During a four-day visit to Jamaica, December 8-11, Pastor Jan Paulsen, President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide, challenged Seventh-day Adventist believers to be “a source of hope to people in their communities.” Addressing a church congregation of the Northern Caribbean University, he spoke about the church’s role in facing theneeds and challenges of modern society. He reminded the congregation that they “are a part of Jamaica, but must also ensure that they are a part of the World to come.”

Dr. Paulsen indicated the challenges that Jamaica faces as a nation and reminded the congregation that Christians should be a source of hope to people in their communities. The church has a responsibility to society and Christians cannot be disinterested in what is happening in the world around them, he said. “Are we a solution or a part of the problem?,” Dr. Paulsen asked the church. “We should be part of the solution.”

At the conclusion of his visit, Pastor Paulsen participated in the dedication of the Portmore Seventh-day Adventist Church in St. Catherine. With a seating capacity of over 3,000, the new building is the largest in the West Indies Union, which comprises Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands.