On November 6th, the Sabbath service at the Seventh-day Adventist church in Mount Fortune took the form of an Appreciation Service that honoured the work and ministry of the church’s leader, Pastor Howard Simon.
In August 2019, Pastor Simon, a native of Antigua, had been appointed to serve the two churches on the eastern end of the island, namely Mount Fortune and New Life. He, along with his wife, Michelle, and daughters Yael and Yazel, have added much virtue to the ministry of the churches in the eastern area.
Pastor Simon’s humility and jovial spirit have won the hearts of many who have come into contact with him. He is a faithful, loving shepherd to his flock, and his charisma in the community is quite evident.
It was these qualities which motivated many members of the church last Sabbath to express their love and appreciation to him. Songs depicting appreciation and reflection on Christian service were sung. One such song, “At Calvary”, which is an all-time favourite of Pastor Simon, was sung in dedication to him by his daughter, Yael, who was backed up by great musical accompaniment and the Praise Team in chorus.
For the entire duration of the service, the Pastor and his family were seated abreast of the pulpit, as representatives of the various departments of the church stepped forward to pay them special tribute.
One such tribute, presented by Sister Karen Pina, went as follows: “Pastor Simon and the family, I wish to say happy Pastor’s Appreciation Day. You are now into your third year here with us, and I can’t believe how time has flown…I had been privileged to know you prior to you beginning your tenure of service here, and I had been instrumental in helping you settle in your home away from home…
“Sister Michelle, it has been my pleasure and a privilege to work along with you in the Women’s Ministry. Thank you for sharing your time and talents with us. The saying is true: ‘Behind every good man is a good woman’.
“Pastor, I realize that your ministry here among us is not just a calling, but it is hard work. We will continue to keep you and your family in our prayers. You are a very loving and caring man, and we all can attest to that.”
Another tribute came from Elder Lester Fleming: “Pastor, I just want to express my appreciation to you for your leadership. We appreciate the fact that you are a pastor who leads by example, and we thank you heartily for that natural trait.”
Brother Wilkin Harrigan said: “Pastor, as one of the church’s elders, I want to assure you that we highly appreciate you and your family. We are always inspired by the encouragement that you give to us. Let us continue to do the work of God together, so that we can make it into Heaven together.”
In responding to the many contributions of kind words, the Pastor stressed: “I just want to say we love you; we love you; we love you! Today is one of those days when I find myself trying to hold back tears. I was looking to my wife for a little support, but then I saw that her eyes were shining with a tear too, so all I could do was to look away.
“My heart is celebrating today with your outpouring of love for us. There is so much love in one room. I love being here, and indeed, I love being your Pastor. It is a high honor. I thank God from the first day I began my service among you until now. I feel your love in so many ways, and we return our love to you as well. Because we love you so much, I want to make sure that you are not just a part of the church family, but that we all would be one family in Heaven. My charge to you, therefore, is to be faithful.”
