Pastor Dwayne Pickett, speaking at the Jamaica Christian Community Development Conference in July 2011.  Dwayne shared at the first Inner City Leaders breakfast in October 2011, with a focus on Men as Leaders of the family. This was the first in a series of Values Based Leadership breakfasts for inner city leaders and influencers.

 

Inner-city Men’s Breakfasts

Breakfast at the Terra Nova Hotel, 15 Feb 2003

breakfast


  An earlier breakfast, in 2003, in the earlier season of  MAN (Mentoring A Nation) was well attended , with people (Mostly men) representing several different communities, including Grants Pen and Majesty Gardens.

The MC, Naila Ricketts, opened the event and handed over to Bruce Clemetson, for a short worship time.

patrickDacres

nakia

Nakia, performing
his DJ songs

Patrick Dacres (pictured left) performed his dub poetry and then Nakia (right), from Majesty Gardens , asked if he could share one of his songs. Because we are keen to encourage men to grow in their leadership, he was given permission, and performed two of his DJ songs. He became a Christian that morning and was baptised two weeks later.

 

Junior , one of the Christians (also from Majesty Gardens) shared his testimony, after which a number of men came forward to commit their lives to Jesus. Junior became a Christian at one of the gospel concerts held by OSJ at Majesty Gardens.

Junior

Les IsaacGuest speaker Les Isaac , gave his testimony and spoke about what it is to be a real man and father (who takes responsibility) as opposed to a boy (who can father a child, but doesn't take responsibility).

Pitching his message perfectly and relating what he said to where the men were at, he held their attention throughout.

Born in Antigua, but brought up from age six in the UK, Les went through a serious identity crisis as a black person in the 70’s—coping with racism and his father leaving home. He ended up leading a vicious gang of some 400 youths who were into fighting white gangs and vandalising shops. After one particularly bad night of fighting he began thinking that there must be more to life. He searched for meaning in Rastafarianism, but found it didn't answer all of his questions and had little beneficial impact on the problems he saw around him. Later, he says, he became a Christian after God spoke to him. He was able to identify with many of the men at the breakfast and they with him.

Les ended with a challenge to the men to give their lives to Jesus and be real men. Around 25 men came forward for prayer, including one Rasta who had just come for the breakfast and didn't realise he was coming to a Christian event!

The number of men who responded to the gospel was overwhelming and most of them seemed genuine. This indicates that many of these men want to change and there is hope for Jamaica.

However, we recognise that most of these men will need to be mentored in order that the required transformation will take place in their lives. The question is—are there men who will make themselves available to be involved in the transformation process of the men in our inner-city communities?

Jesus’ words are true in Jamaica today—the harvest is ripe & plentiful, but the labourers are few.

Mr Goddy Goddy , a DJ who has been involved with most of OSJ’s concerts, closed the meeting with one of his songs.

Goddy Goddy

Scenes from the Inner City Leaders breakfast held at Hope Fellowship on February 11/2012.  This was the second in a series of planned Values Based Leadership breakfasts. The theme was "The Leader as Keeper of his brother".  The first held in October 2011 at Christian Life Fellowship, had the theme "The Leader as Keeper of his family".  

Influencers from 12-13 several inner city communities came together, with many men sharing their experiences.  Several men indicated a desire to begin a walk with Jesus as their savior.  The leadership challenge was delivered by Pastor Neville Owens.  Huntley Septimus from Mavis Bank shared his experience and his music.  The atmosphere was charged with reflection, conviction and confessions, A palpable sense of regret and forgiveness permeated the hall, and the Lord showed himself powerful throughout the entire morning. 

 

 

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