-uses faith-based counselling as empowerment tool
MEMBERS OF A New York-based organisation dedicated to empowering women to live purpose-driven and sanctified lives through faith-based counselling are currently in Guyana training young women for the establishment of a Chapter here.

Members of the FBC team. From left are: US-based Sean Haley, Jeanette Gomes (Founder), Pastor James Watts, Spiritual Consultant; and Pastor Sean McDonald, head of the local Family Tabernacle of Worship Church at Zee Lust, West Coast Berbice.

Faith-based counseling has been described as counselling from a Biblical perspective, and those visiting and conducting the training programme here are Guyanese residing in the United States of America(USA).

The name of their organisation for empowerment of women and young women is ‘God’s Creation I Am’, and their motto encourages females to see themselves as being defined by God, and not by Man.

The Group’s founder and leader is Ms Jeanette Gomes, formerly of South Ruimveldt but now a social worker in the U.S.A, and she is accompanied by colleagues, Mr Sean Haley, Vice-President, Operations, and Pastor James Watts, Spiritual Consultant.

They are all members of the Family Tabernacle of Worship in Queens, New York, where ‘God’s Creation I am’ was founded in 2007.

Gomes told the Chronicle last week that their organisation targets young women who are in need of counselling by helping them to redefine themselves and to realise that despite their negative experiences, poor perception, and hopelessness , they have a purpose in life and are destined for greatness.

FBC in action at Zee Lust last Tuesday night (Photos by Clifford Stanley)

“Our goal,” she said, “is to go out into the community, into the world, and minister to young women in juvenile facilities, orphanages, shelters, wherever the Lord takes us to minister to the souls of young women and women, to get them to discover that despite their lack of resources or whatever may be discouraging them from believing in themselves, they are great and have a purpose in this world; they just need to submit their lives to the Almighty God for him to fulfill the purpose he brought them into this world for.”

As the first phase of the development of a local Chapter, the team last week held a five-day training programme for a group of young women from the villages of Mon Choisi(Number Three),Edderton(Number Four)and Zee Lust (Number Five)on the West Coast of Berbice at the Family Tabernacle of Worship branch at Zee Lust.

The topics discussed with the women during the workshop included personal/professional goal setting, social skills, character building, sound speech, modest dressing, positive peer association, abstinence and spiritual foundation and development.

On completion of this programme, the women will be taught faith-based counseling so that they can in turn counsel other women in need to respect themselves, to set high standards, and to become role models within their respective communities, Gomes said, adding that it is through the foregoing means that ‘God’s Creation I am’ promotes community development.

“We are looking at the role of the church, not only for fellowship and receiving of the word of God, but as a day-to-day resource. For example, as a shelter for providing counselling for people who have mental health or cognitive issues; as a venue for skills training for economic activities, and promoting self reliance among the women and young women in the community; as a means of empowering women to develop their communities.”

Giving a background of the organisation, Gomes said she migrated to the United States in 1995 and after training in Social Work, began working in New York as a Family Therapist.

She’s also served as an advocate for victims of domestic violence for the Supreme Court in the State of Connecticut, and is currently the Clinical Supervisor for Family Therapists in New York.

She expects to receive a Doctoral Degree in faith-based counseling in July 2010.

Part of her work in New York, she said, involves providing counselling to felons recently released from jail so as to encourage them to get over repeatedly relapsing into criminal and anti-social behaviour.

It was in the course of this work, she said, that she came to adopt and modify the methods of faith-based counseling, and found that her method of approach was much more effective in bringing about changes in behaviour and attitudes than those which were secular, ie, those which did not incorporate religion.

Positive responses to her brand of faith-based counselling from many of her wards, she said, encouraged her to found ‘God’s Creation I Am’ through which, organisation, she proposes to propagate the idea, not only in New York but the world over.

With respect to Guyana, she said: “I always wanted to return home and make a contribution, and when I read about suicides and incidents of domestic violence and such aberrations here, I thought I would come home and introduce FBC as an option for addressing these ills.”

‘God’s Creation I Am’ is forming its first Chapter in the rural villages in West Berbice at the suggestion of her colleague, Pastor Watts, who is a former resident of Zee Lust, and a Senior Pastor at the Family Tabernacle of Worship in New York.

The hosts are members of the Family Tabernacle of Worship Church at Zee Lust, which is headed by Pastor Sean McDonald.

This first batch of trainees will be given certificates at a graduation ceremony later this month. They will receive training in faith-based counseling and community development early next year, Gomes said, in keeping with the aim of empowering themselves and other females within their communities who need help
The Website of ‘God’s Creation I Am’ is: www.godscreationiam.com