May 2025 Carolina's 10,000 P5

Leslie D. Louis
May 13
11 min read

Embracing Carolina with the Compassionate Call of Christ

The 10,000 President’s Prayer Partners is a fast-growing group of Carolina Conference constituents who take matters such as these to their knees. We invite you to join us and make this monthly list a matter of prayer. Together we seek the Lord for His answers and provisions to every need we bring before Him.

Pray the Gifts of the Holy Spirit – The Gift of Patience

Pentecost 2025 is the launching of a bold plan of the North American Division to experience 3,000 proclamation events across the expanse of this great division of God’s remnant church. It is a plan that will only be successful through prayer and the intervention of the Holy Spirit. In Carolina, we have added a prayer-plea tagline to the Lord – “Let it Rain!”

What began with our July (2024) issue of P5 and will continue through 2025, we invite our President’s Prayer Partners to continue coming together in an earnest and heartfelt appeal for the power and presence of the Holy Spirit as we near the soon return of our Savior.

Galatians 5: 22-23 provides us with a listing of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit as: Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Beginning with our February issue of P5, we launched our prayerful focus on asking our Heavenly Father to bless us with each of the specific gifts of the Holy Spirit as we continue praying for the outpouring of the latter rain across the Carolinas as we experience Pentecost 2025. In our last three issues we focused on love, joy and peace.

In this, our May issue, let’s pray for the fourth fruit of the Spirit in Galatians which is PATIENCE.

When everything is going our way, patience is easy to demonstrate. The true test of patience in each of our lives comes when our rights are violated—when another car cuts us off in traffic (Welcome to Charlotte!); when we are treated unfairly; or when a coworker derides our performance in a task. Often people in our hurried and often aggravated lives think they have a right to get upset in the face of irritations and trials. Impatience often seems like a holy anger.

The Bible, however, praises patience as a fruit of the Spirit (as we have reflected upon over the past few months in Galatians 5:22) which should be produced in each of us who choose to be faithful followers of Christ. I Thessalonians 5:14 reminds us to “Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.” (NLT) Patience reveals our faith in God’s timing, omnipotence, and love.

Patience is such an important part of being a Christian. It helps us stay calm and strong when things get tough. The Bible has many verses that teach us about the value of waiting and trusting God. Here’s a perfect sampling of seven verses! By reflecting on, praying over and learning from these verses, we can experience God’s peace in difficult situations and grow in our faith. This month let’s focus on praying for God’s patience as a vital fruit of the Holy Spirit as we continue to seek the outpouring of the Latter Rain in Pentecost 2025.

James 5;7,8 (NLT) -- “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Psalm 37:7(NLT) – “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.”
Psalm 40:1(NKJV) – “I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry.”
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) – “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
Colossians 3:12(NLT) – “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
Ephesians 4:1,2 (ESV) – “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.”
I Corinthians 13:4 (NLT) – “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud.”

The sacred responsibility of Seventh-day Adventist educators is not only to inspire our students to love the wisdom of academics but also to love and live for God. As a lifelong educator myself, pastor, and now a church administrator I see in every Adventist teacher the opportunity and privilege to create a real and lasting impact in the hearts and lives of students. I believe an Adventist teacher must always reflect the image of Christ in his or her classroom, and a deep and intimate relationship with God is essential for this. That’s why the first question I ask of every teacher that we interview is: “Tell me what Jesus means to you and how you nurture your relationship with Him every day?”

In addition to a close relationship with God, there are several qualities an Adventist teacher must possess. These qualities allow teachers to connect with their students and provide their students with a model of Christ-like character. In the coming issues of P5, we will consider what God desires in those who’ve committed their lives to the ministry of Seventh-day Adventist education. In our April issue we referenced “A sence of Mission” and “A Commitment to Moral Dignity” as the first two of those qualities. Here are the next two qualities (Number 3 & 4) that we can pray about in each of our teachers who have dedicated their lives to the ministry of education:

3rd – A Love for Students

Showing love to students is essential in a classroom. Teachers can show love by being kind and patient and always seeking the best in students. Loving teachers strive for self-control even in frustrating situations and open their hearts to all students, especially those who are difficult or struggling. They also gently correct students when needed. As

I Corinthians 13:13 reminds us, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

4th – A Pursuit of Excellence

Teachers should pursue excellence in all things. Colossians 3: 23-24 advises us that whatever we do, we should “do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Teachers should encourage their students to strive for excellence in character and behavior as well.

As we close the chapter of this school year of 2024-2025, let’s remember to uplift the final eight of these “Ministers of Education” from our church schools across the Carolinas. Next month (June), we will continue our prayers for our educational ministry by specifically focusing on our team on the campus of Mount Pisgah Academy.

With each issue of our President’s Prayer Partners (P5), we continue to focus specifically on one of our goals and share some of the developments that are helping us in our journey toward accomplishing that goal.

Last month, we returned to our third goal of focusing our efforts to enhance the ministry of Mount Pisgah Academy and to experience a steady growth in our enrollment of students in the ministry of our secondary school’s campus.

During this month of May, I invite you to pray about our continuing initiatives toward the fulfillment of our first goal of taking measured steps toward enhancing discipleship as a vital part of our evangelistic mission.

Today, (May 8, 2025) our administrative team and our ministerial team will have completed a circuit of meetings with all our pastors across the Carolinas with our six AMA’s (Area Ministerial Associations).

