GEORGE HENRY, STAR Writer

The Lord calls on His people to go on the byways and the hedges and to declare His word to His people; call them from sin into righteousness, so that they can escape the dreaded Hell, which was made for the devil and his angels.

Well, Reverend Daisy McDermott is doing just that.

The churchwoman shared that she has a mandate to declare the word of God to the nation and, despite more than 60 years in ministry, she believes the Lord will not take her home until she has carried out that mandate.

"The nation and the world must be told that the coming of the Lord is near. He will be coming like a thief in the night, and people must prepare to meet God," said McDermott.

According to the Clarendon native, she heeded the call of God from a tender age. Years later, she commenced her ministry in the streets of downtown Kingston. So powerful was her ministry that her popularity and following grew to large numbers.

When she decided to return to her community of Thatch Walk in her parish of birth, many persons journeyed to Clarendon every week to worship with her.

"The Lord spoke to me to return and some persons did not want me to do it, but I learnt to listen to God.

I left, came home and built my church before Hurricane Ivan came and the property was used as a refuge to many who were affected," the church leader noted.

While other religious groups seek to identify themselves with short, catchy names for their place of worship, McDermott said the Lord instructed her to call her worship 'Ark of Salvation, House of Prayer, Church of the Almighty God, Holy Mount Zion'.

"We have been experiencing the move of God in our congregation, and people are being delivered by the hand of the Lord. He (God) has been revealing himself to us," said the female church leader.

Reverend McDermott, affectionately referred to as 'Queen of Zion', is the mother of eight children. According to her she has ensured that the spiritual foundation has been laid for all of them to follow.

Problem

"The problem with our parents today is that they have departed from the word of God, so we have been raising a generation that has no fear for God," lamented the churchwoman.

While many church leaders are carrying out the work of the Lord only in their immediate community and parish, McDermott has been active on the battlefield for God, throughout Clarendon and Trelawny. Armed with a worldwide message, the pastor has so far refused to accept opportunities to travel overseas to work.

"I am not altogether excited about preaching abroad. This has corrupted many preachers, but there is technology for our message to be carried," said McDermott.

She bragged that her congregation continues to grow as her message finds fertile soil in hearts of men and women, but this woman of God is still hoping that the churches will return to their intended calling.

"Many call us revivalist, but we are Zion. There is no revivalist in the Bible. You will find Zion mentioned, over 60 times, throughout the word of God. Our churches have gone away backward and, for us to rescue this nation, we must follow God's leading to win the battle," suggested McDermott.

Reverend McDermott believes she is highly favoured and is grateful to God for His direction in her life.

Despite the passing of her husband of many years, four years ago, she is confident she will be seeing him in Heaven when the Lord returns to take His people home.

Reverend McDermott's favourite scriptures are Revelation 22 and Psalm 91. Her favourite hymn is My hope is built on nothing less.

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