Bajan USCian In Diaspora Spotlights Men's Conference

Pastor Cameron Bowen (right) along with Pastors Mario Augustave,
 Myron Emonds and Ainsworth Morris

“The first Men’s Conference, “Encounters 2013,” was held at Christian Fellowship church in Brooklyn, New York on November 17 through 19, 2013. Thirteen Northeastern Conference churches in the Brooklyn area sponsored this uplifting series. More than 244 men registered for the event. 

The participating churches were Goshen Temple, New Life, Brooklyn Faith, Flatbush, Emmaus, Shiloh, Christian Fellowship, Kingsboro Temple, River of Life, Elim, Mount Moriah, Rogers Avenue, and Hanson Place. 

The pastors, who have been working together, agreed that something needed to be done to encourage men to take a truly active role in the home and in the church. It was decided that a three-day program, for three hours each night, would help to provide the catalyst for this revival. As soon as the idea was shared with the men’s ministry leaders, they joined in with great enthusiasm. 

The conference was planned to provide inspiration and information. It was held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. nightly and included plenary sessions, workshops, and a worship service.  Nevilon Meadows, director of Men Under Development (M.U.D., Inc.), conducted the plenary sessions that included the theological foundation for the role of men. 

The workshops were comprehensive and covered specific needs related to spirituality, sexuality, and masculine responsibilities. Some of the subjects covered included: Dealing with Damaged Emotions (Richard Campbell, a pastor in the Allegheny East Conference), The Man as Priest, Husband, and Father (Warner Richards, pastor of Linden church), Masculine Touch (Baldwin, Barnes, pastor of Christian Fellowship Church), The Cultural Dimensions of the Male Self (John McQueen, Ph.D.), and What Women Need (Deborah Richardson, a member of Faith church).

Each night the session closed with a very electrifying and spirit-filled worship service. The men were led into praise by an all-male praise and worship team. This was followed by the practical and powerful proclamation of life-changing messages from Myron Edmonds, pastor of the Glenville church in Cleveland, Ohio. Edmonds captivated the men each night and called them forth to transformational commitment. God blessed, and from all reviews, the “Encounters 2013” Men’s Conference was a resounding success. The consistent attendance of more than 200 gentlemen nightly was a demonstration and testimony of their commitment.”

—Cameron Bowen, pastor, Elim church

Original article: “Christian Fellowship Church Hosts First Men’s Conference,” Atlantic Uinon Gleaner, March 2014

[Pastor Cameron Bowen (USC ‘72) hails from the Checker Hall SDA Church and previously served in Barbados in the 1970s]