Sunday, July 7th, 2019 was a significant red-letter day of thanksgiving and reflection for Bishop Dr. Samuel Daniel, Pastor of the Church of God of Prophecy in West End.
Numerous guests were invited to join with him — and his parishioners — in the special Sunday session of thanksgiving to the Lord for what the Bishop acknowledges as God’s manifold blessings of “favour and increase – Blessed to be a blessing!”. The session took place in advance of his birthday which was on Tuesday July 9th.
With the theme of the service itself being “Favour and Increase”, and the congregation dressed in symbolic colors of purple, gold and black, the focus was on giving thanks in celebrating the many meaningful milestones in the Bishop Daniel’s life. He acknowledged that these were not feats of his own power or accomplishments of his own doing, but that they were all due to the favour and blessings of God Most High.
In recounting these blessings, the Bishop had noted, for formal record, the following personal favours that God had bestowed upon him: “55 years of life; 40 years of ministry; 36 years of marriage; 20 years of pastoring in Anguilla; 16 years as District Overseer; 14 years with a Doctorate of Ministry; 5 years as an Ordained Bishop; 4 years with Ph D in Biblical Counseling; and the publishing of his first book, “Favour and Increase”, 2019.”
The Sunday morning worship session was led by Oralyn Reid, and featured, among other items, a dance to the song, “Lord I Lift You up” performed by Vanisha Proctor who encouraged and inspired the congregation with her movements of spirit-filled worship as unto God.
Bishop Daniel’s biography was presented by Christy Richardson-Harrigan, and read in part: “Born in Birmingham, England, Samuel Uriel Daniel soon migrated to St. Kitts, the country of his parents’ birth, where he was raised with four siblings. While attending the Sandy Point High School, he met his sweetheart, Malita, whom he later married.
“Bishop Daniel was converted at the age of eleven. He got baptized at age 12, and he experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the age of 18. As a young man, Samuel was actively involved in the life of the church and was privileged to serve in various capacities. These included, playing the guitar during services, serving as a Sunday School Teacher and Superintendent, Assistant Youth President, Lay Leader, Junior Pastor and Pastor. His early call of God to the ministry was affirmed and encouraged by his then-pastor, Dr. Allan Isaac.
“In 1991, Pastor Daniel felt a strong urge to migrate to Anguilla, the birth place of his wife, and actually arrived in Anguilla to reside in 1992. In 1999 he was appointed Pastor of the Church of God of Prophecy at West End, and the Lord blessed the work under his ministry. In 2003, he was appointed District Overseer of the Church, and in 2004, he was appointed to the post of Christian Education Director in the Leeward Islands.
“In 2010, his responsibilities were expanded to include District Coordinator of the St. Kitts District until the Regional Convention appointment in 2015. It was in 2013 that Pastor Daniel was ordained as Bishop in the Church of God of Prophecy. He now serves on the Regional Review Board, the Regional Executive Board, and he is the Regional Convention Committee Chairman. He is also the Secretary of the Caribbean Leadership Conference Committee.
“Bishop Daniel supervises six ministers, two congregations and one mission on the island; and functions as the Senior Pastor and District Overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy in Anguilla.
His spiritual ambition is to raise up a mighty people with God, leaving a legacy of having served as a devoted shepherd.”
The secular side of Bishop Daniel’s vocation includes: Head of the Counseling Department at the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School; Adjunct Lecturer in Psychology & Educational Psychology at the Anguilla Community College; Counseling Psychologist at the Hughes’ Medical Centre, and a Fellow at the Cambridge Commonwealth Society, United Kingdom.
Following the reading of his biography, Bishop Daniel greeted the congregation and made a glowing response to the accolades that were presented to him. In reflecting on one of his departed comrades, he requested the congregation to observe a moment of silence in memory of Pastor Oscar Ramos Nieve who was recently lost at sea. Pastor Nieve was leader of the Spanish congregation at the Church of God of Prophecy in Welches.
Bishop Daniel then introduced Pastor Allan Isaac, of Rivers of Living Water Church in St. Kitts, who delivered the day’s sermon with the theme: “Tapping Into the Overflow”. He stressed on the favour of God which translates into increase in one’s life. Amidst several other scriptures, he focused on the familiar Genesis Chapter 12 where God had called Abraham and made the following popular promise to him: “Now the LORD had said unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shall be a blessing.”
Following the sermon, a soft launch of Bishop Daniel’s new book, titled “Favour and Increase,” was conducted. The Foreword to the book was written by the visiting pastor, and preacher of Sunday’s sermon, Dr. Allen Isaac.
– Staff Writer, James R. Harrigan