Andrews University provides various congregations for worship including Pioneer Memorial Church, New Life, and One Place. Upon returning to Andrews for my final year, my interest was piqued when I heard about a new space to worship and fellowship on campus. With a focus on the Latinx presence on campus, Genesis has entered the mix with its first service. Andrews students, faculty, and community alike were warmly welcomed with conchas (Mexican sweet bread rolls) upon entering the inaugural Genesis service at University Towers on Sabbath morning, September the 3rd.
It was truly a joy to witness others spend time reconnecting with peers after spending the summer apart. When the service began, we were greeted in Portuguese, Spanish, and English and sang in a mixture of those languages as well. Pastor Douglas Barahona subsequently blessed us with his message, sharing parts of his story to express that all God needs is for us to be willing to know Him, and He will take care of the rest. The experience was spiritually and socially enriching in seeing a blend of different Latin cultures come together in praise and worship, regardless of your ethnicity. In hopes of further understanding the reasoning behind Genesis here on campus, I reached out with a few inquiries to William Dos Reis (graduate, architecture), who is part of the leadership team at Genesis Fellowship.
In response to what Genesis is and what it hopes to accomplish, Dos Reis answered, “Genesis provides a safe space for all people, but fills the need of a Latino fellowship. It [aspires] to draw from the culture we currently live in and the cultures of our home nations in the Latino community.” He went on to clarify that Genesis also hopes to transcend culture. “It's about creating community and creating spaces that feel like home,” he said. “Safe, authentic, sincere spaces that draw our attention to the Creator and to each other! That being said, Genesis is not just a Sabbath service, it's a community. It's the gatherings we all have in our homes, classrooms, or wherever [we have the chance] to meet.”
Chaplain José Bourget, expounded on the history behind the creation of the Genesis fellowship. Vertical, a program directed by former students, gained traction on campus in the past–however, as students matriculate, their ideas leave with them. Bourget described the unrelenting attitude towards building a Latin centered pupil led worship on campus. He shared, “ …wanting to do something isn’t the same as being called to do something. When you are called, you keep going and never quit. The need for something like this was evident but it took the Spirit working through stories of students to get this here.”
When faced with obstacles in jumpstarting Genesis, Dos Reis related that God was and is always working to make things happen. “The key to any success is clear and honest communication,” he shared. “That was necessary for the other Hispanic organizations on and off campus. Creating partnerships with those organizations at the leadership level and clarifying that Genesis is meant to empower and strengthen even them is what made it possible to start Genesis.”
If students or anyone wishes to contribute to the program, Dos Reis encourages them to start by taking up the message of Genesis. He emphasized that “creating community means to know and love God and to know and love people.” Additionally, in each service, Next Step is a way to further get involved through directly communicating with the leadership of Genesis so the team can continue to expand and grow.
“Genesis” Dos Reis described, is “a word for beginnings, and this is the beginning of a beautiful chapter for the community of Andrews and the Latino community within it.” I wholeheartedly enjoyed my worship experience at Genesis alongside many of my peers and I eagerly anticipate what comes next.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.