Pastor, Church Adopts Retired Ministers & Widows
Pastor Clive A. Porter, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of the Greater Fort Lauderdale New Testament Church of God in Lauderhill, Florida. He is a native Jamaican and carries a deep passion for the retired servants of God. In 2005, Bro. Porter shared with his congregation the burning God-given desire to contribute to the betterment of daily living of the retirees of the New Testament Church of God in Jamaica.
His congregation bought into his passion and vision they making weekly contributions into a fund Bro. Porter started in the local church. With the help of the Island Overseer, Bishop W. A. Blair and his office staff, Bro. Porter obtained the contact information and physical location of each retiree, 73 in total. In July of this year, Bro. Porter dispatched two members of his Missions team as envoys to the Jamaican National Overseer and to their National Convention with 73 letters addressed to each retiree. Each envelope contained $50.00 which is equivalent to over $3,000.00 in Jamaican currency. A check for $350.00 was also sent to the National Overseer for the National Retired Ministers Fund.
By the time the Missionaries returned to their Pastor and church in South Florida, not only had they delivered the letters to the Overseer and retirees, but they also drove throughout the island, visiting with about twenty (20) retired ministers in their homes. Each retiree heard of Bro. Porter’s vision to care for them. Other care packets were also delivered to them, they were ministered to in prayer and their personal needs were assessed. The Missionaries brought back testimonies of deep gratitude from the brethren; how they lifted their hands to the heavens and with tearful eyes blessed God, Bro. Porter and the church for their remembrance of them.
Many of them have since called or written to Bro. Porter expressing their own personal gratitude. Many of them used the money received to bear the expense of a call to say, “I thank you a lot for your interest and consideration; and may the Lord bless you.” One said, “Thank you for the plan you have orchestrated to help widows like me.” Another said with thankful tears they raised it (the letter and gift) to heaven and repeated, “Lord what have I done to deserve even one of these your many blessings.” Yet another wrote, “Bishop, our heavenly father knows our every need and has used you and your dear wife with your congregation in a remarkable way. I lift the money you sent me to God and I thank you for being obedient to the heavenly one.”
It is Bro. Porter’s goal to have each of these retirees adopted by a person or family by December 1, 2008 so that for them Christmas this year will be a happy and new experience.
