Shift your ministry to the prophetic; rely on and declare the Word of God.
This advice was given to the pastors and members of the former Sargeant’s Village Wesleyan Holiness Church last week Sunday, during a special name-changing service attended by the top ministers of the Wesleyan Holiness Church, as well as constituency representative and Minister of Education Ronald Jones.
The 84-year-old sanctuary now bears the name Cornerstone Wesleyan Holiness Church.
In his effervescent style, Reverend Carlos Brathwaite of Dudamis Wesleyan told members that each one of them must be a cornerstone in name and nature.
He prayed that God would “prosper and bless” members of the church beyond their wildest dreams.
Brathwaite related the story of 84-year-old Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:36-38) who immediately bore witness to her Redeemer when she met him as a baby – declaring him to all.
He said Cornerstone had a great responsibility to declare the Word and in so doing, bring about change.
“This church has a good heritage. It was born in holiness. It has good homiletics, hermeneutics, good order, organization, doctrine, preaching, ministry and ministers, but there is now a time for a shift in its ministry,” Brathwaite said.
He added: “I believe in order. I believe our doctrine of holiness is good and that Barbados needs holiness. I also believe in good exposition of the Word of God, but over and above that there is something called the power of the Most High.
“If there is no power of the Holy Spirit, there is no growth,” Brathwaite reasoned.
He told the church: “If you live out your name Cornerstone, where Jesus Christ becomes the centre of your ministry, you will outgrow your church [present building]. Your numbers will grow and multiply because of the shift in your ministry.
“Yes, we have heritage and respect that went before us, but we must take time to promote and preach Jesus Christ. When we promote Jesus Christ, something has to happen.
“We must move from where we are and declare Jesus Christ prophetically. In you is the cornerstone,” he preached, as he pleaded with the church to live the name change.
“You must have confidence in the power of the Word of God to speak to demons. Live out your name by nature and become a cornerstone in this land,” he said.
“If we call upon that name, we both declare and bring change. We in the Wesleyan Holiness Church need to activate what’s inside of us. It is time to speak and declare the Word”, he re-emphasized.
In his short address, District Superintendent Anthony Worrell urged the pastors and members to consider setting up Cornerstone at another location, while his predecessor Reverend Carlyle Williams noted that Cornerstone was the fastest growing Wesleyan Church in the early 2000s.
Jones commended the pastors and members for their work in the community and called on them to pray for the Government.
“We need you each and every day to pray for us. We politicians must work with the church in the building of communities,” Jones said.
The service was marked with special ministry in song, dance and drama.
