HEAD of the Mount Summit New Testament Church of God in St Lucy, Pastor Randolph Hinds, has been highly praised for being “a visionary and inspirational leader”.
Praise and accolades were heaped on him recently by administrative bishop of the New Testament Church of God, Martin Brewster, during the recent ground-breaking ceremony and dedication of land at Risk Road, St Lucy, to commence the future construction of a new sanctuary.
In his remarks and exhortation, Bishop Brewster lauded Hinds for raising over $135 000 through a variety of fund-raising events, including a plant sale drive, to secure finances to purchase the land on which the new sanctuary would be built.
“Reverend Hinds is a model pastor. He has brought visionary leadership to the Mount Summit New Testament. What he has done [in raising funds] is nothing short of excellence.
“Many pastors can take a leaf out of his book,” Brewster stated, as he addressed pastors, members of the church and well-wishers.
“There are many people with the work of God in their hearts. They know what to do but they do not do it. Then there are those with their hearts in the work. They get up and see what needs to be done and they do it.
This man even went to the desert to get the work done,” he said of Hinds, who still imports plants for re-sale to raise more needed funds for the church’s building programme.
Brewster stated: “The church is not about coming together and getting happy, and it is not about fasting and praying.
“The modern-day pastor must dirty his hands, put on boots, get out there and work with the people.
“God in his providential wisdom does not give the vision to everybody, but to the leaders, who share it with those whom they lead.
“I congratulate the people of Mount Summit,” Brewster said.
He noted it was necessary to understand church leadership and understand that God uses ordinary people to accomplish great things.
“When the time comes, our beautiful sanctuary will be used by God to touch the nation,” Brewster added.
He told those sitting under the huge tent that they must not look to the politicians to meet their needs.
“The Bible says, ‘If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land’.
“Do the witnessing and God will do the drawing. When people accept Christ as a result of you, you will have a place to minister to them,” Brewster noted.
“Remember that we are not workers for God, but workers together with God.
“There is nothing He places in our spirits to do that we cannot accomplish.”
The evening’s special service and dedication of the land was attended by many supporting pastors, along with Member of Parliament for St Lucy Denis Kellman.
Hinds, Brewster, and some of the members of the church took turns in turning the sod, to mark the soon-to-be started building.
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