MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA — On October 3, 2026, at the Savanna-la-Mar Seventh-day Adventist Church in Westmoreland, the Youth Department of the West Jamaica Conference (WJC) conducted its conference eliminations for the Bible Connection Competition across the Adventurer, Pathfinder, and Senior Youth divisions on the biblical book of Daniel alongside Ellen G. White's Prophets and Kings.
Organized across the Inter-American Division (IAD) territory, the annual initiative serves as an interactive discipleship platform designed to draw young people into deeper study of God’s Word and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The successful eliminations paved the way for top qualifiers to represent WJC at the 23rd annual Jamaica Union Conference (JAMU) Bible Connection Finals later this month.
"Following our inspiring Conference Finals held on Sabbath evening at the Savanna-la-Mar Seventh-day Adventist Church, we are thrilled to see our young scholars step up," stated Mrs. Williams. "When our young people engage with the Word of God—not merely to answer questions in a contest, but to allow its message to transform their lives—we witness a complete renewal of their minds. That deep immersion in Scripture builds an unwavering passion for ministry and instills a determination to stand firm in their faith. We proudly congratulate our winning parish teams who will represent West Jamaica at the Union level: Westmoreland in the Adventurers, St. James in the Pathfinders, and Westmoreland in the Senior Youth category."
Dedicated youth leaders and WJC Youth Director Pastor Allan Green (far right) join the victorious St. James Pathfinder team as they proudly celebrate their trophy-winning performance at the Bible Connection Conference Finals. :: Photo credit: Contributed
Testimonies of Transformation
For Senior Youth co-winner Miguel Foster, who triumphed alongside teammate Mawuena Dacosta representing Westmoreland, the journey was as much about personal spiritual growth as it was about victory.
"The fact that Mawuena Dacosta and I came out victorious with answering the most correct questions is a testament to the importance of close Bible study," Foster shared. "Personally, my reading of the book of Daniel and the required chapters in Prophets and Kings has really improved my devotional life and my love for God. I found that reading these chapters closely over and over again—not just for the mastery of being able to recall answers, but to really understand the historical and prophetic context of the inspiration given in these books—was deeply inspiring. I’ve learned so many lessons that whether or not Mawuena and I win the JAMU competition, I’m sure both of us would have still been blessed."
Westmoreland Senior Youth winners Miguel Foster and Mawuena Dacosta, proudly hold the trophy together following their triumph at the Bible Connection Conference Finals. :: Photo credit: Contributed
Expanded Team Structure for 2026
Historically, competition for the Adventurer (ages 6–9) and Pathfinder (ages 10–15) divisions concluded at the conference level, while the Senior Youth category (ages 16–30) sent two individual representatives to the Union level using a specialized IAD Bible application. The 2026 staging introduces a historic shift by implementing Union-level team quiz finals across all three age divisions, allowing West Jamaica to send four-member teams for the Adventurers, Pathfinders, and Senior Youth to compete on the national stage.
Pastor Allan Green, WJC Youth Director (left), Youth leaders and Michelle Williams, Bible Connection Coordinator (far right), the winning Adventurer team from Westmoreland, along with their dedicated youth leaders, as they celebrate their hard-earned victory at the Bible Connection Conference Finals 2026. :: Photo credit: Contributed
Upcoming JAMU Competition Schedule
The journey to the finals began at the local district level before advancing through parish federation playoffs and the WJC Conference Finals. The top qualifiers will now represent the conference at two major events in Kingston:
JAMU App Finals (Senior Youth, Ages 16–30): Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 4:00 PM | Meadowvale Seventh-day Adventist Church (represented by the Westmoreland Senior Youth team).
JAMU Team Finals (Adventurers, Pathfinders, Senior Youth): Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 9:15 AM | New Kingston Fellowship Seventh-day Adventist Church (featuring four-member teams across all three divisions).
"While we haven't taken home the trophy in a while, the real blessing of this competition is seeing how studying God's Word transforms our youth," Mrs. Williams concluded. "It renews their minds, deepens their relationship with Christ, and ignites a passion in them to become faithful, dedicated disciples."