Spring 2015 Update

ARM Mission Trip to BarbadosREV. FRANK BILLMAN6The Methodist Church ofBarbados invited ARM’sDirector of EquippingMinistries, Rev. Dr. FrankBillman, to come thereto speak about differentaspects of our supernaturalMethodist heritage. Thereare 20 Methodist churchesin the island nation; theMethodist Church inBarbados is part of thelarger, Methodist Church in theCaribbean and the Americas [MCCA],including several Caribbean islands,as well as some countries in CentralAmerica. Frank has also been invitedby a Methodist District Superintendentin Trinidad (also part of the MCCA) tocome there in September.Frank and his wife, Peggi, went toBarbados in May and spoke to over1,000 people in a number of venuesacross the nation. Many peopleexperienced healing; there was anoverall sense of excitement among thechurches. The Methodist Church ofBarbados hopes to have a Life in theSpirit Seminar team come to Barbadosto help further deepen their spiritualexperience. They are looking forwardto a closer relationship with ARM in thefuture.Below is an article written by HarryMayers, a local Methodist pastor inBarbados, after the completion of thismission trip:A word in season for Fresh Fire! Thatsums up the response ofMethodists in Barbadosto the four speakingengagements Rev. Dr.Frank Billman fulfilledon the Caribbean islandbetween May 2 and 7.At the invitation of theChurch in Barbados, Dr.Billman delivered the9th Annual lecture inhonour of National Heroine Sarah AnnGill, whose fearless fight against theinjustices of slavery kept alive the thenflickering flame of Methodism andreligious freedom on the island.“It was an eye opener.I realized that we havemissed so much about our[Holy Spirit] heritage asMethodists. Our people areready. Our people are hungry.”The lecture, entitled SupernaturalPower for National Renewal, wasenthusiastically received as were threeother presentations, ‘’Why are signs,Wonders and Miracles Important”,“Holy Communion: A Source of Healingand Revival”, and “Healing”.Rev. Alison Carter, chairperson of thecommittee that organized the lecturewhich coincided with the observanceof May as Heritage Month, describedDr. Billman’s talks as “Most inspiring.Exciting. Enlightening.”“Tremendous,” was the way Bro. RobertQuintyne, one of the island’s mostexperienced local preachers, describedDr. Billman’s presentations. “They werelong overdue.”Local preacher Shirley Harper said:“It was an eye opener. I realized thatwe have missed so much about our[Holy Spirit] heritage as Methodists.Our people are ready. Our people arehungry.”Roger Marshall, a CongregationalSteward, remarked: “There was a lotI had never heard about. Researchedreports about people’s spiritualexperiences were very uplifting.”“He opened my eyes,” said VivianSimpson, a long standing Methodist whowas once a Congregational Steward.“There is so much we don‘t know aboutour Methodist heritage.”Another Local preacher, ReynoldMcClean, who owns a travel company,said that when he saw the distancespeople had to travel to get to certainMethodist churches in England, heconcluded that “something great wouldhave been happening there.”He added, “In researching our spiritualheritage, back to John Wesley, Dr.Billman has opened a door for us. It isnow left for us to leave lifeless formalityand go through that door.”