The St. Louis Central Church’s Women’s Ministries team recently welcomed Dr. Janice J. Browne1 to the pulpit in recognition of enditnow Emphasis Day, a special Sabbath each August designated to raise awareness and advocate for the end of violence and domestic abuse around the world. The day also included a Safe Touch workshop for children ages 5-12 and their parents (led by Dr. Jessica Claridge and me), and a Domestic Violence workshop (led by Lizzie Chumbwa).
enditnow is the most important stand the Seventh-day Adventist Church has ever taken regarding violence against men, women and children. Through this campaign, more than 15 million Adventist church members are expected to create a global movement that will be mobilized within their own communities, where each person will actively work to create awareness and share solutions on ways to end this global problem.
A video statement from Nancy Wilson set the stage for Dr. Browne’s powerful message from Isaiah 61:1, that we, like Jesus, have been sent to set the captives free. We were encouraged to recognize signs of abuse and not turn a blind eye, and we were reminded of the vital role our walk with the Holy Spirit plays in that. We were also blessed by Dr. Browne’s angelic voice as she sang “We Shall Behold Him” at the close of her message.
A separate Children’s Church occurred during the church service that was led by Elder Susan Miles and her team, and our wonderful deaconesses provided a lovely lunch for the children as well as for our church members and visitors.
This was the first time that St. Louis Central participated in enditnow Emphasis Day, and we are thankful for how the Lord blessed.
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1Dr. Janice Browne is an author, international inspirational speaker, university educator, consultant, general civil mediator, and solo artist. She holds a doctorate in leadership, a master’s in clinical psychology, and a bachelor’s in psychology.
