STORY
Ohio Conference Dedicates Multi-Purpose Pavilion at Camp Mohaven, Celebrates 34 Baptisms
September 30, 2024
Francis Tuffour
Last Sabbath, during a joint English and Spanish camp meeting, the Ohio Conference dedicated its new multi-purpose pavilion at Camp Mohaven. The event was one of the key highlights of the 2024 camp meeting, celebrating the new facility and the baptism of 34 individuals. The Conference constructed the building under the theme "Building for Eternity," designed to support youth's physical and spiritual development and serve as an evangelistic training center for the Ohio Conference.
The Ohio Conference had the groundbreaking ceremony of the building during the 2023 camp meeting and crowned it with its dedication during this year's gathering. Pastor Bob Cundiff, president of the Ohio Conference, reflected on last year's camp meeting, where he had promised the pavilion would be ready by 2024 when the camp meeting was in tents. "And here we are today, praise God," Pastor Cundiff remarked. "We thank each of you who pressed together around this vision to help make this dream a reality. Today is a truly historic day for our Conference. It is historic because of our new home, but also because it is our first multi-ethnic camp meeting. We wanted the entire family to be together for this momentous occasion."
Vivo Worship and the Tucker Trio, a Costa Rican group, complemented the dedication ceremony with beautiful music and stirring performances throughout the event. The Tucker Trio, in particular, continued their performance in the Sabbath afternoon concert, contributing to the spiritual atmosphere of the day and uplifting the spirits of all present.
Dr. Marcellus T. Robinson, president of the Columbia Union Conference, praised the Ohio Conference for its commitment to building for God's kingdom. "You are serious about kingdom-building for God here in Ohio Conference," he stated. "You have a beautiful theme, "Building for Eternity," which reflects the visionary leadership of your president, Dr. Cundiff."
In his sermon, Pastor Cundiff compared the pavilion's dedication to Solomon's dedication to the temple in 1 Kings 5 and 6, calling on attendees to support the building project. Following the sermon, Pastor Cundiff invited 200 people to the ribbon-cutting. Pastors Cundiff and Wiston Zuniga led the dedicatory prayer, praising and asking for God's blessing on the building and its future use.
To commemorate the day, the attendees gathered for a large group photo in front of the new building, captured with the help of a drone and photographers using a mechanical lift for elevated shots; the day marked the dedication of a new facility and the coming together of a diverse conference family unified in celebration and mission.
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