On Saturday night, 17 February, nearly a hundred couples from across the British Union Conference gathered at the Leonardo Hotel near Heathrow to celebrate a ministry for couples that has lasted for the past 20 years.
The guest speaker for the celebration was Pastor Bernie Holford, who spoke on the topic of 'Little Time – Lots of Love'. His presentation was engaging, and he encouraged the couples to interact with their spouses and enrich the love in their marriages.
The couple's dinner meetings that take place quarterly were first formalised 20 years ago. It was named the Marriage Enrichment Fellowship and started at Maranatha Seventh-day Adventist church in London a few years earlier. The South England Conference (SEC) Family Ministries Department has endorsed the ministry over the years. Pastor Bernie Holford, the SEC Family Ministries Director at the time, facilitated a 'Certified Family Life Educator' training for the leaders. Along with his wife, Karen Holford (Trans-European Division Family Ministries Director), he has been invited to present at various times.
During his presentation, Holford encouraged couples to cherish the little things that make relationships great. He suggested that they should regularly express their appreciation for each other by saying things like, "One little thing you do that makes me feel especially loved is…".
Moreover, Holford emphasised that a relationship is one of the most significant investments in one's life. The more effort one puts into it, the happier one is likely to be and the less likely to have major conflicts. Therefore, investing a little bit of warmth and intentional effort can go a long way and save one stress, conflict, time, and money.
Several attendees, including Lorenzo, expressed gratitude for the event. He said, "We had an awesome evening. As a first-time couple, we've been missing out on a lot and learnt so much. One thing is for sure: we will never be the same couple after such a blessed night."
Elder Peterson Sentenga, the ministry leader, shared the group's history during the event. A video clip was also shown, highlighting some of the events over the past 20 years. One of the guests was Pastor Kwesi Moore, the SEC Ministerial Director, who offered prayers for the couples. The event concluded with a celebratory cake-cutting ceremony, where attendees were served a slice of cake.
