Published 22 January 2019
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Prime Minister Harris welcomes call made to Moravian church pastors
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, January 21, 2019 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris is welcoming a call made to pastors by Rev Dr Cortroy Jarvis, Chairman of the Provincial Elders Conference of the Moravian Church in the Eastern West Indies Province, for constructive dialogue between the church and the government.
Rev Jarvis went on to encourage the church leadership to seek audience with the Honourable Prime Minister and to pray for him and the country noting that the church has a responsibility to lift up the Prime Minister in prayer.
The Antigua-based Rev Dr Cortroy Jarvis, who is also the President of the Worldwide Moravian Church, made the call at a Celebration of the Lord’s Supper in recognition of the Pastoral Installation of three St. Kitts-based pastors that was held at the Zion Moravian Church on Victoria Road in Basseterre on Sunday January 20.
“As individuals who represent the church and you see something that is going wrong, I think it will be good to seek an audience with the Prime Minister rather than you get in your church and you begin to pull him down,” explained Rev Jarvis at the end of the colourful yet solemn ceremony.
Being installed were Rev Hilton Joseph, and Rev Onita Samuel-Warner as the Senior Pastor and Associate Pastor of the Zion (Basseterre) and Bethel (Parsons Ground) Moravian Congregations respectively, and Rev Adelyn Binta Mgonela as Pastor of the Estridge (Mansion) Moravian Congregation.
“The Prime Minister would be happy for you Sister Onita, for you Sister Binta, for you Brother Hilton and Brother Erwin to be able to speak to him: Mr Prime Minister I notice X Y and Z. I do not think it is right, I believe it is something you need to look at,” said Rev Jarvis before the three were officially installed. “Pray for him, lift him up.”
Rev Jarvis tickled the congregation when he said: “Mr Prime Minister, if I had the time I would come to see you tomorrow. Not that I am aware of anything going on but we can communicate where we can lift up our leaders and be honest with them.”
Present at the installation ceremony included the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Tapley Seaton; Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris; Minister of Agriculture, Health, et al, the Hon Eugene Hamilton; and Minister of Public Infrastructure, et al, the Hon Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd.
“The church plays a critical role in the social development of our people and I welcome Rev Cortroy Jarvis’ call to the pastors, as it complements the message we as a government have been passing on to our people,” said Prime Minister Harris at the end of the service. “I have myself told our people that if they know that something is not right and they are afraid to report to the police that they tell their pastors.”
Prime Minister Harris, who together with the Governor General, offered congratulations to the newly installed pastors, said that his office was open and he was ready to listen to and act on any information that would help steer the country in the right direction.
“When the government that I lead came into office in 2015, one of the first things we did was to ensure that there was an open dialogue with the church and the reason we created a Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs, which is headed by Senior Minister the Hon Vance Amory,” noted the Honourable Prime Minister.
Earlier in the morning Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, who is also the Area Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Number Seven, had attended church service at the St. John’s Parish Church in Bellevue. He was accompanied by members of Constituency Number Seven Group.
According to the Parish Priest, Canon P. Allister Rawlins, the church which falls under the Diocese of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba was observing the second Sunday after the Epiphany in the church calendar’s ‘Year C’ which started immediately following the end of the Christmas season on January 6.
ENDS
Pix captions:
1: Rev Dr Cortroy Jarvis speaking at the pastoral installation service at the Zion Moravian Church in Basseterre.
2: Prime Minister Harris (in dark jacket) congratulates Rev Hilton Joseph, as Governor General Seaton congratulates Rev Onita Samuel-Warner. Rev Adelyn Mgonela looks on.
3: From right (front row): Rev Adelyn Binta Mgonela, Rev Onita Samuel-Warner, and Rev Hilton Joseph at the pastoral installation service.
4: Prime Minister Harris and members of the Constituency Number Seven Group at the St. John’s Parish Church in Bellevue, with Parish Priest Canon P. Allister Rawlins (left).
5: Prime Minister Harris signing the visitors’ book at the St. John’s Parish Church in Bellevue.
