PHOEBE, ABIGAIL, and LYDIA groups of the Women's Ministries Department of the Central Jamaica Conference sharing their reports during the Sabbath School Segment of the Women's Convention on October 15, 2022 :: Photo credit: Andrew Johnson
Pastor Latoya Smythe-Forbes, Women's Ministries Director, prays a special prayer for responders to the altar call made by Evangelist Kayla Binns-Malcolm, during the Women's Convention held on October 15, 2022, at the May Pen SDA Church :: Photo credit: Andrew Johnson
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”
Isaiah 10:27 (KJV)
The verse above echoes the sentiment of freedom. Throughout this life, we are faced with many burdens and challenges that seek to enslave and deter us from the original plan and purpose God has for our lives. God intends to remove these burdens through his anointing and equip us for service to Him and our fellowmen.
To equip the women with resources to go on God’s mission, the Women’s Ministries Department hosted Freedom Week culminating in a grand Women’s Convention.
In speaking to the purpose of Freedom Week, Pastor Latoya Smythe-Forbes noted that “Freedom Week sought to address issues and topics that are not easy to talk about but are necessary. It’s all about creating a safe space for our women and crafting personal development time in which a new skill can be developed. During the week, there was a focus on four main areas; spirituality, health, relationships, grief and loss, and personal development.”
Freedom Week was held on from October 9th - 14th and saw women joining various breakout rooms within the Zoom platform for the different sessions which ran concurrently. There was a topic that catered to every possible category of women - single, married, divorced, unemployed, those in menopause, or struggling with depression, etc. The women were grateful for the experience and were truly blessed. Sis. Hyacinth Barrett from the Portmore Church shared her gratitude for a program of this nature. “Freedom week was an awesome experience, it allowed us a safe space to share our experiences, and to hear from others who are in a similar situation, and how they deal with it. This allowed for bonding. This was well overdue. The facilitators were very knowledgeable and ably guided the sessions. I wish the sessions were longer and we were able to benefit from more than one session each evening. I love it. This can only get better.”
To close out Freedom Week and to welcome the Sabbath, Friday evening vespers was held under the theme “Praying Effectively to Move Mountains and to Get Results”. Guest speaker Dr. Lola Moore Johnston, Senior Pastor of the Restoration Praise Center MD, USA, encouraged the ladies present to petition the Lord to get the blessings He has in store for them.
After a refreshing week of freedom, the women were inspired to go because of the anointing. Women’s Ministries Convention was held on Sabbath, October 15, 2022, at the May Pen Church. This was held under the theme, “Because of the Anointing - I Will Go”.
Sabbath School featured riveting testimonies of God’s goodness to the sisters and a feast on God’s words through music.
Women from across the Central Jamaica Conference at Women's Convention held on October 15, 2022, at the May Pen SDA Church :: Photo credit: Andrew Johnson