The History of Advent Fellowship Church of Brooklyn
Advent Fellowship had its beginnings with a local radio ministry program in Brooklyn, New York. In 2005 Pastor Laurencin prayed the Jabez prayer asking the Lord to expand his range of influence. Not long afterward he got a telephone call from an old friend, Cassias (Scotty), whom he had met in Trinidad and Tobago while studying and evangelizing from 1991-1994. The telephone call was a response to his prayer and the Lord opened the door for him to start a radio ministry in Brooklyn. Working with a team of volunteers, the ministry broadcast every Sunday morning from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. At the start the broadcast covered an area of about 10 to 20 miles. Later it was extended over the internet and people were able to tune in around the world listening to life-changing sermons, prayers, testimonies and songs.
After being on the air for a few months people began calling and expressing thanks, appreciations, and support for the ministry. They gave testimonies of answered prayers and wanted to know where the church was located. During that time the team was involved in a church planting effort in Port Chester, New York. Those efforts evolved into Advent Community Seventh-Day Adventist church of Port Chester. That church provides inspiration and fellowship to its members and is involved in addressing the needs of its community. As the radio ministry continued, the audience grew and people began to travel from Brooklyn to Port Chester each Sabbath (Saturday) for spiritual enrichment and worship services.
After realizing how tasking it was for such long distance travel and the problem of transportation that it imposed, the few attendees decided to organize themselves into a company in Brooklyn. Following that, efforts were made to rent a sanctuary (church) for worship services and to address the felt needs of the people in the community where they reside. The effort took the form of a needs driven-ministry that is: community centered, people centered, and family centered ministry with the trappings and religious flavor of the mother church, Advent Community SDA church of Port Chester. It is not by accident that the newly formed company took on the name Advent Fellowship of Brooklyn being the daughter of Advent Community of Port Chester. July 14th 2007 marked the company’s first year anniversary and it was celebrated with special thanks to our leader Jesus Christ, and all who attended had a renewed commitment to ministry in the community. Advent Fellowship practice and teaches all the doctrinal beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church, and makes evangelism (saving lost souls to Christ) their number one priority. Advent Fellowship have had several rough mountains to climb, and many overflowing rivers to cross, but we keep our eyes focus on Christ Jesus our savior and in His promise which say’s ‘He will never leave us, nor forsake us’.
To us it cannot be church as usual; it’s a ministry with a mission, a company with a purpose, and each individual with a calling. The apostle Peter say’s it plainly, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). [KJV]. The text clearly states that ministry is not intended for a privilege few, or a selected group, but to all believers. An inspired writer say’s “Every true believer is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water of life becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to parish eager to drink of the water of life” [Desire of Ages p.195]. As of today we are happy to report that this small company has grown from five in 2005, to approximately one hundred fifty in 2007 and growing.
