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Story of Portlaoise small group

Story of Portlaoise small group

See the story of a small group pioneered by a lay worker in the Irish Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

PortlaoiseDanny Atimama

The Portlaoise Seventh-day Adventist Small Group was pioneered by Sister Evelyn Wilson. Now retired, she has always been a dedicated and enthusiastic Lay Worker in the Irish Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

On the 15th of September 2012, Sister Evelyn invited a newly baptised couple, an Adventist couple with their 4 children, and 3 sisters who were studying the Bible with her, to meet and worship at a rented hall located in the town centre of Portlaoise. For years this group continued to worship together in the same venue. Attendance to Sabbath worship would fluctuate; depending on how many of the families and friends of the group members responded to the invitation to come and join the Sabbath worship.

In December of 2013, the group joined God and the hosts of angels with rejoicing as one of the 3 sisters officially accepted God as her personal saviour through the rite of baptism. This was conducted at the small group’s mother church – The Ballinacrow SDA church in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow. In 2015, the lady's two sisters and a niece were baptised. Then in 2019 the small group officially welcomed 2 souls, a couple who signified their faith in God through baptism.

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Over the years the group remained small as people came and went. In 2018 the group grew in number, not through baptism, but by migration. In 2019 the group welcomed Pastor Ivan Petrovski as the first pastor assigned by the Irish mission to oversee the group. He took over the ministerial care of the group from Sister Evelyn Wilson. The COVID 19 pandemic prevented the small group from affording a well deserved special tribute programme to sister Evelyn who was dearly loved and is sadly missed by all.

Currently the Portlaoise Seventhday Adventist group welcomes more than 30 adults, youths and children every Sabbath day. Please pray for our small group that we may continue to shine for the Lord and that soon we will be established as a church in God’s perfect time.