Flames destroyed the Fiette Adventist Church in St. Lucia on June 17, 2025. Photo: Pastor Germy Fevrier.

Pastor Stephen encouraged members to maintain their faith. “Ask God to take care of all of us, and we will see the Fiette church restored to a more magnificent edifice."

June 28, 2025 || Castries, St. Lucia || Royston Philbert

Fire Destroys Adventist Church in Fiette, St. Lucia

The Seventh-day Adventist community in the St. Lucia Mission of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) remains in shock after the church in the rural village of Fiette was completely destroyed by fire on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

Local church leaders and members looked on in disbelief as the flames gutted their small community church. “It pains and grieves my heart to see what happened there,” said one of the longstanding members of the church"

Units from the St. Lucia Fire Service and the St. Lucia Police Service responded quickly and worked tirelessly to contain the blaze, which spread rapidly through the structure. Footage from inside the gutted building revealed that the fire destroyed everything—pews, platform furniture, and the entire roof—leaving the building in total ruins.

Pastor Roger Stephen (second from right), president of the St. Lucia Mission and treasurer Sister Rose Mary Desir about to share moments of prayer with the church members on the site of the destruction. Image from HTS News4orce St. Lucia video.

“It was a very disturbing call when I received the call from the pastor of the church that the building was completely burnt,” said Pastor Roger Stephen, president of the St. Lucia Mission of SDA. No lives were lost in the fire, and authorities are currently investigating the cause.

Pastor Stephen informed the leadership of the Caribbean Union Conference and, along with the mission treasurer Sister Rose Mary Desir, visited the site to view the destruction, encourage members, and pray with them.

“The church was built about twenty-five years ago,” Pastor Stephen said. “Despite that fact, it was only dedicated on December 24, 2022.” It was rather basic with main sanctuary hall and toilets. “We were in the process of building the children’s division and fellowship hall,” said Germy Fevrier, pastor of the Choiseul district that includes the Fiette SDA church. The structure had been constructed largely through the voluntary labor of members who gave their time and skills to build a place of worship. It created a sacred atmosphere that enhanced the Sabbath experience for all who attended.

With a membership of just about 100, the Fiette church played a vital role in the spiritual life of the small community. “It is devastating news for us. The members are devastated,” Pastor Stephen said.

View of the damage to the inside of the Fiette Adventist Church. Photo: Pastor Germy Fevrier.

Faith Unshaken Amid the Flames

This is the first incident of its kind in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in St. Lucia. Despite the loss, Pastor Stephen encouraged members to maintain their faith. “Ask God to take care of all of us, and we will see the Fiette church restored to a more magnificent edifice. Keep that in mind and let us do all we can to rise to the occasion and let us work together for a finished work.”

The president of the Caribbean Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Dr. Kern Tobias expressed support, stating, “It is sad news from St. Lucia, but they will rise more powerfully from the ashes. God is a God of hope, and we look forward to bigger and better things.”

First Elder Theodile Alexander shared that after an uplifting experience at church last Sabbath, the members left feeling joyful and were eagerly looking forward to returning this coming week.

"I’ve been there three times, and I’m still struggling to come to terms with the reality. It’s hard to accept," he said.

Acknowledging that members might be tempted to stay home because of the fire, he urged them instead to stand united. “Press together. Do not allow the devil to have his way. We will regroup, rebuild—bigger and better. Now is the time to evangelize the community.”

The Fiette Adventist Church before it was gutted by fire. Photo: Pastor Germy Fevrier,

Church leaders in St. Lucia and around the Caribbean Union territory have reached out to share their sympathies and have committed to keeping the congregation in prayer.

“In moments like these, we are reminded that the church is not just a structure, but a community of believers united in faith,” said the church pastor. “While we are deeply saddened by the damage, we find solace in knowing that everything is ultimately in God’s hands.”

Official Adventist General Conference Session App Available for Download

The app includes enhancements designed to streamline attendee and delegate experiences during the 2025 GC Session in St.Louis.

June 23, 2025 | United States| Lauren Davis, ANN

The 2025 General Conference (GC) Session app is now available for delegates and attendees to download in preparation for the 62nd GC Session scheduled for July 3–12, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri.

“This is truly the inaugural digital-first GC Session and the app is central to that experience,” said Sam Neves, GC associate director of Communication.

The previous session, held in 2022, was a hybrid event that introduced the first version of a GC Session app. However, that version was built on a third-party event platform, resulting in a limited user experience.

“For this year’s session, we wanted the best possible experience,” said Neves. “That meant investing the time to develop our own application.”

Beginning in August of 2024, in partnership with IAtec (The Adventist Institute of Technology) in Hortolândia, São Paulo, Brazil, the GC developed its own app designed for reuse at future sessions and other World Church events.

IAtec, whose center boasts over 300 developers, worked on implementing a modernized layout and design, developing an administrative web panel, and creating a reusable structure.