Beracah II French Seventh-day Adventist Church Serves About One Hundred students from different Families during Back-to-School Event

BERACAH II , FL – August 9, 2025 – The Beracah II French Seventh-day Adventist Church, part of the Southeastern Conference, successfully hosted its annual Back to School community outreach, providing essential support to families as they prepared for the 2025–2026 school year.

The day began with an uplifting worship service filled with praise, heartfelt prayers for the children by the Associate Pastor Budry Sainvil as they head back to school, and a Bible-based message focused on hope and preparation for the future by the Senior Pastor, Dr. Donald Paul. In the afternoon, a special highlight of the day was a round table presentation for parents, hosted by pedagogical advisors. This interactive session provided valuable guidance on how to support children’s academic success. After that, the church grounds transformed into a vibrant community space where children received backpacks filled with essential school supplies, along with refreshments to share with their families.

This year’s event, held on Sabbath, August 9, 2025, brought together church members, community volunteers, and generous sponsors to serve about one hundred families. Each child received a new backpack filled with school supplies, ensuring they had the necessary tools to start the school year with confidence. In addition, families enjoyed refreshments and food, fostering a joyful and supportive atmosphere.

Among the valued sponsors was the Health and Disability Ministries of the Southeastern Conference, whose contribution, alongside other partners, helped make the event a success. Their generosity, combined with that of local donors and community friends, allowed Beracah 2 to provide tangible assistance and encouragement to those in need.

Elder Esaïe Alexandre, Education Department Director at the Church expressed it best: “What we do today goes beyond simply handing out supplies. We are planting seeds of hope, showing our children that they are loved and supported—not only by their families and church but by an entire community standing behind them.”

The church extends heartfelt thanks to the Health and Disability Ministries of the Southeastern Conference, other sponsors, donors, and volunteers whose contributions of school bags, educational materials, and food made the event possible.

The Beracah II Back to School initiative continues to be a cornerstone of the church’s mission to serve the community, combining faith, education, and compassion. By empowering children today, the church is investing in the leaders of tomorrow.

Addiction—whether substance-related or behavioral—is a serious health crisis that deeply affects the emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual well-being of individuals and families. While recovery is never easy, there is hope.

Under the leadership of Pastor Lunel Cherenfant, the Beree French Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at 13020 NE 8th Avenue, North Miami, FL 33161 is expanding its ministry to include a Community Health Addiction Recovery (C.H.A.R.) Ministry with a focus on drugs, alcohol, tobacco, social media, food addictions. Realizing the importance of preparation to launch an addiction recovery program, Pastor Cherenfant and the Beree members are having an extensive “Addiction Recovery” Rally August 2-August 29, 2025 with a health fair scheduled for August 16, 2025.

On August 2, 3, 2025, over 20 Beree members were trained as C.H.A.R. facilitators. Prior to the in-person training, the facilitators completed the Journey to Wholeness online course offered by the North American Division, followed by a power packed in person training conducted by Darryl Banks, a Journey to Wholeness Trainer and Dr. Jennifer Sankey-Battles, Health and Disability Ministry, Director by the Southeastern Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists. The training consisted on information about addiction, interactive activities, and a simulation of a C.H.A.R. group meeting. Participants were fully engaged in learning their roles and responsibilities as facilitators, and the available resources available to support individuals with addictions.

The C.H.A.R. Program, a vision of Pastor Cherenfant and the Beree members, offers a Christ-centered solution designed to improve the overall mental, physical, and spiritual health and support those who are ready to break free from addiction. The C.H.A.R. program scheduled to launch on October 4, 2025 offers FREE, person-centered counseling and support services to individuals committed to overcoming addiction. The meetings will be held year-round twice a week.

With the addiction crisis that is plaguing our nation, churches, communities, and families, the C.H.A.R. is a noteworthy and much needed ministry within the church. To learn more about how to start an addiction recovery program in your church – Contact Dr. Jennifer Sankey Battles at 352-720-5206 or Pastor Cherenfant at the Beree French SDA Church 305-652-8114.

