This year the Methodist Church celebrated Local Preachers’ on Sunday on 28th April. In the Anguilla Circuit the event was preceded by the observance Preachers’ Week over the period Sunday 21 to Sunday 28 April.
John Wesley started the Ministry of Local Preachers in the Methodist Church.In 1740 he rushed back from Bristol on hearing of a brash young man Thomas Maxfield,preaching without his authorisation in London. He was met by his mother, Susanna, who advised him. “Be very careful how you deal with this man. He is as surely called to preach as you are.”Wesley was sufficiently impressed by Maxfield’s preaching to see it as God’s work and let the matter drop. He was duly trained and accredited thus beginning the ministry of the Local Preacher.
The Development of new Methodist Circuits in the Caribbean area, has in the main, been pioneered by laymen and women, beginning with Nathaniel Gilbert,a planter, in Antigua in 1758. In Anguilla, where we are now celebrating 200 years of Methodist witness,the work here too was begun by a Local Preacher John Hodge, who was later ordained becoming the first coloured Methodist Minister in the Caribbean.
Events during the Week included a presentation by Rev Cecil Weeks on Monday 22nd at Zion on the Christian and Sabbath Observance, a concert on Friday, and on Saturday 27th Rev Joseph Lloyd facilitated a workshop for preachers on Sermon Preparation and Delivery.
On Sunday 28th April Local Preachers occupied all the pulpits in Anguilla and the entire Conference area. In the evening there was a Local Preachers Appreciation Service at Bethel where the Superintendent Minister, Rev E Dunstan Richardson,told the Preachers that “To be true to there calling they were not to say what the congregation wanted to hear, but preach the word of God without fear or favour”.
Rev Richardson also announced that three Preachers had received Long Service Awards from the Conference. Bro Radford Richardson for sixty years of service and Bros Sanford Richardson and Kenn Banks each received the Black Harry Award for twenty years of Service.
Preachers Meeting Secretary, Bro Kenn Banks, thanked all those who assisted during the week and the members for sharing in the celebrations.
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
