Central Jamaica Conference is on a drive to strengthen all ‘weak’ churches within the Conference through its newly launched ‘Church Resuscitation Programme’.
Pastor Johnson was speaking during the first Leaders’ Council for the 2018-2022 quadrennium held at the Spanish Town Church on Sunday, September 9, 2018. Over 200 persons including Pastors, Elders and Church Leaders were in attendance.
The document states that the conference has established some “minimum standards” by which each church will be evaluated. These include functioning worship services, active administrative meetings and an established church growth strategy.
The idea is that once a church is identified as a weak church, a strategy will be put in place to set it on a path towards growth. An important part of the strategy is to assign a Pastor or Ministerial Graduate to the church for no less than six months to assist the church with the implementation of the growth strategies.
This pastor, under the supervision of the district Pastor, will do regular visitation of church and community members, assist with organizing worship services and some of the administrative work of the church.
For 2018/2019, the following eight (8) churches are targeted for the Church Resuscitation Programme, beginning August and September 2018.
Pastor Daphne Henry, assistant Pastor of the May Pen Church was voted by the Executive Committee of the Conference to oversee the operations of the Church Resuscitation Programme. The vote took place on August 29, 2018 and takes immediate effect.
Pastor Thomas Bryan, Stewardship Director of the Conference, who was assigned to the Mitchell’s Town Church, shared that after two weeks, they are experiencing much success from the programme. Pastor Bryan reported that the attendance of the church moved from two (2) to 29 between August 25, and September 1, 2018.
Pastor Bryan said he invited the members to do house-to-house visitation during the week, prepared lunch for Sabbath and did what they could to minister to various community needs.
He said that Bible Class is now active at the church, and the members are very happy about what is taking place at their church through the Church Resuscitation programme.