The second in our People of Faith in Bermuda series features 32-year-old Vernon Harrison. Mr Harrison is a husband, father, branch pilot, follower of Christ, and enjoyer of life.

Discussing how he spends his time, Mr Harrison said: “My time here on Earth, for one, I try to enjoy it. Being family-orientated and continuing ministry for God just helps me get through each year. I have a great circle who is fully supportive of me. Work, home, church, ministry, bowling, and spending time with my wife and son.”

As a branch pilot under the Department of Marine and Ports Services, Mr Harrison is familiar with sailing safe or rough seas and carefully navigating waters.

Entering fatherhood was not the smooth sailing experience he had prayed for; however, enduring the unexpected challenges impacted his faith.

“Becoming a father impacted my faith,“ Mr Harrison said. ”We didn't have a normal baby coming into the world where you go home two days later. My son was premature; he was ten weeks early, and he spent 40 days in the hospital.

“Only God got us through that because the mental and physical exhaustion of going to the hospital for 40 days is enough to cause you to doubt God or your faith to fall deep in between the cracks of the world. That has helped me to stay fixed in my heart, fixed on Him.

“We prayed about it before conception, we prayed during pregnancy, we prayed how God would deliver us after all of these experiences and He has, so that was defiantly inspiring me to me and to others.”

Leaning into his faith in such a time as this was something Mr Harrison has practised since his teen years. “I would describe my faith as strong,” he said. “There has been plenty of times it has been tested, but there hasn't been a time in my life since the age of 13 from when I accepted Christ that I had doubted God.

“Going through different experiences has allowed me to be stronger in my faith and even be able to inspire others with their faith."

He added: “Faith has impacted my life because once becoming a Christian, I became set apart and in the world and not of the world. Although living in the world is difficult, I'm not perfect; none of us are perfect.

“There are times when I am not happy about some of the places I go and the decisions I make, but ultimately, it has impacted my life because I have real personal experiences with God and the Holy Spirit, and that’s what has caused me not to deter from God.”

Sharing his faith with others has been a part of his journey since accepting Christ at such a young age. It continues to be an essential aspect of his life today, from personal prayer in his daily experience at work to public expression through the ministries in which he is involved.

Discussing how his faith and work impact each other, Mr Harrison said: “Being in Bermuda, we encounter some serious weather when it comes to getting on and off ships, and I must say where I stay grounded is definitely praying every day before leaving home to go to work. I pray for myself regarding my safety getting on board and off ships, the boat crew who are also out on deck with me, and the other pilots working that day for their safety.”

When asked what he considers ministry and how he got involved, Mr Harrison said: “Ministry is using your spiritual gifts to serve God and impact others. I am involved in two ministries: the praise team at my church and the mime ministry at my church.

“I started learning to sing as a teenager and joined the school choir. From there, I was always part of my youth praise team at my church when I started attending. After graduating high school, I stopped singing for a few years, and then once I returned from college, I got back involved with ministry in my church, which started with the choir and the praise team.”

He started to mime in 2010 as part of the talent section in the Alpha Phi Alpha beautillion, for which he represented CedarBridge Academy. “From there, I started to enjoy it, and God told me it was one of the spiritual gifts He had for me,” Mr Harrison said.

“I helped build a mime ministry at my church, which, at one point up until about 2018 or 2019, had about ten people in the ministry. Since Covid-19, the ministry has not been as active. We still minister at different churches, and our busy period is usually around Easter and Christmas.”

He added: “One of the greatest lessons I’ve learnt is always to keep God at the centre of my life, for Him to be first and foremost, followed by dear wife and I’ve noticed that having God first has always been a continuous blessing.

“Whether in a store, at work, or in college, He has always looked out for me. In college, I had to resit several exams, but I kept my faith strong in Him, and He helped me get through it. Because what He says is what He has for you is for you, no matter the tries it may take; it could be five or seven times, but when you have that mindset, you don't let anything deter you away from pressing on.”

He encouraged others to seek God first. “One of my favourite verses in the Bible is Philippians 4:6-7, which is: ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’”