Seven People Baptized in Maryland and Four More in Jamaica and The Bahamas

"The Breakthrough," an in-person and online evangelistic series by Chesapeake Conference Women's Ministries director spoke to the heart of overwhelmed people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

North American Division (NAD)

[Maryland] Many people are desperate and at their breaking point since the emergence of COVID-19. They feel overwhelmed, confined, depressed, and oppressed. Pastor Anastacia Ferguson-Bansie answered the call to provide hope, comfort, and reassurance that God’s love for His people has not waned. She launched an in-person evangelistic series titled “The Breakthrough” from May 7-15, 2021.

Eleven baptisms resulted from the series: seven at Atholton Seventh-day Adventist Church in Columbia, Maryland, the site of the meetings, and four in The Bahamas and Jamaica, the outcome of broadcasting the meetings online.

“The Breakthrough” series was such a blessing that it was featured in a recent General Conference worship session when Anastacia Ferguson-Bansie, an associate pastor at Atholton church and Women’s Ministries director of Chesapeake Conference, shared the steps which she undertook to prepare her church to execute this series.

The dynamic spirit-filled messages were designed to uplift and inspire to experience a sustainable breakthrough through developing a transformative relationship with God. Her messages were designed to speak to the heart of the core issues challenging many today by providing hope through God’s Word.

“Sabbath morning’s service was such a powerful experience and people responded to an appeal and immediately found their way into the waters of baptism,” reports Franke Zollmanm senior pastor of the Atholton church. “The atmosphere was electrified with the power of the Holy Ghost!”

"The Breakthrough" evangelistic series attracted online viewers throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and as far away as England, Switzerland, and India.

Photo credits: Atholton Seventh-day Adventist Church, Columbia, Maryland, USA

Contributed by Anastacia Ferguson-Bansie, Women’s Ministries director for Chesapeake Conference and associate pastor of Atholton Seventh-day Adventist Church

Published in Mosaic newsletter, 2022 Q1, winter issue