A long-serving Anguillian Local Preacher, Brother Wilmoth Hodge, of West End, will now be engaged at a higher level of service in the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas. This follows the commencement of a new phase in his journey towards becoming a Non-Itinerant Presbyter (Minister).
That step was marked by a Recognition Service which was held at Ebenezer Methodist Church in The Valley on Sunday, March 30. There, he was formally recognised as a Minister in Training in the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas.
Rev Hodge, as he is now referred to, is a well-known national having served for some years ago in the employment of the Anguilla Business Unit of Cable and Wireless. More recently, he was the District 7 (West End/Long Bay) candidate for the Anguilla Progressive Party in the 2005 and 2010 General Elections. Rather than continuing his quest for political office, Hodge, who generally worships at the Immanuel Methodist Chapel in his home district, has opted to enter the Ministry of the Methodist Church.
The service was conducted by the Superintendent Minister, the Rev Dr Wycherley Gumbs, assisted by the Circuit Minister, the Rev Dunstan Richardson; the Local Presbyter, the Rev Candis Niles; and Supernumerary Ministers residing in the Circuit.
The charge was delivered by Rev Richardson. He based his presentation to Rev Hodge on John 21, the latter part of verse 17: “Feed My Sheep”. He explained that the exhortation was a reminder to Peter about his first call and a directive to him. Rev Richardson continued: “Here is Jesus saying to Peter ‘when you have caught the fish (the people), through your teaching/preaching and good news, your responsibility is to feed them – nurture them in the faith of the Christian Church and God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…”’
He reminded Rev Hodge that the Ministry, to which he had been called, was “not a second class ministry or a part-time ministry. It is a full ministry.” He told the new Minister: “To carry out this directive of Jesus involves your faithfulness, consistency, separation and commitment as a servant, an ambassador and a follower of Jesus The Christ.”
Rev Richardson invited him to allow his ministry to be seasoned with humility. He stressed that it was not the kind that would allow persons to use him as a floor mat – but the humility that Jesus the Master demonstrated during his earthy life. That type of humility was the one he was invited to emulate in the exercise of his ministry.
In the coming years, Rev Hodge will pursue a course of study, supervised by Senior Ministers in the District under the direction of the Ministerial Training Committee. As part of his training he will be attached to the Ministerial staff of the Anguilla Circuit.
The Superintendent, Rev Dr Gumbs, commented: “This is the first step in a rigorous process during which we will seek to develop the capabilities of Mr Hodge to meet the challenges of his calling to Ministry in the Church.”
