Missionary Baptist Church celebrates 50 years of existence

Sep 26, 2010 News

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Overseas and local church officials at Friday's press conference

– focuses on need for restoration

A memorable set of activities has commenced to mark 50 years of existence of the Guyana Missionary Baptist Church (GMBC). Under the theme “A season of Restoration: United to Build God’s Kingdom,” the GMBC celebrations commenced on Friday and will continue until tomorrow.
The jubilee celebration will entail a variety of activities including community projects such as the painting of pedestrian crossings and road projects and special services and workshops at the National Cultural Centre. The less fortunate in several communities will also benefit from hamper distribution activities.
At a press conference on Friday at the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Campbellville, Georgetown, Reverend Brenda Harewood, the Regional Liaison Official for the Caribbean/South America based churches, and other top church officials, shared some highlights about the various activities streamlined to mark the outstanding jubilee.
The celebrations will also coincide with the church’s 12th Biennial Convention. “The people of the Guyana Missionary Baptist Church will be gathered this week to celebrate and we are privileged that as we celebrate we have colleagues and friends from the United States who are part of our mission partner organisation – the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention – have come to join with us in this celebration…”
“We pray that the people around Guyana would join with us in giving God thanks for this is indeed a privilege that we have come this far in the journey….We are not taking this for granted,” Reverend Harewood asserted.
Twenty-three pastoral figures have travelled from various parts of the United States to be a part of the observance. Among them are Rev Dexter Alexander and George Mensah of Saint John’s United Baptist Church of Washington D.C.; Reverend Robin Woodberry of New Bethel Baptist Church of Youngstown, Ohio; Reverend Jeralyn Major of Christ Missionary Baptist Church of Memphis, Tennessee; and Reverend Daphne Wiggins-Obie of Union Baptist Church Durham, North Carolina.
At Friday’s press conference was Minister Ian Alves, Associate Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church at Yarrowkabra. In addition to Mount Zion and Calvary, the GMBC Ministry’s scope includes Long Creek Baptist Church, M. L. Wilson Baptist Church, and Abrams Creek Baptist Church.
According to Reverend Harewood, the GMBC-Lott Carey is a Christian denomination which was founded by Reverend Dr Carlyle Miller, a Guyanese by birth, who had migrated to the United States, from his native Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara.
Reverend Miller was a medical mission leader and returned to Guyana and was committed to making a difference, according to Reverend Harewood. “He started out as a Congregationalist but on the issue of baptism by immersion the Congregationalist and him parted ways and so the Guyana Missionary Baptist Church was birthed,” according to Reverend Harewood.
She revealed that GMBC became a church that left the Congregationalist style of operation.
The GMBC partnership with the Lot Carey Foreign Mission has been in existence since 1970. Lot Carey is a mission agency that serves in 24 countries and in six continents. GMBC-Lott Carey according to Reverend Harewood answered the call to Christian service over 50 years ago and by extension the mission of the GMBC is to faithfully fulfil God’s commission to the church through worship, evangelism, Christian formation and mission outreach.
GMBC had a very humble beginning in a tent at Calvary Baptist Church at Beterverwagting but has since increased. Dr Miller died in 1979, but his wife, Dr Erma Miller has been the leader.
“The Guyana Missionary Baptist Church is not just a church of worship, we are a church that works in today’s world…” according to Reverend Harewood. In this regard she disclosed that the church serves the respective communities through medical health and has even partnered with the Ministry of Health to operate a clinic at Long Creek.
The clinic, she said, is one that renders basic health care, including pre and postnatal care, to the people on the Linden Soesdyke Highway all the way to the Demerara River.
In addition to the financial support gained from Lott Carey, GMBC has gained support over the years from local churches that would opt to adopt various programmes introduced. Reverend Harewood said that it is expected that each local church out of their collection give a significant percentage back to missions and by extension back into the community.
And a very important programme that is ongoing is one which is geared directly at targeting youths in the community, according to Minister Alves. He said that each local chapel has programmes designed to encourage youth development.
“We are quite aware of what is happening in our environment today and the need to harness youths and guide them properly.” A large part of the celebratory activities will comprise events conducted and undertaken by youths themselves. “We encourage youths to be involved in beneficial activities that contribute to their personal growth and development….” Minister Alves added.
It is anticipated that the celebratory activities will serve to bring about a change which should be embraced by all, according to Reverend Major. According to her, change should be welcomed because it is a method or process by which people can grow and develop.

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