August 27, 2022. Civic leaders and groups from throughout the Bahamas joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Bahamas at a March and Rally, in Rawson Square, in an effort to stamp out the scourge of violence against women, children, and men in our communities.

Government officials and representatives from a number of organizations were in attendance including the Bahamas Ministry of Social Services, Bahamas Crisis Center, The Listening Post, The Royal Bahamas Police Force Domestic Unit, Rise Bahamas, the Zonta Club, Women United, Bahamas Red Cross, along with other denominations such as the Anglican Women Association/ ACSS.

They all marched for the cause to enditnow! 

President of the Adventist church in the South Bahamas, Pastor Kenny Deveaux commended the Women’s Ministries department of the South Bahamas Conference for leading the charge and organizing the event, which was sponsored by the Atlantic Caribbean Union of Seventh-day Adventists (which oversees the Conferences within the North and South Bahamas, Cayman Islands and the Turks n Caicos Islands).

“We come together in Parliament Square, the seat of political power to say to all those that enter the House of Assembly, that we declare that vehicular violence, verbal violence, domestic violence, childhood violence, men violence, elderly violence, financial, mental and physical abuse and all other forms of violence must stop now!” said Pastor Deveaux.
He stated that the end to abuse and violence is not more abuse and violence but the end to violence and other sins is Jesus Christ.

Representing the Atlantic Caribbean Union of Seventh-day Adventists at the event was Mrs. Arleen Sands, Women’s Ministries Director, and Mrs. Jacqueline Gibson, the Director for Women’s Ministries in the South Bahamas Conference.

The church members, activists, civic leaders and groups.. in the March from Windsor Park to Rawson Square chanted, cheered, and celebrated in solidarity as their banners echoed the theme, ‘One Voice..enditnow.’ Bystanders enjoyed the music of the Pathfinder Band.

The President of the Senate for the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Honorable Lashell Adderley, said the Lord is not happy with our silence against violence and commended the Adventist church, of which she is a part of, for taking this important stand.

“Much like you, ladies and gentlemen, I am tired of the stain of violence destroying this beautiful paradise that we call home. The ocean of shed blood runs through our homes, our schools, streets hospitals, mortuaries, and cemeteries. It leaves mothers devasted and fathers in anguish..the community in shock and distress and the boys on the block tortured and wanting revenge,” said the Honorable Lashell Adderley.

Adderley spoke of gender discrimination and other social ills within our communities that lend to violence.

She said, “I must remind you that God wants us to live in love, peace and harmony and not violence. As a matter of fact God hates violence.. As the cause of violence are multifaceted, so should be the solutions. We must ensure that all people have access to economical opportunities that allow them to thrive and grow.”

Among the testimonies of abuse, the guest speaker for the occasion, Ms. Brenda Walsh, president of the Kids Club for Jesus Studio & Leadership Center for children related her story to the audience. As a survivor of abuse, she shared a powerful testimony of how she almost lost her life, at a young age, in an abusive marriage and she gave hope to persons suffering at the hand of abuse.

As she told her story Ms. Walsh said, “Do you know why God tells us to write His word in the tablets of our hearts? Every memory verse that I had memorized as a child..all of a sudden in the fog and in the pain of my brain, one memory verse after another kept coming as clear as you could imagine in my head. God put those words in my mind at the moment I needed them the most, the moment I wanted to die.” 

“I that Jesus saved me for a reason. I know that it not God’s plan for anyone to be abused.. The only way to end it now is to have more love in our hearts,” stated Walsh.
A moment of silence was declared by Mrs. Marissa Mason-Smith, President of the Zonta club New Providence to remember the countless persons who had suffered and died as a result of the violence inflicted on them.

Scores of persons were impacted by this initiative, but it is up to each of us to continue the awareness and to lend a hand to those who may be suffering at the hand of an abuser today.

If you are being abused or know of someone who is suffering from acts of violence, CALL:
The Crisis Center -242-328-0922 / www.bahamascrisiscentre.com
Women United – 242-816-0027 / womenunitedbahamas@gmail.com
South Bahamas Conference Headquarters/Community Services – 242-341-4021
Or contact any of the agencies mentioned above for help.

The enditnow initiative involved over 20 million Seventh-day Adventists throughout the world on August 27, 2022, united in declaring that violence come to an end now.


Click here to view the EnditNow March and Rally photos.