It is so encouraging to see how the Lord has been and is continuing to bless our 171 churches and 10 schools as they proclaim the everlasting gospel as part of our Pentecost 2025 initiative.

One of the newest books that we are providing our pastors and churches is a recent publication entitled My Church Family – How to Live in it and Love it. It will be provided in both English and Spanish as our 2025 discipleship book, focusing on how each – and especially our newest members – can feel welcome and experience a place of belonging and know that they are loved and valued as God’s family. The focus of this booklet will be to create ways to help our church family understand and feel a sense of being part of and blessed within the culture, diversity, and unique lingo of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The authors of this booklet have shared from their own experiences and expertise how we can be the best family that God intended us to be. It is intended to help us embrace and cherish the values and mission of God’s remnant church during these closing moments of earth’s history as we eagerly and expectantly look forward to the return of our Savior and Lord.

Since our quinquennial session in August 2022 and through 2023, we utilized the counsel from The Discipleship Handbook published by the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Then last year the discipleship book of focus in 2024 was Deep Calling by Pastor Tara Vincross from the Southeastern California Conference. This year (2025) please join me in praying for the impact of this booklet entitled My Church Family as we seek to grow healthy churches as they encourage each other, discuss the counsel provided in its pages, and are both nurtured and mentored into being faithful followers of Jesus as Seventh-day Adventist Christians.

Carolina Camp Meeting at Lake Junaluska, NC - May 25-May 31, 2025

01 Protection from Satan Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8	02 Protection from Our Sinful Heart But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15	03 Deep Spiritual Encouragement For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. Romans 1:11-12
04 Wisdom If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5	05 Doctrinal Faithfulness By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. 2 Timothy 1:14	06 A Healthy Body But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27	07 A Strong Marriage & Family He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church. 1 Timothy 3:2-6

We are truly blessed to be a conference that supports supports a broad spetrum of multi-ethic congregations across the Carolinas. This is a small foretaste of the beautiful blend of what our home in Heaven will be like. One of our ethnic families represent the Karen people of Myanmar (formerly known as the country of Burma). Pastor Jimmy Shwe pastors our main Karen Church in Chapel Hill and a smaller group in Columbia, SC. The Carolina Conference also partners with the North American Division as Pastor Jimmy leads out with a variety of other Karen language-based churches and companies in other parts of the United States with the largest congregation being in Minnesota.

Who are the Karen people, and why are they so dear to our hearts? Karen are an indigenous Peoples in eastern Burma. They have been persecuted in periodic waves by the military junta that has ruled Burma for most of the last seven decades. Hundreds of thousands of Karen have been forced to flee from the junta’s violent attacks, resulting in the deaths of thousands.

Hundreds of thousands of Indigenous peoples across Burma have lived through terrible assaults and horrific persecution by the Burmese military regime. This dictatorship now uses indiscriminate airstrikes and bombings, which the indigenous civilians do not have the means to resist.

For the past several years the United States has given the Karen people a refugee status because of the brutal military regime in Myanmar that has persecuted these people resulting in the loss of many precious lives. A large number of our Adventist family are a part of the Karen refugee program.

Although they are safe here, many of them have family members, friends and loved ones back in their former homeland. A safe zone has been established on the border between Myanmar and Thailand where a large number of our Adventist Karen family are finding their shelter and temporary safety.

It is here that our Karen brothers and sisters would like your prayerful and financial support to establish a seminary and vocational school project to train and equip workers among the Karen to reach these disadvantaged people back in their homeland. This project is estimated at a cost of $84,000. Of that amount, our members in North America (including our Carolina Karen family) have raised over $44,000. They are seeking to raise the remaining $40,000 to see this project to its completion.

In addition to this Seminary and Vocational School Project, funds of approximately $54,000 will be needed to support the employment of 5 teachers, food, and basic supplies for 100 students.

In this issue of P5, we are asking our president’s prayer partners to ask the Lord how you can be an answer to their prayers in supporting their heartfelt desire to assist in the project being led by Pastor Jimmy Shwe. If the Lord impresses you to support this ministry initiative through the Carolina Conference either on-line or by check, please simply note your donation as: “Karen Project 2025”.

As a President’s Prayer Partner, we invite you once again to be truly a people of the Word. As Seventh-day Adventists, we adhere to 28 Fundamental Beliefs that are based solely on the Bible. We began our third cycle of focusing on these vital beliefs, which are centered in Christ as both our Savior and Lord, in December of 2021.

Let’s continue to thoughtfully place His Word in our hearts every day this month. I personally carry a set of these passages in my car and recite them aloud as I drive from one place to another. My aim is to say one verse prayerfully at least five times a day for a week, thus internalizing the promise of God’s Word: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11)

I encourage you to repeat these passages until they become a part of your very being. Of course, you’re always free to do more. Please consider, in a prayerful manner, how you can saturate your soul with His Word and make it a part of your heart every day.

Psalms 1:1-2(NKJV) “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”
Psalms 119:10-11 (NKJV) “With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from your commandments! Your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Colossians 1:10-11 (NKJV) “Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
2 Peter 3:18 (NKJV) “But grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”

Be part of God’s praying church across North America by uplifting these leaders of our church who guide God’s work in these territories of God’s vineyard: