Abisha Ministry - Glorifying God in music

A group of men were crouched around the same table outside a popular fast-food restaurant in the Corporate Area. Loud, but not overbearing, their voices rang out across the parking lot in a near-perfect harmony.

The song was the old Sean Kingston hit, Beautiful Girls. When asked, they said they weren't rehearsing for anything in particular, but they were in fact a musical group.

Abisha Ministry, a group of young Adventists, were casually rehearsing their vocals, while waiting for their carpool home. According to them, the group has performed along the east coast of the island as they prepare to leap into the gospel music industry.

Henroy Brown, Dewayne Harris, La-Marr Harry, Norvel Milligan, Renay Mayne, Omar and Maurice Harrison make up the seven-man group, with ages ranging from 18 to 31 years old.

Brown, Milligan, Mayne, and Harris all attend the Hampton Court Seventh-day Adventist Church in Portland, and later met Harry, from Manchioneal Seventh-day Adventist Church, also in Portland, while attending an event at another church. Omar and Maurice, the Harrison brothers, attend the Woodford Seventh-day Adventist Church in St Mary.

Before the Harrison brothers joined, the group of five began their journey in November 2015, under the leadership of Henroy Brown. Their latest reinvention came in December 2015, with the addition of Omar and Maurice. Brown and La-Marr Harry have both written songs, but the group has not yet recorded their own original music. Currently, their performance consists of cover songs, which include music of the secular variety.

When asked about singing secular music, the group said that they do, but with good conscience. "Those old time souls we like to arrange it in our own way. Like Boyz II Men songs and Stand By Me," Brown told THE WEEKEND STAR.

In keeping with the rules of Adventist worship, the group cannot promise performances on weekends. "Cant' be on Sabbath nor Friday night," said Brown, with some finality. "However, it's up to us to remember what we represent and do so sincerely," added Maurice Harrison.

Still, according to Harris, while Abisha Ministry is not a side project - the goal is not for the group to become 'full-time musicians'. He said that the mission of Abisha Ministry is greater than just evolving in a career, but to be a change agent within it. "We are all Christians and we enjoy singing, so it's not that we are in it to become full-time musicians, but rather in it to glorify God and win more souls, rather than just gain the fame."