Streams of Power Church celebrating 50th anniversary

Forty-one years ago, a Dutch Pastor, Henk Houseman asked a young Pastor Errol Daniel to assume control of a church that he (Houseman) had started in 1965.

Pastor Houseman was returning to his homeland after carrying out God’s work here and wanted someone to whom he could pass over the church. He told Daniel that he had prayed about it and God had sent him in Daniel’s direction.{{more}}

Pastor Daniel, after being approached by Houseman, prayed about the matter and decided in 1974, to take over Houseman’s church. The church was called Streams of Power and now 50 years after, the name is a household one in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Pastor Daniel shared this story with the media on Monday at his church in Sion Hill, where the Streams of Power Ministry was launching its 50th anniversary celebrations.

Pastor Daniel said at the time he was approached by the Dutchman, he had recently returned from Trinidad, where he had studied at the West Indies School of Theology (from 1966 to 1969).

He had graduated with honours in 1969 and came back to his homeland, where he was placed under the supervision of Reverend Dennis White.

The young Pastor Daniel was at the time associated with the Hilltop Tabernacle, but left that church to take up where Houseman had left off.

Daniel said that the decision to leave Hilltop was not an easy one, so he prayed about it.

“I did not accept immediately, although I knew the church was doing well. I prayed and went to Pastor Pierre, who was at Hilltop at the time, and asked his advice and he said he saw good and bad in it,” remembers Pastor Daniel.

He said that the learned pastor told him that it was good in that it would give him, Pastor Daniel, more scope to do God’s work, but it was bad because he was leaving Hilltop.

“There was no difference in the doctrine, so it was easy. I came to Streams of Power on 8th February, 1974 and stayed,” stressed Pastor Daniel.

Over the 50 years, Streams of Power has built itself into a full-fledged modern Christian ministry and has planted churches in Sion Hill, Sans Souci and Carriere, with property in Bequia and Ratho Mill, where churches will soon be erected.

Pastor Daniel said on Monday that there are still plans to build the Streams of Power Ministry, as there are things that they would like to do, but cannot do at the church’s main branch in Sion Hill.

“We are about confirming and strengthening the body of Christ,” stressed Pastor Daniel.

He added that over the years, the church has embraced a number of modern ways of spreading the gospel. They began a gospel programme on NBC Radio on January 22, 1972, called ‘Joyful news,’ which Pastor D (as he is fondly called) says, “is still a household programme after 40 years.”

Streams of Power also boasts of its own radio station, ‘Praise FM,’ which can be heard throughout the world via the Internet.

He said that they are not only thinking about spreading the word of God locally, but in the region and the world and the Internet allows them to do this.

“We thank the Lord that he has kept us alive. I was in the prime of my youth when we came here and we are happy for the enablement of the Lord,” said Pastor Daniel, who added that he will do the very best to continue God’s work.

He stressed also that the church’s greatest accomplishment is “soul winning,” while he noted that the membership is a free membership style, where anybody can come and worship with them.

Pastor Daniel said that the church is a close knit organization and they know the people who worship with them, them being he and his wife Pastor Carmelie Daniel.

He added also that over the years, membership has not dwindled, but persons have gone out to start other Ministries. The church boasts of about 1,500 members.

When asked what attracts persons to his Church, Pastor D said that it is definitely the message as they offer a message of hope and “people need to know what life will be in the hereafter.” He also boasts of his church introducing the ‘Dance Ministry’ in 1992 and the ‘Flag Ministry’ shortly after. Both concepts use dance in worship and, according to Pastor D, are popular with the young people.

Pastor Carmalie Daniel recalls that her husband took over the church when they were just married.

She said that at that time, he was earning EC$50 a month while her salary as a nurse/midwife at the Kingstown General Hospital was much more than that.

She said that when she told her superiors that she was leaving the medical field to be with her husband in the church, the decision did not sit well with some of them.

“I resigned and a senior said you are young and making a wrong decision; with your training you going to walk off and go behind a poor little preacher boy? That was true, honestly speaking, it was a fact and in those days not many were attracted to a Ministry and the salary was EC$50 a month and I was making more, but I was positive God had called me,” said Pastor Carmelie.

She added that while only eternity will reveal the impact the church has made on lives, she has witnessed the Ministry become a vibrant family church life Ministry and she is thankful to God for humbling them and allowing them to work with people and for changing many lives.

She added also that they are hoping to start a television gospel network under the name Praise Television Network.

She said that in these modern times, people do not want a traditional thing and churches must cater to the entire man.

“You can’t be business as usual with the youths,” said Pastor Carmalie.

Also present at the anniversary launch was Pastor Alwyn Joseph of the Streams of Power Sans Souci. He said that it has been a pleasure working with the Daniels, having come on board in 1976.

“I have been impacted by the Ministry and wonder what I would have been like without the input of Streams of Power. I am pleased to be associated with these people of integrity and standard,” said Pastor Joseph.

The ceremony also heard from church members Dahalia Sealey and Hermia Scott, while the Daniels’ sons Donny and Darian also spoke.

Donny, who is responsible for the technical aspects of the Streams of Power, said that persons can listen and look at the Streams of Power on-line.

He added that their listenership includes persons from, among others, the USA, Canada, Great Britain Netherlands, Qatar, Algeria, Cambodia, Cape Verde and China.

“We are in a small country, but we have lots of people listening and tuning in and this Ministry is growing from strength to strength,” said Donny, who added that they stream high definition TV live on Sundays.

Speaking at the launch, Shana Daniel, who is a member of the 50th anniversary planning committee, said that they have decided to mark this milestone with 50 days of activities, which began with a concert last Sunday and will end with a march and rally on March 29 at Victoria Park.