Five youth members of Restoration Kingdom Ministries and three senior statesmen were honored for their contributions to the ministry, as the church celebrated its seventh anniversary recently.
Aailyah Anderson, Cassius Knowles Jr., Oteus Knowles, Cateleen and Catherine Wells were recognized at a service of thanksgiving. In addition, three adults were acknowledged for their work -- Juliana Major-Bullard, Joseph Wilmore "Bumpy" Saunders and Apostle Samuel Douglas Cleare, who was also the guest preacher.
"We decided to honor the youth of the church because they are the church," said Reverend Wells. "A few of them have been with us from when they were little children, and their longevity and consistency of service with the church has actually been very remarkable. We're going to keep saying thank you. I believe that if people are doing all they can to see the Kingdom of God succeed, the Kingdom should pause and say thank you," said Rev. Wells. "This is not a payment, this is a thank you because only God can pay."
Restoration Kingdom Ministries, co-pastored by Reverend Cleveland D.X. Wells and Minister Samantha Francis-Wells, has accomplished a lot in the last seven years. Already on its property on Faith Avenue South, it is occupying a temporary facility that continues to grow to meet its developing needs as a fellowship. According to Wells, its success to date has everything to do with the blessing of God and the dedication of its members, particularly a small core of leaders.
"One of the key things is our nucleus. You have to have a solid nucleus that has the church and God's house at heart and I can say that I have that," said Wells.
Two of those key members are Elders Wellington and Grace Francis, who is inspired by her personal relationship with God and her witness of the many miracles God brought in her life. Francis looks forward to the pastors' overall vision for their church including a school, a home for abused women and teens, and a counseling center for young men.
"Most of all we want to continue catering to the whole man -- spirit, soul and body," said Francis-Wells.
Francis-Wells said that a part of the ministry's restorative focus is the removal of the stigma that has developed over the whole issue of the church. She said Restoration Kingdom Ministries is creating that image of what the church used to be -- a place where families and communities can be educated, their lives enhanced and they can receive guidance and assistance.
"Our mission is to be really community-minded, to let people know there's a place they can come to, just as they are," said Wells. "In fact, our whole objective is helping people to live a healthy life spiritually so they can experience some Heaven on earth and then have Heaven as their final resting place."

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