Lay Preacher Sylvia Adams is encouraging persons to find themselves in church and not be discouraged by the notion that 'church is full of hypocrites'. According to her, the church is for hypocrites. Photo: VINO/File

Host of the popular local television show on CBN Channel 51, Real Talk, Karia J. Christopher. Photo: Facebook

Preacher Sylvia Adams was the most recent guest of the Karia J. Christopher talk show Real Talk – Virgin Islands 10 most influential women for 2016 aired on CBN Channel 51 on January 17, 2017.

Christopher put it to her guest that many persons claim “the church has the biggest hypocrites out there” and is one of the reasons they stay away from church.

The popular lay preacher responded, “I tell them none of us are perfect and Jesus himself said that he didn’t come for righteous people but the church is supposed to be a hospital for sinners….because they criticised Christ himself because he [was] hanging out with those who drinking, he hanging out with prostitutes, he hanging out with the tax collectors and then is when he told them I (Jesus) didn’t come for the righteous.”

Mrs Adams said that coming to church is where the Holy Spirit uses a message or hymn to touch and bless a person’s life. “So, don’t stay away from church, don’t stay away, because when you stay away you give the enemy a chance to do whatever he wants with you, beat you about, so come and worship.”

While she is a rooted Methodist, from where she said she will remain unless the Holy Spirit tells her to move, she did not impress on persons to go where she is necessarily but to ensure that they go to a church rather than none.

She used her own experience of being away from church for many weeks because of medical reason but felt ‘terrible’ having to be in bed on a Sunday.

Journey of ill health

Preacher Adams recalled that it was on a Christmas Eve day it was discovered that she had developed complications with a disc in the region of her back, something that caused her extreme pain. “It was removed, the surgery was a resounding success, but in the process, I couldn’t move or use my lower body.

Complicating things for her was the stage when she went into rehabilitation and contracted a terrible disease. “They said it was a bacterial disease I contracted in the hospital that nearly took my life. My kidneys were shutting down…”

Much about that stage of her illness she still does not remember to this day. “My husband he knows more about that than me. He just stood by me. I thank God for him.” She described that period as a very low time in her life. “But God was there I don’t ever remember being afraid. I remember times of pain but through it all at times I would be unconscious but the presence of Jesus, Jesus was always there.”

“So that’s why I grasp this opportunity to encourage those who are going through sickness … trust in God and believe. You know all those promises we have in the bible about Jesus being our head, being our refuge, especially the verse that says I will never leave you nor forsake you…” charged Preacher Adams.

Meanwhile, the Real Talk interview with Mrs Sylvia Adams will be rebroadcast at 8:00 P.M. on January 19, 2017.