Worshippers from the Open Bible Standard Churches of Jamaica at their 58th annual convention, under the theme ?Returning to our Spiritual Heritage?. The convention was held yesterday at the National Arena in St. Andrew. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
Little Akita Williams shifted in her chair for the fifth time in less than a minute. She tugged at her hair clips and then started playing with her shoelaces.
She turned around in her chair with a look of exasperation on her face. The little girl was ready to go home, but her mother and the hundreds of other believers who filled the National Arena in St. Andrew yesterday morning were just getting started.
It was four-year-old Akita?s first church convention and she was having a hard time adjusting to the loud singing, the huge crowd and having to sit in one place for more than an hour, but her mother Joy Williams insisted that it was the best thing for her.
She will be thankful
"She's all right man. When she gets older and is filled with Christian teachings that she learned when she was young, then she will be thankful that she had to come here today,? Mrs. Williams said, rubbing her daughter?s back gently.
It was the 58th annual convention of the Open Bible Standard Churches of Jamaica and members of that church from across the country turned out in multitudes to hear main speaker Bishop Dr. Delford Davis, senior pastor of Power of Faith Ministries International.
The theme of the convention which started on March 12 and ended with yesterday?s service was ?Returning to our Spiritual Heritage?. It was a theme that was catchy enough to get Linda Evans? husband out of the house on a Sunday morning.
?I can never get him to come to church, but I told him the theme and with all that is going wrong in the country he decided that he would come,? she said. ?We really need to return to our spiritual heritage because as a country we have gone astray.?
Many people, mostly women in colourful hats, who were seated close to Mrs. Evans nodded when they heard her say this.
Meanwhile, a young female church member had walked on to the stage and was leading the congregation in a rendition of The Old Rugged Cross. This sent the crowd into a tizzy. They started rocking in their chairs, waving their hands in the air and singing at the top of their lungs.
Soon, little Akita?s face lit up and she started to mouth the few words she knew of the song while swaying from side to side in her chair.
