Great comeback of Presbyterian Church

While that is true there has been a reversal.

His solution to increase membership is to build a university and a hospital in central Trinidad. These are failed policies.

We have had more than our fill of hospitals, schools and universities which have actually driven people away from God. Just look at our society.

Not once did he seek guidance from the scriptures for a solution, nor did he mention the name of Jesus. The Book of Acts show us very clearly how to build church membership, that “repentance and remission of sin be preached.” The answer lies in obedience to the Great Commission given by Jesus “to go into all the world” to win souls, including our own neighbourhood.

That the message of salvation be preached. In Acts we read that “3,000 repented, 5,000 repented, and God added to the church daily as such that might be saved.” The problem could lie in the fact that over the years the church’s theological seminary did not train the clergy to bring in those lost in sin: “Repent and be converted that thy sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). The underlying tenet of salvation is that regardless of one’s nationality, ethnicity or religion the scriptures declare “all have sinned and come short...” (Romans 3:23), that mankind is in a lost condition headed to an eternal hell (Matthew 25:41) and that salvation is found only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7).

Only those who come into repentance through the blood would be saved. Everybody else would go to hell, including “Christians” who are not in covenant. This is where Teelucksingh and a section of the clergy engage in compromise and sell-out. They lack the fortitude to declare that salvation is found only in Jesus (Acts 4:16).

For the Presbyterian Church there is some good news. Over the last few years there has been a surge in attendance. A decade ago it had fallen to 20,000. At last count it was 42,000. This is more than the combined strength of the three other major evangelical churches, Open Bible Standard, PAWI, and New Testament.

Three factors are responsible for this resurgence: 1. The advent of Christian television such as TBN and Daystar have had a positive effect on church attendance and have overpowered the influence of the establishment.

2. The great inspirational hymns of the church have carried the services.

3. The work of individuals and groups to bring in the lost sheep. Many of the churches now carry out full water baptism by immersion, revival services, house meetings and outreach missions by youth groups. Within five years Presbyterian membership could cross 80,000. With more than 100 churches located among key demographics, the church is poised for the last-day harvest.

Winston Ramdhani Couva