Bakersfield Family Finds New Life in Christ Through Pentecost 2025 Series
Stitt Family's Path to Adventist Faith Demonstrates Power of Patient Prayer and Biblical Study
A 12-year spiritual journey reached its climax June 28 when Michael Stitt Sr.
and Michael Stitt Jr. were baptized at Bakersfield Central Seventh-day Adventist Church. Their transformation from skeptical Bible students to committed Adventists—with Michael Jr. now pursuing pastoral ministry—illustrates the impact of the Pentecost 2025 evangelistic initiative.
Prayer and Providence
The story began years ago when Maritza Cartagena met Michael Stitt Sr. at work. After their marriage, the couple faced a religious divide: he was a devoted Church of Christ member serving as a deacon, while she was a faithful Adventist.
Rather than let faith separate them, they made a unique commitment. On Sabbaths, they would attend her church; on Sundays, his church. But Maritza had been praying for years that God would develop an interest in Adventist truth in both her husband and stepson.
"She didn't want to impose it upon them," said Conference Evangelist Eddie Perez, who worked closely with the family. "She wanted God to open their hearts."
The Challenge Begins
When Pastor Christian Hodet arrived at Bakersfield Central, he developed a relationship with the family and offered to have Bible studies. Both Michaels agreed—not from genuine interest, but hoping to prove Adventism wrong.
Michael Sr., an experienced Bible student with deep theological knowledge, came prepared. During their first study, he presented Pastor Hodet with a list of challenging questions about contradictory Bible verses and complex theological issues.
"He basically said, 'Answer these questions,' and they were tough questions," Perez explained.
For the next year and a half, Pastor Hodet and the two Michaels met weekly, methodically addressing each question and exploring biblical harmony. Gradually, they began recognizing the solid foundation of Adventist theology.
"They started to understand that perhaps their church or their understanding was wrong," Perez said. "But they still had a hard time making the decision because of their connection with their church."
Pentecost 2025 Impact
The breakthrough came during a February Pentecost 2025 evangelistic series in Bakersfield. The Stitt family attended every night, hearing messages that indirectly answered lingering questions and affirmed convictions they had developed through their studies.
During the final Sabbath appeal on February 8, something remarkable happened. Despite ongoing hesitation, Michael Jr. felt compelled to respond.
"He tells the story of how he felt afraid to make the decision, but he was convinced it was right," Perez said. "With fear and trembling and tears, he got up and came to the front."
His courage encouraged others, leading to multiple baptismal decisions that day. However, the family still needed time to arrange for relatives from their former church to witness their eventual baptism.
A Call to Ministry
Michael Jr.'s spiritual journey took an unexpected turn. Despite 20 years of planning for Air Force service, he began sensing God's call to pastoral ministry. The 24-year-old had just completed a bachelor's degree in communications with a public relations emphasis from Cal State Bakersfield.
On June 8, he called Perez about ministry opportunities. That same day, he applied to Souls West, a program offering hands-on training in literature ministry and Bible work.
What happened next was unprecedented. Conference leadership fast-tracked his application process, completing in two days what normally takes weeks. By June 10, Michael Jr. was approved, and June 11 found him knocking doors in Fresno as part of the Youth Rush program.
"This doesn't usually happen," Perez marveled. "John Miller, Literature Evangelism director, felt this was an answer to prayer. God was really leading this young man to ministry."
Overcoming Obstacles
The rapid ministry placement created one hurdle: Youth Rush requires baptized membership. With the family's baptism scheduled for June 28—20 days away— conference leadership made an exception, allowing Michael Jr. to begin his ministry work before his official baptism.
His plan includes two years at Souls West followed by university study to prepare for pastoral ministry.
...patient prayer, careful Bible study and the Holy Spirit's work can overcome seemingly insurmountable religious differences.
Expanding Impact
The Stitt family's transformation continues rippling outward. Members of their extended family from the Church of Christ are now showing interest in Adventist understanding of the Sabbath and other doctrinal questions.
"This is really proving to be an unfolding story with many factors," Perez said. "I believe there are more family members who will be interested."
A Testament to Patience
The Stitt family's journey demonstrates how patient prayer, careful Bible study and the Holy Spirit's work can overcome seemingly insurmountable religious differences. What began as a mixed marriage between faiths became a powerful testimony to God's ability to unite families in truth.
Their story also validates the Pentecost 2025 evangelistic strategy, showing how systematic biblical presentations can build on years of careful groundwork to produce lasting decisions.
For Maritza, whose faithful prayers and patient witness began this journey, the baptism of her husband and stepson represents the fulfillment of a decade-long petition. Her example encourages other Adventists who may be praying for non-Adventist family members.
"This is truly a story where you see the blessing that can come when someone commits to prayer and lets God work," Perez concluded.
■ By Justin Kim
Prayer in Your Feed: Fresno Asian & Community’s Digital Doorway to Grace
On a Sabbath-morning drive, Brandee Cruz, felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit: “What if you used social media for ministry?” When she arrived at church, she was surprised to hear guest speaker Pastor Justin Kim, Communication and Digital Evangelism Director for the Central California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists preaching on digital evangelism and sharing stories about other churches’ Facebook prayer ads. In that moment she knew God was confirming His call. After the service, Brandee walked straight up and volunteered to pioneer a prayer-ad outreach for Fresno Asian & Community Adventist Church.
What began with a single Facebook prayer ad has become a living pipeline of grace. In just the first seven weeks, the digital evangelism team received about 15 to 20 prayer messages
every week and, through more than 350 prayer requests, began conversations and built relationships with neighbors in the community. God used a single localized Prayer ad to spark 252 meaningful conversations, linking the church directly with people right in their area.
Digital Evangelism Prayer ads team members covered morning, evening, and overnight shifts so that no request ever went unanswered.
Brandee shared the story of Elizabeth. She had reached out through the prayer ad with a simple but heartfelt request: “Just for the Lord Jesus to help me do something meaningful. I’m 62 and I want to serve the Lord.” Brandee immediately responded and began praying for her. Then she assigned the conversation to Yuritzy, a member of the prayer team. Yuritzy continued to pray for Elizabeth and faithfully followed up. Soon, Elizabeth expressed a desire to come to church—but there was one challenge: she needed a ride.
That’s when members of Fresno Asian & Community Adventist Church stepped in. Elder Ricardo drove the church van to pick her up not once, but twice, so she could attend Sabbath worship. On her third visit, Elizabeth was brought to church by her son, Jordan. That Sabbath, after a powerful message and music, Elizabeth stood when Pastor Alvin invited people to commit to Bible studies and baptism. Through a single prayer ad, a soul was led to Jesus.
Many people from the local community reached out to the church with prayer requests, and through those conversations, meaningful relationships began to form. To this day, the prayer team at Fresno Asian & Community Adventist Church continues to intercede for their neighbors. And through it all, the faith of the prayer team members has grown deeper as well.
For churches ready to dive in, Brandee’s counsel is both practical and Spirit-filled: listen for the Spirit’s prompt, recruit at least five responders, schedule coverage blocks, and keep guidelines simple. “It’s a lot of work, but if God’s hand is in it, it will work,” she says.
A church van, a smartphone, and a handful of prayer warriors— that’s all it took for heaven to link screens to pews and pews to baptismal waters. What might God do if your next notification wasn’t ignored—but answered with, “How can we pray for you?
■ By Bryan Bong
