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Adventists want nation's children to be happier

Published:Sunday | September 30, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Dr Lorraine Vernal
Children from the Barrett Town Seventh-day Adventist Church sing during the Baptism of Praise service.
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The Seventh-day Adventist Church has lent its support to the Ministry of Health's healthy lifestyle initiative for exercise and, in particular, a low-sugar diet. But while it challenges its members, leaders and schools to ensure that they maintain a healthy lifestyle, Dr Lorraine Vernal, the Family, Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Ministries director of the church, wants the nation's children to be happier.

"Children cannot be happy if they don't have reason to be happy in the homes, our churches, and our institutions because they are being abused and they are exposed to violence," said Vernal.

She was speaking at a Baptism of Praise service for children and adolescents held at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Falmouth, Trelawny, on Saturday, September 29, under the theme 'Healthy and Happy in Jesus'.

"As a Church, we must help our children and adolescents to know that they have rights and that they must not come to church feeling like someone is fondling them in the name of brotherly or sisterly love. If there is no other place that they feel safe, they should feel safe in the Church," she said.

 

CODE OF CONDUCT

 

Vernal, who is a teacher by profession and a dispute resolution specialist, admonished adults not to speak to children and adolescents in obscene language as this may affect them not only now, but for a lifetime.

"Don't be telling them how they are sexy and how they look like they can go on 'cutting table'. These are the things that are said to our children, so those who have to deal with our children should be screened," she said.

Vernal announced that before the end of the year, the Church's Child Protection Policy Implementation Manual will be distributed to relevant persons.

"In every leader, every teacher, and in every hand that has anything to do with children, we will place a Child Protection Policy Implementation Manual ... . We, as God's people, will stand by Adventist risk management and the law of the land," she added.