Thank you and please be seated.
I recognize my Cabinet and Parliamentary colleagues;
My respects to Rev. Moses Johnson, the Administrative Bishop and General Overseer;
Other Ministers of the gospel;
The Officers and Members of the Church of God, Bahamas;
Visiting delegates from our Family Islands and from abroad;
Friends and well-wishers, good evening.
On behalf of the government and people of The Bahamas, I am pleased to bring greetings in peace and with a purpose to the executives, officers, members and convention delegates of the Church of God, Bahamas on the occasion of your 102nd National Convention.
We congratulate you on your commitment to nation-building in addition to your faithfulness and tenacity in the vineyard of Christ.
The Church of God, Bahamas remains an iconic institution of faith that is a constant reminder to us all of our Christian values and heritage, especially as you reiterate many of the foundational principles and moral tenets on which this country was founded and built.
The critical role of the church has served this country well for over one century and more significantly, its moral leadership and judgment during one of the critical periods in our history – from 1942 to Majority Rule and onto National Independence – changed the course of our history forever and for the better.
The story of the role of the church community as a colourful and influential piece, neatly sown and interwoven into the Bahamian cultural and developmental tapestry, must be celebrated and memorialized.
There is simply no free, modern, independent Bahamas without the support and moral leadership of the church.
On our 50th anniversary of sovereign statehood, I salute your good work through your various ministries, your partnership, your critique and your policy advice – especially in the areas of educational and social development.
This good work must continue and this partnership must be strengthened as we work together to build up the common life, and the common good and advance the public interest.
My government and I remain committed to working together on any number of issues of national import.
This is wise not least because of biblical precedent. I need only refer to the lives and the public service of Joseph, Moses, Daniel, David and Samuel. They were all men of God – and also leaders, administrators and public servants.
They consistently prayed for guidance and wisdom, and based their leadership on principles of moral soundness.
We must do the same, thousands of years later because God and his divine laws are enduring.
Like any other organization, the church must always have its house in order and its strength renewed in order to effectively look outward to lift up, guide, and empower others.
Convention is therefore an extremely important occasion in the life of the church and a magnificent event on the church’s calendar.
Apart from the obvious fellowship between believers, a national convention demands stocktaking, truth-telling, transparency and accountability, where the work of the church is weighed in the balance against the standards contained in the divine mandate of Almighty God.
The exchange of ideas, coupled with the nightly charges from the convention’s leadership, serve a very important purpose – providing the requisite spiritual fuel for a renewal of our spirit, and a renewed commitment within us to seek and build the kingdom of God through righteousness.
None of us is perfect as we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.
“READY, SET GROW”, the theme for this year’s national convention, from Ephesians 4:11-16, sets the right tone.
This scripture underscores the sense of enthusiasm, sincerity and urgency with which your important work should be carried out.
In his epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul was clear that Christ had given the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edification of the body of Christ.
Paul further explained that with this truth and sound doctrine, the church would become spiritually mature, wise, and grounded and would no longer be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”.
I commend the beneficial work of the Church of God, Bahamas, under the strong and visionary leadership of the Administrative Bishop and General Overseer Dr. Moses Johnson. The good Bishop is following the example of the Apostle Paul, who armed the church at Ephesus with the spiritual tools necessary to stand firm in the day of testing and temptation because there were many who would use cunning craftiness to deceive the very elect of God.
We face a similar reality today, so stay prayed up, Bishop Johnson, because we are beset on all sides by evil and especially by those who would wish to hold the innocent captive to sin, but as believers, we know that the truth will make us free.
Bishop Johnson, continue to pray for the work and success of the government, as we pray for the success of this convention and the work of the church generally.
As you get ready and set to grow in love, wisdom, knowledge, truth and strength, I pray for a successful and fruitful 102nd Convention of the Church of God, Bahamas under the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
May Almighty God continue to bless the work of this convention even as He continues to bless the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
