St. Thomas Celebrates 100th Anniversary
 

St. Thomas Seventh-day Adventist Church is 100 years old!  Church members, friends, former pastors, conference officials, civic dignitaries and well wishers gathered together on Sabbath, April, 2008, to celebrate 100 years since the church was organized in St. Thomas in 1908.
 
The celebrations began Friday evening with worship, but it was on Sabbath morning , as old friends and former pastors arrived, that the joy of the reunion really began. Yet, it was all about the goodness of God in how He established a church in Fort Thomas (the old name for St. Thomas) back in 1898, organized it in 1908, nurtured it until now and continues to lead and direct it.

Ontario Conference president, Pastor Derrick Nichols, and Pastor Wayne Martin, Sabbath School director, were among those attending from the headquarters of the Adventist Church in Ontario. Also present were Pastor Antonio Bueno, secretary; Brother Ulysses Guarin, treasurer; Dr. Errol Lawrence. Ministerial director; Brother Birthe Chan, Risk Management director; and Pastor Halsey Peat, Communication director.

Prior to the worship service, local pastor, Todor Levterov,  welcomed the Honourable Steve Peters, speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and MPP  for Elgin-Middlesex-London; Jessica vanVugt, who represented Mr. Joe Preston, MP for Elgin-Middlesex-London; and St. Thomas mayor, Cliff Barwick.  Mayor Barwick praised the church for its supportive and positive role in the community of St. Thomas.  Mr. Steve Peters had clearly done his homework and was able  to speak about some of the founding principles of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  He commended the Adventist Church for its commitment to a healthy lifestyle and expressed his hope that the rest of society would learn from it.  Each of the  dignitaries presented  congratulatory certificates or plaques.

In his sermon, President Nichols commended the church upon reaching its centenary but also challenged it as it moves into its new century to be a loving congregation that is at the centre of the community.