The Tribune

AS part of the celebrations to mark the 40th Anniversary of Independence, Mount Tabor Full Gospel Church held an event to honour 40 ‘fabulous fathers.’

The Tribune decided to reflect their tribute by publishing profiles of all the men who were honoured by the church.

For the past few weeks, we’ve run at least one profile every day - 40 men who have made a major difference in their community and to their families.

Today, we can complete our contribution, naming the remaining honourees. Space prevents us from going into detail about all of them and their achievements, but each has played their part in society and in their home.

We know there are many more men out there who deserve credit, and, of course, there are thousands of mums, sisters, aunts and grandmothers.

REVEREND Doctor Godfrey Bain was born in 1932 at Colonel Hill, Crooked Island and received his early education at the Colonel Hill Primary School and later Inagua All Age School. In 1958 he married Barbara Cunningham.

He became actively involved in church work and has been holding the fort along with his wife at Zion Baptist Church, Inagua, for the past 40 years.

He was employed at Morton Salt Company for more than 37 years and served as a ZNS representative for the District of Inagua for two years.

He was awarded the Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honour and later became a justice of the peace. He was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2002.

He has 11 children, four sons and seven daughters.

DREXEL Wellington Gomez, born 24 January 1937, is an Anglican bishop who was born on the Berry Islands.

He graduated from St Chad’s College, Durham University, in 1959. He was consecrated as the Bishop of Barbados and in 1997 was elected the Bishop of the Bahamas & the Turks & Caicos Islands.

He was elected Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the West Indies in 1998.

His full title became His Grace the Most Reverend Drexel Wellington Gomez, Lord Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of the Church of the West Indies & Bishop of the Diocese Of Nassau & The Bahamas (Including the Turks & Caicos Islands).

In October 2003, Gomez was appointed to the Lambeth Commission on Communion by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

The commission produced the Report of the Lambeth Commission on Communion (also known as The Windsor Report and the Eames Report), published in October 2004.

In August 2007, Gomez was the main preacher at a service at which several Anglican archbishops consecrated two American priests as bishops despite the opposition of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

Gomez accused the American church of ‘aggressive revisionist theology.’ He retired as bishop and archbishop in 2009.

LEO C Jones went to San Salvador All Age School and was appointed sexton and shortly after, a deacon.

He was ordained into the ministry on August 7, 1985, by the late Pastor Charles Clifford Smith.

He has been unwavering in his service as District Superintendent for the Rum Cay and San Salvador Zion Baptist Church.

He has eight children.

STEVE McKinney was born in April 1962 in Chippingham.

He has been married to the former Treva Collymore since 1984.

He is the President and CEO of the McKinney Media Group Ltd, a public relations and marketing company which includes Five Star Films and Documentaries and a local radio station.

He began his career as a cub reporter for The Tribune at 17. From reporter to Sports Editor to Deputy Director, he climbed the ranks at the national broadcaster ZNS to eventually become the News Director.

He became Press Attach� to the Prime Minister and Senior Information Officer at Bahamas Information Services, where he created BIS Broadcasting.

He established the Sports Journalists’ Association and The Bahamas Press Club and became the first Police Spokesman.

Steve went to Aquinas College and later took a number of journalism courses.

JOHN A Rolle served as Comptroller of Customs from February 1993 until his retirement on January 18, 2008.

He was born in Rolleville, Exuma and is a baptist.

He was married to Sandra Rolle, now deceased, for over 43 years and they have two children.

He joined the customs department in 1960 and worked his way through a number of positions, including serving in Grand Bahama, before becoming Comptroller.

He was instrumental in getting government approval for the customs headquarters on Thompson Boulevard.

He is an avid fisherman and amateur photographer and a former track and field star, having represented The Bahamas at the Federation Games in 1960, Caribbean Games in 1962 and Commonwealth Games in 1966.

He was the reigning shot put champion for The Bahamas from 1959 to 1976.

Bishop Brice Thompson, Isaiah Taylor, Reverend Cedric Smith, Stephen ‘Bishop’ Beneby and Billy Lowe were also honoured by Mount Tabor.