The Wallace Temple AME Zion Church Caribbean Ministry, hosted a spirited evening of gospel music, dancing, and scripture reading, at the church’s 7th Anniversary celebration at its Bayonne, New Jersey, complex.
The Jan. 28 fellowship also highlighted the church’s Moving for Missions outreach ministry, which recently rebuilt a water well in the remote Moblissa Village on the Linden Soesdyke Highway in Guyana.
America-born, Reverend Dorothy A. Patterson attended a conference in Georgetown 10 years ago and observed that the needs of citizens were great. As such, she forged a partnership through the Global Ministry, and received a donation from the New Jersey Rotary Club to refurbish the water well, now serving hundreds of citizens in the Moblissa community.
“I fell in love with Guyana, and Guyana fell in love with me. And after seeing so much need there, I returned to the United States and pulled together my Rotarian group in Bayonne, who helped to restore the water well that was already built, but needed a new pump, explained Rev. Patterson, pastor for the last seven years.
The Moving for Mission minisry, whose purpose is to assist the work of Global Missions while partnering with other organizations in providing clean water, food shelter, clothing education, and to meet the needs of others, was lauded by Michael R. Ten-Pow, ambassador of Guyana to the United Nations, who was the guest speaker.
Amb. Ten-Pow spoke extensively of Guyana’s beauty, scope, ongoing development, and potential wealth, but called on the congregation to do their part in the meantime, to help the needy in remote villages of Guyana, where a little will go a long way, he said.
In addition to using the World Vision model whereby a village becomes self-sufficient from a donation such as chickens to start a poultry farm, Ambasador. Ten-Pow also encouraged donors to become facilitators.
He suggested donors seek opportunities through their workplace to acquire discarded equipment, such as ex-ray machines, ambulances, and such that could be used in small villages of Guyana.
He noted that the South American country is in tremendous need of social workers, and called on professionals to partner with organizers on the ground in volunteering efforts, in areas of suicide prevention where incidents are very high, and other medical outreaches where needed, while lauding the work of Moving for Missions ministry.
Guyanese-American Janice Hall complimented her fellow Rotarian, Rev. Patterson for approaching the Bayonne Rotary Club to partner with Moving for Missions to provide drinking water for communities along the Soesdyke Highway.
“Her request was timely, since our club had the funds specially for this type of project,” said Hall, adding that the club’s motto, like that of Wallace Temple Ministry is “Service Above Self.”
She noted that Rev. Patterson was convinced that her (Rev. Patterson’s) Guyana mission would make a difference, so much so, that the Bayonne Rotary club is committed to supporting the ministry for several years to come.
Hall also encouraged others to lend their support to make a difference in the lives of many who need help in Guyana.
Bayonne elected officials Rev. Dr. Dwight B. Cannon, general officer of Global Mission and retired United Nations Diplomat Rita Bakar also attended the celebration.
