The Festival Village, in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, was the venue for the classic, high-powered, and hybrid Hope Beyond Evangelistic Series.  Its featured presenter, Dr. Samuel Telemaque, is the Director of Sabbath School, Adventist Mission, and Possibility Ministries at the Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists (IAD).   The timely series began on April 15, 2022, captivating the minds of the residents of Tortola. It provided hope in the midst of a challenging time in the territory. Simultaneously, Dr. Telemaque conducted the BVI Seventh-day Adventist School’s spring week of prayer inspiring more than 150 students about having a brighter future. These two initiatives led to 29 persons accepting Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and were baptized.

The series was the product of a collaborative effort between Dr. Telemaque, the Inter American Division, Caribbean Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and the North Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.  Several union missions and union conferences of the IAD engaged in evangelistic activities to model excellent ministry delivery during 2022, as part of their contribution to the centennial celebration of the IAD which was organized as a division territory in 1922.  Dr. Telemaque has been instrumental in planning all the derivatives of the Hope Series and was the main organizer for the Footprints of Hope Evangelistic Series which featured the international evangelist Pastor Glen O. Samuels.   “The pandemic skewed many people’s views of reality. They tended to narrow their understanding of reality to the here and now with its anxieties, frustrations, and uncertainties. There is a deep longing in the human heart for a preferred future in someone,” said Pastor Telemaque. “Hope Beyond Evangelistic Series pointed its audience to a brighter future in Christ. The series gave fresh glimpses of Jesus to inspire its audiences to look beyond their present realities to a new reality in Christ. The glory and goodness of Jesus inspire gratitude, praise, and hope. These outcomes were echoed in the theme songs, ‘Goodness of God Keeps Running After Me’ and ‘Grace is Greater than All Our Sins.’”    The number of viewers on YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms increased from scores to hundreds across the North Caribbean Conference, the rest of the IAD, and beyond.

“I was keenly aware that while our primary target audience was the British Virgin Islands, persons connected from many other countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Cayman Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago. It was, however, a joy to learn that the series was bringing people together,” said Dr. Telemaque.     “Digital evangelism may very well prove to be God’s tool to finish the preaching of the gospel in all the world so that the end comes,” added Pastor Leriano Webster who, along with his wife Jerriece, expertly hosted the daily program.  Pastor Webster leads the Seventh-day Adventist congregations in District #2, on Tortola.

The effort engaged the church and the community. The church fervently prayed for the success of the series, and enthusiastically participated virtually and face-to face. The dexterity and creativity of the communication team allowed the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Tortola to execute its mission to the local community and beyond. “Our whole team worked tirelessly to feature the series and it was a tremendous success for us here.  The campaign provided opportunities for unity in some areas that members had never seen at this level,” said the Coordinator of the work in the BVI and manager of the series, Pastor Sylvester Williams; he leads the Seventh-day Adventist congregations in District #1, on Tortola.   During the series, church leaders and members combined their efforts to host marches, prayer vigils, seasons of prayer and intercessory prayer encounters, every morning.  Prayer interventions were also held before and after the appeal, each evening. In addition, the campaign prayed with BVI civic leaders and presented a large Bible (which weighed fourteen pounds and had sixty-six translations) to the government of the British Virgin Islands. The Bible was given at a time when gross darkness hovered over the integrity of the government. The campaign shone the light of Jesus in the midst of the darkness.

The campaign fostered qualitative and quantitative church growth. “New leaders and talents emerged from the campaign,” said Pastor Telemaque. “Pastors gained a new perspective [on] hosting hybrid campaigns and the technical team created . . . new models and disciplined a new generation of youth. Intercessory prayers created the spiritual environment for excellence in evangelism and mission. The intercessors were fervent in prayer. God rewarded their faith with precious souls in baptism, in the British [Virgin] Islands.”

Pastor Desmond James, the President of the North Caribbean Conference, stated, “The series has fostered a renewed enthusiasm among local pastors and lay persons to double their efforts in spreading the gospel further.” “We are always excited to see accessions to the kingdom” said Pastor Hesketh Matthew, Assistant to the President for Evangelism. Pastor Matthew was the chief representative on the team representing the North Caribbean Conference. He traveled to Tortola to declare the campaign open.   The Seventh-day Adventist Church serves Tortola through eight congregations, a school with two divisions (a primary and a secondary), and four pastors.