On Sabbath, 10/3/20, there was a celebration in heaven and on earth as Southeast SDA witnessed the rebirth of four souls through baptism. Senior Pastor Stan Hood presided over the first baptism held at Southeast since the Covid-19 pandemic sidelined fundamental church activities. Although many in-person activities have been curtailed, the church has been doing more than just surviving. Since March, Southeast continues to flourish in large part virtually, using online technologies to reach a troubled world and to remain in touch with members of Southeast.

Sis. Rosalyn Carey has been worshipping with Southeast online for some time and following the conclusion of the ‘The Final Crisis 2020 Revival Series,’ she requested baptism. On Sabbath morning, Sis. Carey drove 3 hours to Cleveland, OH, and was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Donna Reid, a faithful Southeast member and member of the Healthcare Screening Committee, Elder Darrel Carter, and Deacon Kingman El-Jamah all re-dedicated their lives to Christ, solidifying their walk with the Lord and strengthening their leadership roles by example.

Within the span of 2 weeks, Southeast has been blessed to celebrate two significant events Covid-19 could not suppress-- The Final Crisis 2020 Revival Series and baptism. From September 20th through September 26th, Pastor Hood presented topics, Another Trump (1 Corinthians 15:52), Me Too (Luke 23:39-43), A Motherless Child (Genesis 35:17-19), Demons in Church (Matthew 7:17-19), Games People Play (Daniel 7:25), Fresh Wind (Rev.14:4-5) and The Coming Crisis (Rev.17:3-6). These topics, says Pastor Hood, are “snatched right from the headlines.”

Truly the world is in a state of anguish and upheaval. People are witnessing turmoil and experiencing confusion like never before. According to Pastor Hood, there is “a cry, a decree for the gospel--the 3rd Angel’s Message in Revelation 14—saying come out of the world my people, don’t be consumed with her sins, but come into the safety of the ark of Christ and allow Him to do for you what you can’t do for yourselves.”

The Fall Revival has ended but can still be accessed at www.SE7day.org and on YouTube. Pastor Hood has begun a new October series designed to help get you through these tumultuous times called Prayers that Work. Please join Southeast on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. during the month of October at www.SE7day.org, YouTube Live, or on Facebook Live.

This is truly a time for revival and drawing nearer to God. Blessings on those who walked into a renewed relationship with Christ through baptism.

--Cecily Bryant