Brooklyn’s Abundant Life Christian Church, an evangelical church on Church Avenue, last Saturday held a very successful Prayer Breakfast in the Golden Hall at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church on Hawthorne Street in Brooklyn.
“We are very satisfied with the outcome of the Prayer Breakfast and look forward to another great event next year in the will of our Lord,” the Rev. Ronald Bailey, the church’s Vincentian-born pastor, told Caribbean Life afterwards. “The Prayer Breakfast of the Abundant Life Christian Church is one of the main events hosted by our congregation annually. We consider it our opportunity to provide the wider community with an atmosphere of spiritual and culinary uplift.
“The emphasis is on prayer to invoke divine attention in the affairs of our community, national and global concerns, as we subscribe to the belief that the earth is the Lord’s, and He has the final jurisdiction over all human affairs,” he added. “We make it a feast because we observed in the Old Covenant with Israel every major memorial was celebrated as a feast, indicating a unique relationship between food and worship.”
Pastor Bailey said this year’s event was mainly “an in-house celebration”, as all the worship leaders and special singing came from the church’s membership.
The Hills’ Family Singers led the worship and there were special renditions by Evangelist Clementina Bailey, the pastor’s wife.
Rev. Bailey said all catering was done by church members, who also donated food supplies and time to prepare such “delicious dishes and yet were available to serve our guests.”
He said attendance this year comprised many returnees and members from sister churches in the Brooklyn community.
“The only disadvantage this year was the denial of the use of our beloved Friends of Crown Heights facility, forcing us to use a much more costly venue,” Pastor Bailey said. “We will forever be grateful to the late Mr. Vaughn Toney (the long-standing, former chief executive officer and president of the Friends of Crown Heights Educational Centers) for being generous to us and a friend of our congregation.”
Rev. Bailey said some supporting congregations included Bethel Deliverance Gospel Center, Mt. Calvary Pentecostal Church of God, Attributes of Christ Ministries, Bethel Tabernacle AME Church, Emmaus Community Church, Bethany Deliverance Church of God, Vision Pentecostal, Truth Center for Higher Consciousness and Trinity Methodist Church.
The guest speaker was the Rev. John Jno-Baptiste, a Dominica-born itinerant evangelist. Ministers who offered intercessory prayers were Apostle Arlene Israel, the Jamaican-born pastor of Bethel Deliverance Gospel Center; Bishop Vincent Morgan of Life Line Gospel Ministries; Bishop Dr. Allen McGuire, pastor of Global Bible Ministries and former Grenada Consul General to New York; Vincentian Pastor Simeon King of Mission For God Evangelical Ministries; Bishop Maurice Walker; and Apostle Blake.
Before offering prayers, Apostle Israel urged that the Family Altar be re-instituted in the home.
“If we don’t bring back the Family Altar change will never come,” she warned. “We should have a place to pray, and we must pray.
“Brethren, it’s time to worship God; brethren, we are in perilous times,” she added.
In interceding on behalf of the family, Apostle Israel prayed for “the return of the God of Salvation.
“We must repent today,” she prayed. “We acknowledge our transgressions. Help us to understand that the prosperity is in the Word.
“Mighty God, transform our lives; take hold of our families; and help us to live a righteous life,” Apostle Israel added. “Thank you, Lord, for the home is going to return to what it ought to be.”
Dr. McGuire said: “It’s time that you look at what’s happening globally. The Word of God says, ‘when you see these things, look up.’”
He then prayed for “all the movers and shakers,” adding that “we will put people in office who put God first.”
In his message, Rev. Jno-Baptiste said that “nothing happens by mistakes.”
“Jesus said, ‘I can see my father working’”, he added. “It doesn’t matter what you’re going through, God is working Promise, Problem, Process, Procedure, Provide – all the Ps. God makes a promise; he hides himself in a problem; however, he provides a procedure called a process that He can find Him in the Avenue of Purpose.
“So, no matter what you’re going through, at the end of it all, God will provide,” Rev. Jno-Baptiste assured.
Bishop Morgan prayed that the spirit of evangelism be returned to the community.
“The spirit of evangelism needs to take us over time,” he prayed. “God and Father, we are thanking you to turn things around
“America needs to come back to Jesus; Brooklyn needs to come back to you,” he added.