Knowing the importance of acknowledging, celebrating, and learning from the work of ministers who have paved the way for this current work at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) of Seventh-day Adventists, I was honored to interview Pastor I. L. Harrell, Sr., to hear his story. Using open ended questions to guide our conversation allowed Pastor Harrell to convey his lived experiences during his tenure in the ministry. With humility, he talked about how he came into the ministry, why and how he acquired the Mobile Health Van and his notable accomplishments. We concluded the interview with his sound leadership advice for present and future generations. Pastor Harrell is a retired Pastor and former Director of Personal Ministries, Sabbath School, Inner-City, and Community Services, for the Southeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (SEC). During his tenure and leadership in the ministry, he was a passionate pacesetter who utilized innovative and creative approaches to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Our conversation

Tell me about your call to ministry? How old were you? Who were your mentors in ministry? 

As a child, Pastor Harrell was a member of the Winston-Salem Seventh-day Adventist Church in North Carolina. The church was without a pastor for years, and the members wanted one. At that time, Elder Singleton, President of the South Atlantic Conference, visited the church and met with the members to inform them that the number of pastors was limited and that their church had not given the conference any pastors. Around the age of 12 years old, Pastor Harrell was mentored by four church members who encouraged him to become a pastor. After graduating from high school, and serving 3 years in the Army, Pastor Harrell attended Oakwood College (now Oakwood University) in Huntsville, Alabama, where he obtained his degree in theology. His mentors in ministry were E.E. Cleveland, E.C. Ward, and H.D. Singleton. During his ministry, he pastored numerous churches in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, making a difference and baptizing many souls. 

Which accomplishments are you the proudest of? 

Pastor Harrell is a top performer. His interpersonal skills, relationships, and evangelism techniques contributed to many achievements. He was known to carry 3×5 cards in his front shirt pocket to write notes for himself; keeping him organized and responsive to those who made requests of him, demonstrating his excellence and commitment to the work of the Lord. 

Under his leadership as Personal ministries director at the SEC, the conference was recognized and received numerous trophies from the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, for collecting the highest amount of money for ingathering and for turning in the highest number of Message Magazine subscriptions. Pastor Harrell acknowledges that God used him to achieve these accomplishments to help advance the work of the Lord. 

What advice would you give to ministry leaders in the church and conference office? 

Pastor Harrell now 96 years old, though retired from conference office work, remains a minister and a witness for Jesus Christ. As an astute leader, he gives this advice to leaders of today and the next generation: 1) get into the community, 2) listen to the people, 3) do what meets the needs of the people, 4) accept counsel, and 5) be an example of Christ by living a life before the people, letting Christ be seen. This well-said and sound advice is applicable to all leaders and members who are called to represent Christ to the world and to carry forward the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Comments of the Family 

Over the years, Jonathan Harrell, son observed his father in the ministry. Jonathan described him as creative, detail-oriented, a good communicator, a hard worker, and an energizer bunny who fixes things at home and around the church. Jonathan stated, “My dad worked harder than anyone I know and he is always courteous and respectful.” During his tenure he was supported by his wife, Sadie Richardson-Harrell (deceased) of 62 years and his 5 children, Pastor Frank L. Harrell, Sr., Kamala Harrell-Quisenberry, RN, Ira L. Harrell, Jr., MD (Deceased), Jonathan Harrell Sr., and Ingrid Harrell, RN. 

A special thank you to Pastor I. L. Harrell, Sr., and his family for allowing me to conduct the interview and capture this heart-warming and inspiring story. His story provides valuable information about how mentoring can be used to 1) inspire young people to pursue ministry, 2) to seek out and serve the underserved, 3) work hard to achieve mission and ministry goals, and 4) live and lead like Christ. 

Written by Dr. Jennifer Sankey-Battles, Ph.,D., RN with input by Jonathan Harrell, Sr., Ferren Marr-Harrell, Frank L. Harrell, Sr., Kamala Harrell-Quisenberry, and Ingrid Harrell-Palmer.