THE METHODIST CHURCH IN THE CARIBBEAN AND THE AMERICAS (MCCA) – MCCA YOUTH

MCCA YOUTH EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (2019-2023)
OFFICERS: President: Pastor Sean A. Davis, JP (Jamaica); Vice President: Sis. Ruth-Ann Benguche (Jamaica); Secretary: Sis. Durene Tavares (Jamaica); Treasurer: Vacant;
Assistant Secretary/Treasurer: Sis. Monique Jack (Guyana); Communications Officer: Sis. Tiffany Liburd (Leeward Islands);

MEMBERS: Bro. Shelmerdine Cartwright (Bahamas/Turks & Caicos Islands); Sis. Kirsten M. Hall (Belize/Honduras); Dr. Aneisha Moore-Thorne (Guyana); Bro. Jordan Conway (Guyana); Bro. Jonathan Henry (Haiti); Sis. Saphinia Sannon (Haiti); Bro.Devon M. Brewster (Leeward Islands); Sis. Kendra Tomlinson (Panama/Costa Rica); Sis. Keisha Rouse (South Caribbean)
EX-OFFICIO: Bishop The Rev’d Everald Galbraith (Connexional President); Sis. Muriel ‘Peggy’ Smith (Connexional Treasurer); Rev’d Dr. Wayneford McFarlane (Secretary, Commission on Mission, Evangelism & Education)

Mailing Address:
MCCA Youth
C/o MCCA Office, Belmont, P.O. Box 9,
St. John’s, Antigua
Email: mymccayouth@gmail.com OR president.mccayouth@gmail.com
Contact: +1876-895-4660

MCCA YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS’ LORD’S DAY 2021 –
MESSAGE FROM THE MCCA YOUTH EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

INTRODUCTION
Grace to you, our resilient MCCA Youth family, and peace from God our Sustaining Parent, on behalf of the MCCA
Youth Executive Council, on this the 10th anniversary of the observation of MCCA Youth and Young Adults Lord’s
Day.
Once again, we gather for corporate worship in unison across the MCCA, for a 10th consecutive time; we give God
praise for all we have been able to experience and accomplish, over the years, through the move of the Holy Spirit,
who continues to be at work in and through the youth and young adults of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean
and the Americas (MCCA).

THEMATIC FOCUS FOR THIS YEAR
This year, as we share in this worship experience, we reflect on the challenges brought on by the global pandemic –
COVID-19 and natural disasters, including: the fear of and pain associated with the contracting of the virus; loss of
employment; loss of loved ones and related grief – which we have not been able to do in ‘usual’ ways; inability of
many of our young people to engage in normal educational and social activities; restrictions on gathering for
worship; discomfort of wearing masks; vaccine hoarding on one hand, and shortage on the other; vaccine hesitancy;
increasing cost of living; volcanic eruptions; earthquakes; hurricanes and floods; droughts; and the physical,
emotional and spiritual burdens associated with these and many other ills.
It is against that background, that we have chosen the theme “ROAD TO RECOVERY: SPIRITUAL RESILIENCE”,
acknowledging that, as we continue to experience the aforementioned, and other challenges, we are seeing signs of
hope. We observe hope through wider availability of vaccines in response to the pandemic; the gradual reopening
of our schools, churches and social/recreational spaces; the relaxation of some containment and prevention
measures which have had deleterious effects on the lives of many of our people; the steady resurrecting of some of
our region’s economies; the favourable emergency response to our siblings whose territories were recently
impacted by natural disasters; and the heightened awareness for preservation of our mental health.
Assuredly, we are on the ‘road to recovery’ and while the physical signs are emerging, we cannot lose sight of God’s
desire for us to bolster our spiritual resilience, being our God-based tenacity to withstand the tests of this present
day. If we are to get to the point of true and effective recovery, we must:
• Lift our faith to the One who has been sustaining us on life’s journey, amidst the trials we are being made to
endure today.
• To be spiritually resilient, we must call to mind all prior moments, in the written Word and the lived
experiences, where the presence of the Creator has never gone on a break; and
• Know that God is at work among us even now.
May we, pause, reflect, and zealously commit to availing ourselves to the various areas of ministry voids/limitations
in the MCCA and let the Holy Spirit equip us for service, as we recover in accordance with God’s divine plan and
together seek to advance a church characterised by spiritual resilience.

THANKSGIVING FOR COLLABORATION AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE MCCA
We are grateful that during the last few months, our Executive team, and our partners across the MCCA, have been
able to regularly engage you in our monthly e-forums. We are comforted by the fact that God has blessed us with
resilient and visionary hearts, which we have used to connect with each other more than ever before in the life of
our church. The leadership of the MCCA and the eight Districts, must be commended for how, they too, have
embraced the new opportunities of this extensively challenging season, and facilitated many more of us feeling a
part of this ‘ConneXion’. Alas, we remain united in purpose.
One of the highlights of these forums, was our “MCCA Youth Encuentro Reunion” which was held in September and
provided an opportunity for such rich and blessed fellowship with God’s wonderful young people (and some now
‘young-at-heart), as we reminisced. We do wait with bated breath and a spirit of great expectancy, for information
regarding plans for the 7th MCCA Youth Encuentro, which is scheduled for 2023 in the Bahamas/Turks and Caicos
Islands District. We pray that God will guide us as the plans are made and that the encounter will transform more
lives.

CONCLUSION
As you grapple with your own physical, emotional, and spiritual obstacles, take heart and hope in God. Know that
our recovery is in the hands of our One, True and Living God, who assures us, “I will restore health to you, and
your wounds I will heal.” (Jeremiah 3:17a) Let’s resolve to keep our eyes fixed on that ultimate prize – eternal life,
and run along this road to recovery, as spiritually resilient wrestlers of God, who can today claim victory in every
circumstance.

God’s grace and love be upon you, your families, your school, work, church community, nation, our Connexion and
this world!

Yours in the Master’s vineyard,
Pastor Sean A. Davis, JP
President