PRES ID E NT'S P ERSP ECT I V E
What Has God Called You To Do? Several years ago, as part of my duties at the North American Division, I had the opportunity to visit the island of Bermuda for the first time. I did the usual round of meetings and visits, but the highlight for me was when I got to meet Johnny Barnes. Johnny was a member of one of the Seventhday Adventist churches in Bermuda. He also was an elder and a Sabbath School teacher. But that isn’t what he was best known for.
E Ken Denslow
If you don’t know about Johnny, let me
visited Johnny on his street corner, I had to
give you a little background. This old man
wait in line behind tourists from Boston. A
had for decades gotten up at four o’clock
woman told me that whenever she visited
in the morning and made his way to a busy
Bermuda, she made it a point to stop and
street corner in Hamilton, Bermuda. There
see Johnny. With tears in her eyes, she said,
he would wave at the cars and scooters that
“If I had a choice between spending a few
drove by and shout out to them: “I love you
minutes with Johnny or with any celebrity
and God loves you.” All this while blowing
out there, I would pick Johnny. I always
kisses to the people. In earlier years, this
feel better after being around him.”
was all done before he would head off to his job. I asked him why he went out there
represent the North American Division at
so early. His answer was simple, “I want to
Johnny Barnes’ funeral. Top government
be in place when the tourists head to the
officials were in attendance. The accolades
airport or to the cruise ships.”
were many. As the funeral procession made
Now you may think that this was all a bit
4 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Several years later, it was my privilege to
its way from the services at the Bermuda
outlandish, but that isn’t how the citizens
Institute to the cemetery where he was
of Bermuda saw it. They looked forward to
to be buried, the streets were lined with
their daily reminder that there was some-
admirers and mourners there to pay tribute
one who cared about them. The day that I
to this interesting fellow. In one open lot Visit LakeUnionHerald.org
