The Sermon Heard Around the World

Story by Liz Bailey

When he joined a nondenominational Facebook group for pastors, D.W. West, pastor of the Charleston Boulevard/Point Pleasant district, never dreamed that someday his decision would take him around the world.

As he was scrolling on social media one day, West saw a request for Bible studies in a group he had joined. He reached out to a gentleman and found out he was a Baptist pastor in Africa. The man stated he was not allowed to have church there due to the pandemic, but maybe if they met outside and watched on a screen they would be allowed. West agreed and met with him via video communication. By the third day, the man’s family joined him, as well as a group of other men. One thing led to another, and soon West found himself arriving at his church on Sabbath at 7a.m. so he could hold an online church meeting with an eager audience in Uganda. Within a few weeks, the crowd grew to 100.

This video church meeting, along with Bible studies three nights during the week, continued for the next three years. The people began asking West to come and speak to them in person. “They just want to know more about the Word of God,” states West, “and they want to know the truth that is in it.”

Finally, in February 2024, West visited Uganda. For 13 days, he preached to crowds of 500 to 1,300 twice a day. One night, while he was preaching, some of the men got busy digging. Excitedly they called him to see what they had done. They had dug a big hole in the ground, with steps leading into it, put a tarp in the hole, and filled it with water. They had made a baptismal tank!

West was able to participate in approximately 150 baptisms in that tank, as people gave their hearts to God. Many of the members of the Baptist church became Adventists and joined this newly formed church. Two of the candidates, including the head elder and the senior pastor himself, now plan to attend an Adventist seminary at Bugema University (Uganda). The Baptist church, comprised of more than 1,000 members, continues to gather for Adventist Bible studies twice a week.

“It is really exciting to see what has already happened there,” states West, “and I’m really excited to see what’s going to happen over the next year or two, as they continue to nurture the new believers and those in the Baptist church, who I believe will be joining us soon.”

“The Adventist Church exists to proclaim the ‘Good News’ to the whole world. Mountain View Conference (MVC) has a small part of the work in Africa and other parts of the world,” states Tim Bailey, conference president. “Every time we pay our tithe, MVC supports the work of the world church. In this case, one of our own even went there to preach.”