Introducing the Office of Development
June 27, 2019 • • in News
The Office of Development is charged with the responsibility of spearheading the fund-raising efforts of the Saint Mission of SDA, leading up to Conference Status by the year 2022.
The Saint Lucia Mission has been in existence for the last twenty years, being formally established in 1999. Prior to that, we were a territory of the East Caribbean Conference which comprised Barbados, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia. Our first President was Pastor Livingstone Aaron, followed by Pastors Johnson Frederick, Alexander Biscette and now Pastor Roger Stephen.
Location of Current Office
The field has made significant progress over the years, growing from a membership of 11,815 a total of 37 congregations, to 26,019 a total of 51 congregations. Our tithe returns have increased from 2.6 million in 1999 to 6.1 million in 2017. Our workforce has grown from 80 in 1999 to 121 in 2017.
As we set our sights on territorial adjustment, there is a need for more workers to manage the growing needs of the field. However, there is a need to increase our tithe income while at the same time decrease our debts. To accomplish this would require a concerted effort to encourage the wider cross section of our membership who currently are not supporting their church, to become participating members and thus realize the blessings God has promised to those who are faithful. The beautiful thing is, as we begin to be faithful and return to God what is rightfully His, He replenishes so that there is even more to give. However, He will not continue to give so that we can selfishly hoard those blessings. Secondly, administration will have to be creative in its management of resources, to ensure that while debts are being cleared, we do not incur additional ones.
Conference Status signifies that we have achieved maturity that grants leaders a larger share of responsibility for resource management, policy development, setting direction and tone for the organization and providing a level of leadership that will move the organization toward the goal of fulfilling Christ’s great commission to give the gospel to every person within its territory, thus preparing a people to meet the Lord.
Foremost in the list of objectives to be realized for territorial adjustment is, the construction of a head office to house the administration and staff of the new entity. Lands have already been earmarked, and drawings have been put together for the structure, at an approximate cost of 2.5 Million dollars.
As you consider your part in realizing this goal of territorial adjustment and Conference Status, please covenant with God to lay aside a substantial offering so that His work can continue to go forward from strength to strength.
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