Jamaica House of Prayer and the Love March Movement (LMM) are set to host the inaugural Fire Invasion Conference later this month, with organisers hoping to inspire at least 1,000 young people to commit themselves to prayer, fasting and spreading the Christian faith.
The conference, being held from October 22 to 24, will be held under the theme, “Fire Invasion: Revive, Reform, Endure,” with activities targeting teenagers, university students, young adults and young leaders in the church.
Pastor Harry Walcott, one of the organisers, said the conference was born out of a desire to see Jamaica transformed through the Christian faith.
“The inspiration for that is born out of this desire to see our nation transformed,” Walcott said. “To see the church impacted deeply and the nation transformed by the preaching of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Walcott said the organisers are particularly focused on young people because of the role they could play in influencing their peers and the future of the church.
“We believe the second coming is near and the Lord says he would anoint some people…with the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way for his coming,” he said.
He said the organisers want to see young people become catalysts for revival by devoting more time to prayer, fasting and sharing their faith.
“We hope that they will be inspired to give more time and energy, especially to prayer with fasting and sharing the word of God with others, being a catalyst for revival,” Walcott said.
The conference will feature James Aladiran, founder of Prayer Storm in the United Kingdom, as its main speaker.
According to Walcott, Aladiran was selected because of his focus on young people and his work encouraging prayer, fasting and Christian devotion.
“He has a real passion for young people,” Walcott said.
He added that Aladiran was impacted by Christianity as a teenager and has since spent years teaching and training young adults to pursue their faith through prayer and fasting.
“He is a really good teacher and preacher of the word, and has inspired a lot of people all over the world as it relates to prayer and fasting and seeking the Lord,” Walcott said.
The first event will be held on Thursday, October 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Fellowship Tabernacle. Organisers are expecting between 700 and 1,000 people to attend the open meeting.
A Burning Hearts breakfast will follow on Friday morning at 7:30 at Terra Nova Hotel. The event is geared towards young church leaders, including pastors, and will accommodate up to 80 people.
The conference will then continue on Friday evening at the George William Gordon Academy and run through Saturday. Friday’s session is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., while Saturday’s activities will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Walcott said the name “Fire Invasion” was partly inspired by National Hero George William Gordon, whom he described as a man passionate about prayer and faith.
He recalled a story associated with Gordon in which he was said to have shouted “fire” and, when people asked where the fire was, responded that “the fire is in me.”
Walcott said the image also reflects the biblical idea of God’s “fire” moving through believers.
“That picture comes from the scriptures that speak to God moving through his people and the fire in their hearts,” he said.
The conference is also being held alongside a 40-day fast which began on October 1 and is scheduled to continue until November 9. Walcott said the fast is focused on praying for the church, revival and the conference, with nightly prayer meetings being held at the Jamaica House of Prayer prayer room.
He said the organisers also intend to continue prayer initiatives after the conference to bring churches together to pray for revival in Jamaica.
The Fire Invasion Conference is the first event under that name. However, Walcott said the George William Gordon initiative has been held previously and is an annual event.
For the organisers, the ultimate goal is to see young people take a more active role in their faith.
Walcott said they are hoping to see “a thousand young people committing themselves to pursuing the Lord with this kind of passion.”
He added that the young people could become a force for influencing their peers.
“We are praying that they will be impacted by the Spirit of God,” Walcott said.
Persons seeking more information about the conference can contact the organisers at 876 507-7178.
