Babylon Seventh-Day Adventist Church

09/04/2026

Beneath the evening sky, the illuminated Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge form one of the world’s most recognizable cityscapes. Greater Sydney is home to approximately 5.64 million people, making it Australia’s largest city, while the nation’s population has grown to about 27.8 million.

Sydney is also remarkably diverse. In 42 percent of its households, a language other than English is spoken. Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Hindi are among the most widely spoken languages after English.

According to Australia’s 2021 census, Christianity remained Sydney’s largest broad religious group, representing 48.8 percent of those who stated a religious affiliation. At the same time, 30.3 percent reported having no religion. Sydney is also home to significant Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh, and other faith communities. This diversity presents a wonderful opportunity to share the love of Jesus with people from nearly every nation, culture, and background.

The Greater Sydney Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has 70 churches and more than 10,000 members. Across Australia, nearly 67,000 Adventists worship in 456 churches.

This Sabbath, please pray for our members in Sydney and throughout Australia. Pray that every church will be a welcoming center of hope, biblical truth, health, and compassionate service. May our members be empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the everlasting gospel and the Three Angels’ Messages with courage, humility, and Christlike love.

As the lights of Sydney shine across its beautiful harbor, may each of us remember Jesus’ words: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14, NKJV). Let us allow His light to shine through us so that others may discover the peace, forgiveness, and eternal hope found in Christ.

May the sacred hours of the Sabbath draw us closer to our Creator and prepare us for the soon return of Jesus.

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

🍁🍃🍂🍃🍁🍃🍂

09/04/2026

75 years ago today, on September 1, 1951, 62 people set out from Fishangri-La dock in Montauk to go fishing with Captain Eddie Carroll and his mate, Bobby Scanlon, on the fishing vessel Pelican.

Eddie took on more people than he should have. But as Montauk fishing legend Paul Forsberg told us, “Everybody was overloaded that day.”

After all, it was the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, the last weekend for fishing captains to make some money to sustain their families through the off-season.

And there were no regulations about how many passengers a boat the size of the Pelican could carry, apart from one that required a life preserver for each passenger — and that day the Pelican had 82 life preservers on board.

The weather forecast called for a good day to fish. But soon after Eddie reached the Frisbie Bank and his passengers dropped their lines, the weather took a turn. The wind picked up. The surf got rough.

Most of the passengers — many of whom Eddie knew from previous outings — didn’t want to stop fishing yet, so he stayed a little longer. When he finally turned to leave, one of his engines failed. Huge waves pounded the starboard side of the boat. Many passengers rushed to the port side for shelter.

And the Pelican capsized, just a mile off the Lighthouse.

Local fishermen tried to help the rescue efforts — notably Lester Behan, Carl Forsberg and Frank Mundus, along with recreational boaters Jeanne and Harold Bishop — but by the time they got to the Point, it was too late for many.

The Coast Guard sent a cutter, but there was some confusion about its orders, and it remained tied up in the harbor for many precious hours, unable to do what it had been sent for.

45 of the 64 people on the Pelican perished that day, including Captain Eddie Carroll. The youngest was 14. The oldest was 75. 18 were never found. They had husbands, wives, children, parents, and friends: hundreds of people — some not yet born in September 1951 — whose lives were forever changed that day.

Next time you’re at the lighthouse, visit the Pelican Memorial and spare a moment’s thought for those lost that day, and for those who continue to mourn them over the generations.