While the 48th Session of the Synod of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba, which met in Anguilla last week, dealt with an abundance of religious matters attention was also focused on a number of social issues deemed to be part of the mission of the church as well.
These were highlighted by the Right Reverend Errol Brooks while delivering the second part of his charge to the Synod delegates at La Vue Conference Room overlookingRoadBay.
Referring to the first two matters, Bishop Brooks said: “Over the years we have sought to put in place certain structures and instruments to assist us in ourMission. The opportunity is provided for us to view how these have served us and decide what changes ought to be made. For example, in terms of fostering a culture of sharing and uniting, we have embarked on producing publications e.g. the Angelus, Youth Link and various pieces of literature on family life. I have visited churches where many of these are still sitting on a table. Now, there may be many reasons for this, but I think that one reason is that many of our people (young and old) do not want to take time to read anymore. As a church, with a history of laying a solid foundation for education in our islands, we need to do whatever we can to encourage our people, particularly the young, to read. This must become part of our literacy strategy.
“Apart from this, we must use the technology at our disposal in our proclamation of the gospel and in bringing hope to our people. To this end, we are in the process of establishing an Internet Radio Station, under the aegis of the diocese. It is felt that through this means we will be able to reach a wider audience as against the setting up of a conventional radio station. Our Diocesan Treasurer, Mr Vere Hill, is spearheading this effort and will share more details on this venture.”
The Bishop also spoke about the need to take a critical look at the ministry of the church “with and for children and young people” and the formulation of a Diocesan Youth Policy. He said efforts were being made to appoint a Diocesan Youth Director to replace Mr. John Cole who left the diocese to reside in theUnited States. In the meantime, Ms Vancia Hade, a Diocesan Youth Worker, is continuing to work with Parish Youth Coordinators in areas such as programme planning and training.
Christian Education was another matter he referred to: “The programme needs to be revamped to ensure that all sectors of our congregations are equipped for ministry and for personal and spiritual development to take place,” he stressed. “I am calling on the Commission of Ministry to give this matter top priority on its agenda.”
Bishop Brooks outlined the following other social issues as being part of the mission of the church:
“One of theissues occupying the attention of health authorities in our region is that of lifestyles,” he said. “Statistics are showing that more people are dying from non-communicable diseases than from HIV/AIDS. Of course we cannot overlook the latter and we must continue our efforts to teach our people about responsible sexual behaviour and in our ministry to the infected and the affected. God’s will for all people is health and salvation.
“The healing ministry of the church must not be ignored. But we must also encourage our people to practise wholesome and healthy lifestyles. Men seem to shy away or they are afraid of visiting a doctor. We need to encourage them to have regular checks and screening. Male members of clergy, we can take the lead on this. The question has been raised: “Who takes care of the care-givers?” I encourage the laity to assist in the care of your clergy and their families. I do not wish that any of our congregations be labelled “clergy killers”. Nor do I wish for our clergy to be perceived as “congregation killers”.
Bishop Brooks continued: “The economic crisis continues to wreak havoc in many of our communities. Many persons are unemployed and some of those who are employed have had their salaries reduced. All of this has implications for mission and ministry. We cannot afford, however, to throw our hands in the air. We must help our people to be creative. I am therefore proposing that those parishes with land lying idle allow persons who would like to engage in farming, animal husbandry and raising chickens, to use those lands. I am in contact with Caribbean Ministries who, along with the organisation ‘Food for the Poor’, is willing to provide funding for the purchase of animals and chickens for such a project. The whole idea is to assist persons to improve their standard of living. The way the project works is to provide persons with money to purchase two goats, pigs or a hundred chickens. Recipients of the money will be expected to sign a contract to the effect that they would give a kid, pig or chickens to another family and that family in turn would do the same. In time they would be able to market their animals and chickens and receive a cash return. If any parish or parishioners are interested in such a project do let me know.”
Meanwhile, Bishop Brooks said that he had occasionally been asked what his vision for the diocese was. He took the opportunity to articulate that vision as follows: “That our clergy and lay people make a concerted effort by God’s grace, to truly represent Christ and His Church aswe seek to proclaim the Good News in Christ; to assure each member of our Diocesan Family that they belong; to assure the lapsed and indifferent that there is still room around the table; to equip both clergy and laity for ministry; to assist our people to discern their spiritual gifts and to provide opportunity to use them; to encourage our people in deepening of their spirituality through worship, prayer and Bible Study; and to make the diocese more self-supporting.”
The Bishop said that all of the above matters might be encapsulated in a Mission Statement. “The formulating of a Mission Statement for the diocese ought not to be done by any one person,” he pointed out. “For this reason I hereby solicit ideas from clergy, lay representatives and other stakeholders so that we can arrive at a consensus on this. I hope that such a statement would help us to focus and set our priority straight.”
