AEC hosts annual spiritual Keswick Convention 2014

by Conroy Huggins

The Association of Evangelical Churches (AEC) is presently hosting its premier spiritual annual event, the Keswick Convention.{{more}}

Keswick Convention, which is the coming together of the gospel or evangelical churches of St Vincent and the Grenadines, has as its theme this year “The Supremacy of Christ.”

The convention began on Saturday, May 3 and ends tomorrow Wednesday, May 7. The speakers for the convention are pastor Maxwell Providence, Dr Hadyn Marshall and pastor Verrol Blake.

On Saturday morning at Faith Temple Church, starting at 8 a.m., a prayer breakfast was held, at which over 30 local pastors and church leaders from throughout the country were present.

During the prayer breakfast, greetings and brief remarks were done by the founder and former president of the AEC, pastor Elford Stephens, who explained why the initiative was taken in 1979 during the time of the eruption of La Soufriere. He stated that there was a need for the churches to work together to serve the nation and represent Christ.

Dr Walford E. Thompson former president of Ministries in Action (MIA), encouraged the leaders to stand on the word of God and do not be afraid to engage in intellectual discussion on the supremacy of Christ.

Pastor Colin Smith, president of the AEC, greeted the gathering and thanked persons for coming out. He also stated as part of the way forward to the work of the AEC, that the Association is and will be calling for all pastors and church leaders to meet once per month in every constituency in St Vincent and the Grenadines, for the sole purpose of praying for the ills and the issues which confront each constituency in the island.

Pastor Maxwell Providence was the main speaker for the prayer breakfast. He challenged the leaders to take charge of the spiritual welfare of our nation, and to be the voice of righteousness in the land.

On Sunday evening, commencing at 6 p.m., the Right Rev. Verrol Blake ministered powerfully on the theme, and established the supremacy of Christ by stating why Jesus Christ is Superior to all other beings. He stated that in nature He is God. He then went on to establish the supremacy of the name and authority of Christ in the Old Testament. He stated that Christ was and is superior: 1.To the Old Testament prophets; 2. To the angels (Heb.1:5-14); 3.To Moses (Heb. 3:1-6); 4. To Joshua (Heb. 4:8-10) 5.To the priests (Heb. 4:14-5:8).

He went on to state that only Jesus Christ was called the great high priest. He is the great high priest forever.

He also gave the churches four (4) warnings/dangers in which the church can reject the supremacy of Christ: 1.The danger of drifting (Heb. 2:1-3); 2. The danger of doubting (Heb. 3:7-19); 3. The danger of deformity (Heb. 6: 4-8); 4. The danger of despising ( Heb.10:26-31).

He stated emphatically that to reject Jesus Christ is an insult to God and that it is only life lived for Christ that is valuable.

Rev. Blake will continue to minister from Monday to Wednesday from 7 p.m. nightly at the Faith Temple Church. He will focus on the Lordship of Christ, over parents, profession, personal life/private life, conversation and over the government of nations. He will focus on the supremacy of Christ in the gospels and in Acts 4:12.

Yesterday afternoon, Dr Hadyn Marshall ministered from the book of Revelation chapter 3, where he looked at the church in Sardis, which lived on reputation.

Today, Tuesday he will share on the church in Philadelphia, which held fast on postion. Then on Wednesday, he will be sharing on the Laodicean church, which was a complacent church, whose work was neither hot nor cold. He will focus on chapter 3 of Revelation to challenge and encourage the church in SVG about the supremacy of Christ.

The day session is taking place at the Kingstown Gospel Hall.