Advent Fellowship is a society of Seventh-Day Adventist students at The University of Technology and The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.
Advent Fellowship has come a long way since it was first started in 1969. In that year Seventh Day Adventist students at the School of Nursing UHWI began to meet for Friday evening fellowship and Vespers. Gradually other students became aware of the group and joined in the worship. The atmosphere of their worship was like that of a family at vespers. In 1971-72 school year it was decided to take in other students from CAST and UWI community. In that very year elections were held and Arthur Lake took over leadership from Andell Bowen. Their activities then, included religious charity concerts to assist needy institutions – the first of which was held at the Medical Theatre. Mona Rehab was the first beneficiary of the effort.
During the 1972-73 school year a deliberate effort was made to ensure that new students on each of the three campuses became aware of an organised group of Adventists. With the help of posters and a great deal of human interest on the part of older members, the program proved very successful. The period was marked by growth such that the Nurses’ Lounge could not provide enough space. It became necessary to move to a classroom. Although it was more spacious the classroom did not encourage that bond of fellowship and sense of family so the group returned to the lounge where they worshiped until 2003. As the group grew it became necessary to differentiate the group from other Christian groups on the campuses so the name Advent Fellowship began to emerge. The theme song of the day was “Jesus The Light Of The World” which enjoyed competition from “In The Stars His Handiwork I See”. The first major campus outreach project was a Campus Service in October 1973. Pastor Helter was the guest speaker.
Reach Out and Touch Someone
The second major effort of the young but vibrant group was ‘Project Leaven’ an evangelistic crusade. Project Leaven was used to extend the message to other students on the three campuses by influencing the lives of their fellows through literature distribution, Bible studies, discussions and extending invitation to church and other meetings. Its chief success was a cementing of the Adventist group and many became aware of the Advent Message. Project Leaven was conducted during 1972-73.
Until the presidency of Neville Condappa the Fellowship operated as an informal group guided by few rules. Condappa during his tenure in 1974 spearheaded the consolidation of the group among the achievements that year were the drafting of the constitution, the official acceptance of the name Advent Fellowship and the establishment of a relationship with the East Jamaica Conference of Seventh Day Adventists. Arising out of the latter a chaplain – Pastor Taffe was appointed to work with the group. He was then pastor of the Hope Tavern Circuit of Churches and later became Youth Director of the East Jamaica Conference. At first elections were done by open ballot but the group moved to use the system of a Nominating Committee.
Retreat was an important part of Fellowship from as early as 1973. Advent Fellowship members used this opportunity to associate more intimately with each other and to extend the message to people in the communities where they camped. Some of the early campsites were New Castle, Belleview, Lawerence Tavern, Trinity Ville Clydes Dale, Port Antonio, Camp Verly and Robins Bay. Non students were always with Advent Fellowship from these formative years. They became aware of the group through Churches, exchange programs, promotion of charity concerts and the chaplain. Like others they made vital contributions especially in helping students to find their way around to other churches in Kingston and in off-campus promotions.
Advent Fellowship was always adamant when it came to evangelising. Most of their efforts were concentrated on the Mona Rehab Centre where weekly meetings, Bible studies, singing sessions, were conducted. From this effort many patients and staff became acquainted with the message and others came closer to the Lord. One of these persons is the lead member of the Royal Roots. Much effort was made in the latter part of the 70s to keep the group together in many ways. Among these was the use of social activities such as trips to Dunn’s River, Puerto Seco, Lyssons beach and Lime Cay. Many churches were visited and Advent Fellowship hosted programmes in these churches. Other fraternities became aware of Advent Fellowship and the hand of friendship was extended through exchange programmes and attendance of Chapel Day Services. An attempt was made to establish a federation to include MICO, Shortwood, St Joseph Teacher’s College and Kingston School of Nursing. During the years 1975-1979 there was a strong involvement of members and a great sense of family on campus. Efforts were made to develop the talents in Advent Fellowship especially for concert purposes. The concert script was formerly written by outsiders but now it is written by Advent Fellowship members. As a result the talents developed and matured. In 1978 Thursday Fellowship was started at UWI, this provided an opportunity for off-campus students to identify with the core group of Advent Fellowship members.
Sing Till The Power of the Lord Comes Down
Singing on wards was started in the early years and continued into the 1980s. A major project of the early 80s was Health Week in February 1981. The opening speaker of the week was Dr Don Kelly. This was a unique week with activities ranging from the use of plaque cards to draw attention to the activites, to a display clinic. The programme was well attended as a result of radio and television promotion. The theme song for the week was “I’d like a Clean Fit Body to Work Each Day” and was written by Valrie Smart, a Medical student. Each session for the week had a full house. Sabbath service at the UWI Chapel culminated the week’s activities. Strong Outreach efforts characterised the 80s. In the family Life Seminar and the Creation/Evolution Seminar, singing and preaching on the buses en route to and from exchange programmes were some of the activities. The Creation/Evolution Seminar was the third of its kind in the Caribbean. One was held in Trinidad and the other in Barbados. Funding was a major hurdle to cross but once successfully conquered, the seminar had no further setbacks. Anthony Espinet was the major driving force for the Seminar. Daily lecture discussions were held for high school students and teachers. Inter disciplinary talks were held with lecturers, Heads of Departments, research students and visitors. There were also nightly discourses and lectures to Madeville, Montego-Bay and Spanish Town. A Church Service was held on Campus and all sessions were well attended. The scientists were Dr Duane Gish (bio-chemist), Dr Theodore Agard (adventist physicist) and Dr Harold Slusher (geo-physicist). The Seminar lasted seven days.
The Advent Fellowship song was written in 1981 by Earl McLaren a Jamaican Pharmacy student from CAST. The Dove Newsletter whose first editor was Locksley LaBeach and the production of Advent Fellowship tee shirts both began in the 1980s. Campus Services were held each year in addition to the General Fellowship’s Chapel Day. It was in 1980 also that the Crest and Logo was decided upon for Advent Fellowship.
Between 1983-1986 further efforts were made to develop the Inter-Campus Federation. A general awareness of each fraternity’s agenda and an understanding that each fraternity should support each other was needed. A meeting (fun-day) was held at the Kings Way High School out of which it was resolved that an inter-fraternity committee should be formed with representatives from each fraternity. This was functional for a time and many activities followed including services at various churches. A sports day was proposed, many socials and an annual hike to Holywell to be held each December.
Through the work of Pastor Errol Thomas, an outstanding Chaplain in the 1980s, Advent Fellowship began to be more accepted by the organisation of religious bodies on the University of the West Indies Mona Campus. The Chaplain was recognised by the Management Committee, the Counselling body for students and decision making body for religious affairs on the campus. The Cell Group plan which fostered togetherness was very strong in the 1980s. There were Cell Groups in Mona Heights, Princess Alice Drive, Elleston Flats as well as on the Campuses and Halls of Residence.
Advent Fellowship has come a long way but the feeling of its members is that it still has a mighty long way to go in the future.