PORTLAND/ST. MARY, Jamaica — The Bible and Torch began the journey into the North East Jamaica Conference on September 12, 2026, when the East Jamaica Conference handed them over to the North East Jamaica Conference at Morant Bay Square in St. Thomas. The Bible and Torch were received on behalf of the North East Jamaica Conference by Sister Paula Harry, First Elder of the Manchioneal Seventh-day Adventist Church, and her team. The handover marked the official beginning of the Bible and Torch’s journey through the North East territory ahead of the Conference’s National End-time Mission Reset (N.E.M. RESET) activities.
One week later, on Sabbath, September 19, the North East Jamaica Conference (NEJC) took the Bible and Torch to the streets of Portland and St. Mary as part of the N.E.M. RESET initiative. The National End-time Mission Reset (N.E.M Reset) is a spiritual, strategic, and missional initiative of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica, calling the Church back to its end-time identity, purpose, and mission. It invites members, pastors, leaders, ministries, and local churches to pause, reflect, realign, and recommit to proclaiming the everlasting gospel, making disciples of Jesus Christ, and preparing people for His soon return. “Reset” does not mean the Church has failed. Rather, it is a call to renew our focus, spirituality, priorities, methods, and mindset.
Held against the backdrop of World Pathfinder Day, the N.E.M Rest Bible and Torch Trek initiative combined Scripture, public witness, mission and community engagement, with scores of Pathfinders joining the movement. In Portland, Pathfinders participated in a road march, carrying the Bible and torch as visible symbols of the Church's commitment to Scripture, mission and the proclamation of the soon return of Jesus Christ. The Bible and Torch Trek forms part of a wider initiative of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica designed to call the Church back to its end-time identity, purpose and mission.
The programme also featured presentations from Pastor Karl Archer, Executive Secretary of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, who presented on the topic “Grounded in the Word,” emphasizing the importance of Scripture as the foundation of the Church's faith, practice and mission. Pastor Euzel Parkes, Executive Secretary of the North East Jamaica Conference, followed with a presentation on “The Torch and Mission,” highlighting the connection between the light represented by the torch and the Church's responsibility to actively engage in mission.
In St. Mary, the Bible and Torch Trek continued with presentations from Pastor Archer, who again delivered “Grounded in the Word,” and Pastor Danielo Daniels, President of the North East Jamaica Conference, who presented “The Torch and Mission.” Building on that foundation, Pastor Daniels’ presentation, “The Torch and Mission,” focused attention on the Church’s responsibility to carry the light of the Gospel beyond the walls of the church and into the wider community. The torch was highlighted as a symbol of mission, a call not only to proclaim the Gospel, but to demonstrate Christ’s love through service, engagement and active witness. Together, the presentations captured the essence of the Bible and Torch Trek, The activities reinforced the central message of N.E.M. RESET: the Church must remain grounded in the Word while actively engaged in mission. The journey of the Bible and Torch through the North East Jamaica Conference territory concluded with another significant handover on Sunday, September 20. During the North Jamaica Conference Leaders Council Programme, the Bible and Torch were formally handed over to the North Jamaica Conference by Pastor Michael Williams, Youth Director of the North East Jamaica Conference.
The handover marked the continuation of the Bible and Torch’s journey across Jamaica, carrying with them the enduring message of a Church that is Grounded in the Word and committed to mission.