The Church of God (Holiness) was the scene of a most admirable service last Sunday morning, April 7th. The special occasion was a Sunday Service that bore resounding accents of celebration for the life of Mrs. Cynthia Gumbs, the devout wife of Pastor Phillip Gumbs, and who has now turned 50.
Apart from being a birthday celebration, the event was primarily an appreciation service for Sis. Cynthia, as a faithful Pastor’s wife, who served in ministry for 27 years, since 1992. The service was moderated by Bro. Steve McDowall.
Among the persons who delivered tributes, in honor of whom many members regard as the “leading lady”, was Sis. Cynthia’s bosom friend and confidant, Anita Ruan. She shared with the church her cherished memories. She raised accolades of special reflections that marked the treasured moments spent together with Sis. Cynthia — not just as a friend, but as a sister and a comrade.
She continued: “I want to thank you for our years of friendship, for your camaraderie and for your encouragement. Let me thank you for being there for me; and I appreciate us being there for one another. I love you dearly, and I pray that the Lord will bless us with many more years of friendship. May we continue being there for one another.”
A faithful mother of the church, Sis. Edith Richardson, then shared her appreciative experience of the care she received from Sis, Cynthia who took her into her home in preparation for the pending storm, Hurricane Irma. Sis. Edith expressed her honor and her ardent appreciation for Sis. Cynthia.
Sis. Cynthia’s mother, who had come from Virgin Gorda specially for this occasion, was present to give her tribute as well. She reflected: “My first child, Cynthia Dianna Christian, was born on April 4th at a time when there was not even a hospital in Virgin Gorda. As she grew and did her schooling, she excelled. She was a great runner at school, and she won many prized trophies. But the greatest thing about her life, back then, is that she accepted Jesus as her savior at an early age.
“Cynthia became a fine example to her four siblings. Though she was the smallest of the five, still she was a force to reckon with, for she was not afraid of any of them and, in fact, they all respected her. She played the role of mother anytime I had been absent. Many parents are proud of their children, but I have long since been exceptionally proud of Cynthia because she grew up with a serious call of God on her life, and developed into the kind of young lady whom God wanted her to be.
“She involved herself in the work of God, participating in church life and playing her role in as many church activities as she can, while balancing her church involvement with her school work.
“After she completed high school, she had to move on to her tertiary education in Mount St. Vincent University in Nova Scotia, Canada. I had the arduous task of flying with her from Tortola to Antigua, then connecting with Air Canada for a flight to Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada.
“After spending a few days with her settling in, I vividly remember when it was time for me to leave. As I got in the taxi, she was standing there on the balcony alone silently looking at me. As the car moved away, I was looking back at her for as long as my eyes could see her, until she was out of sight. Her slim frame just stood there, and somehow I felt like I had taken advantage of her to leave her behind. I literally cried for most of the trip back to Tortola, to know I had left her there in that spot standing all alone.
“We often say, ‘there is no such thing as a perfect child.’ But to me, she was perfect as she grew. She was indeed a perfect example to many of the young ladies in the British Virgin Islands. And I think that Pastor Gumbs was a very blessed man to have her hand in marriage.”
Next, Sis. Cynthia’s three children spoke of their love and admiration for their devoted mother. Each of them expressed their heartfelt appreciation for her love, her guidance and her care which contributed much to their stable upbringing.
Before he brought a brief sermon, Pastor Gumbs once again rendered a touching song entitled “A Virtuous Woman” which he had written especially to sing to his wife on this occasion.
He then focused upon the message for the day in which he highlighted three profound characteristics that co-exist between his wife and himself, namely: godliness, gratitude and vulnerability. The sermon’s title was “How to Have it All”, with its text pointing to a “virtuous woman”. The sermon’s scripture was taken from Proverbs 31:30 — “Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain, but she who fears the Lord is worthy of praise.”
The Pastor declared: “What drew me to my wife was not any tight clothes, for she had none of that kind. It was not the way she moved her hands, or her body language, or gestures as she spoke. But what drew me to her was basically her godliness. I found that what mattered to her, more than anything else, was God and His grace. And that is what has made our marriage, not survived, but thrived throughout these years.”
He then went on to speak about the element of gratitude: “When I think of all that my wife has been, leaving her homeland and going off to study in Canada, she could have stayed there. But she left all of that to come back and to be my wife. She knew I was not rich, but she left all that to be my wife in Anguilla. For that I am filled with gratitude. Gratitude says, ‘the least I can do is to be there for her, for all the sacrifices that she has made for me.”
He finally drew on the third characteristic — that of vulnerability. He recalled: “Once we were going through a series of situations, and she turned to me and said that she does not feel the closeness of our relationship as she needs to. She stood off by herself near an open door, and she said, ‘I feel so alone’. All at once, I walked towards her, and hugging her with a loving embrace, I assured her, ‘Honey I am here for you.’ Being vulnerable means that we are willing to share how we truly feel on the inside. And because she was vulnerable enough to open up her heart and say how she felt, I was able to respond with that protective male instinct which caused me to assure her that ‘I am here’”.
The entire congregation, in general, was appreciative of the fine Sunday morning service with a difference. Attending the event to support Sis. Cynthia were many of her teacher peers from the ALHCS, including the Principal Mrs. Celestine Rita Carty. Pastor Gumbs and the Moderator of the service extended their appreciation to the teachers and all friends and supporters who were in attendance.
By Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
