Focus on Spiritual Health
For our first ever Health Seat, we interviewed Pastor David Acton of Island Church. He tells us all about his background, his church and Sunday morning services at the Simpson Bay Resort.
1: Give a brief introduction about yourself and your ministry efforts in St. Maarten.
I am David Acton from Miami, Florida; married to Chanelle from the Virgin Islands. I am the father of four beautiful children. Our three daughters are grown and live in the States; our 28-year-old special needs son moved to St. Maarten with us. We lived in Western Europe and the Caribbean for 25 years where we started Christian churches, much like the Island Church.
2: What inspired you to start a church on the island?
Family and friends have been visiting the island for years and insisted we come for a visit. They knew we would fall in love with the people and the island. They were right! Soon after arriving for our first visit, we noticed the need for a different kind of church family on the island. There are many fantastic churches on the island reaching the local community, but there was no church effectively reaching out to the needs of the international community. A local pastor challenged me to return to the island to start a church like that. He said that he had been praying for over 20 years for God to send the right person to start this new church. We felt it was more than an invitation from this local pastor – we felt it was an invitation from God.
3: Tell us a little about the church service.
Island Church has been meeting in the Royal Ballroom of the Simpson Bay Resort since January of 2024. There were 30 people at the first worship service and over 120 this past weekend. Our services begin at 10:00am and end promptly at 11:00am. The hotel provides delicious pastries and coffee, so folks hang out after service for another hour talking and sharing their story. After the live worship music, the kids are invited to another space in the hotel for “Island Kids” Bible study, while the adults remain in the ballroom for a powerful message from God’s Word.
4: What has your experience been like connecting with the St. Maarten community?
Traveling for work or pleasure, my wife and I have visited or lived on nearly every island in the Caribbean. St. Maarten truly lives up to its name: “The Friendly Island!” Everyone is so helpful and truly happy to know that we have made this island our home. We have felt right at home since the day we arrived!
5: Does your church go beyond the Sunday services?
Our church family has been very active in the Foster Child community by delivering food, clothing, toys, and completing a construction project on one of the homes. We partner with D’s Beach Bar to lead a monthly Line Dancing Party and with local film maker Peter Sagnia, for the premiere of his movie, The Wonderful Counselor, on February 9th.
6: Are you a vegetarian? Tell us about your favourite food spots on the island.
I am not a vegetarian, but I love the vegetarian offerings at Top Carrot as well as the Tofu Penang Curry at Avantika! I love creole food as long as it includes pigeon peas and rice. A juicy burger at Tap and Still is hard to beat. I love to start the day at the La Sucriere Bakery and end the day with ice cream from Lucianos or some local Rum Raisin from Etna’s Ice Cream!
7: What makes St. Maarten magical to you?
The magic of St. Maarten is in the wonderful juxtaposition you see all around you on the island. It is at the same time simple and complex, old school and hypermodern, relaxed and fast-paced, purely Caribbean and multi-ethnic. It is so multifaceted that it never gets boring! If you include the 37 beaches and over 300 restaurants, there is more than enough to keep your attention for years to come.
8: What is your favourite thing about helping others?
When I serve in the community, I know that I am doing more than just helping someone work through a tough situation. I am actually modelling a life of service. Sure, I am helping meet an immediate need, but more importantly, I am empowering the individual to do the same for someone else in the future. When service is done well, it creates a culture of servant-hearted citizens.
9: Do you have assistance in your ministry efforts?
YES! My wonderful wife and children have poured their lives into the founding of this church. Pastor Joel and Kristen Temple and their children have done the same since the very beginning. Peter Sagnia and a fantastic team of volunteer musicians lead our lively worship services each week. Visiting pastors like Sean and Shelley Blacksten have invested heavily in this project, as well as over a dozen local believers who serve in our ministry each week.
10: How do you suggest to readers to overcome any challenges they are facing in 2025?
With discernment: Not every challenge is meant to be overcome and not every barrier is meant to be removed – at least not by you. We humans, as most creatures on earth, are born with the “fight or flight” instinct. We are not meant to fight every battle, nor meant to run from every fight. The art of surviving, even thriving in life, is knowing what to do in each situation. I depend on God’s guidance to do this effectively. After all, He is the one with the 30,000ft perspective on my life and my challenges. Only in constant communication with Him am I able to distinguish which challenges are mine to face and which I should walk past.
11: What advice would you give to anyone considering getting more in touch with their spiritual side?
Just ask: It’s truly that simple! In His famous talk, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us the answer; “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Get alone and start talking to God, in your own words and with your own thoughts. Next, I would recommend reading a bit out of God’s Word to get to know Him better. I often suggest beginning with a book right in the middle of the Bible called the Gospel of John. Finally, I think it is important to find a group of people like you, who are also trying to get in touch with their spiritual side. At a church like the Island Church, you will find folks, who have been walking with Jesus, for decades and folks, who have just begun their journey. Everyone is welcome. Bring your questions!
12: Do you have any upcoming plans or projects for this year?
Yes! Our church family is growing rapidly. Each Sunday, we welcome new visitors from near and far. Island Church strives to be “Your Family on the Friendly Island” – so, in 2025, we are planning events and opportunities to grow closer as we continue to grow larger. Events like an Easter Lunch with the whole Island Church Family, mid-week Bible Studies in homes around the island, family hikes and beach picnics, develop our Island Kids and Island Youth programs, community serving opportunities, and lots of leadership training opportunities to grow our team.
13: Do you have a favourite quote?
Yes. It’s a short quote from Jesus: “Come!” He says it in response to Peter, who had this crazy idea to get out of a perfectly good boat on a stormy night in the middle of a huge lake and walk on the water with Jesus. Jesus says it often in the New Testament, but the meaning is always the same. It is an open, no strings attached invitation to anyone and everyone who receives it. His simple invitation is a stark contrast to the religion of His day or of ours. There are no hoops to jump through, pre-requisites to complete, or a long list of steps to complete. To all who seek, His response is the same: “Come!”
Jesus is always calling us up; He is calling us to more; He is calling us out of our boat. A life with Christ is a great adventure to all who respond to His invitation.
