The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica is celebrating with those who are disabled, as it lauds the passing of the Disability Act.
The Disabilities Act 2014, which was passed in Parliament in October 2014 and reaffirmed by both Houses of Parliament in October 2021, came into effect on February 14, 2022.
“This is one of the ministries that our church places special emphasis on because of the need to be all inclusive,” said Pastor Adrian Cotterell, coordinator of the church’s possibility ministries. “We should never make the mistake of underestimating the abilities of persons with disabilities and must refrain from thinking or treating others who may look different as incompetent or inferior.”
Members of the Disability Community participate in a Possibilities Ministries Convention at the Portmore Seventh-day Adventist Church on March 7, 2020. [Photo: Central Jamaica Conference]
While many refer to this ministry as ‘Disability’, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has decided on the nomenclature, Possibility Ministries.
“We believe the potentials, promises, possibilities, life-changing and transformational outcomes that can take place when we think and emphasize possibilities. We acknowledge that each person was created in the image of God and all are gifted, needed, and treasured in our church,” explained Cotterell.
The Adventist Church in Jamaica is one of many in the Adventist world church that devotes one week annually for the celebration of those who are disabled.
“We do this to highlight the ministry and call attention to the need for total inclusion, total participation, total education and total accessibility and promote equal opportunities for all person with disabilities, said Pastor Everett Brown, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica. “As a church we will continue to do everything to ensure that the objectives of the Disability Act will be realized in our nation, particularly through our church.”
