The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

Anglican men throughout the diocese, which includes the Turks and Caicos Islands, recently assembled on the island of Eleuthera for the 43rd Annual Anglican Church Men (ACM) conference.

More than 100 delegates registered for the annual event.

Speakers included Dr Delon Brennen, NHI Secretariat; Shaun Ingraham, of the One Eleuthera Foundation; Supt Christopher Wright, officer in-charge the of Eleuthera Division, and Canon Basil Tynes, rector of the St Barnabas Anglican Church.

During the course of the day as delegates arrived on island, a small group led by ACM youth officer Steven Bellot visited schools in the area to offer positive words of encouragement to young men as part of the ACM mentoring programme. The goal is to assist these young men in being productive citizens who will contribute to the growth and development of the country.

On the first night of the conference, Archdeacon Kingsley Knowles of the East Central Archdeaconry officially opened the event at the St Luke’s Parish in Rock Sound, where the priest in-charge is Father Bradley Miller.

Archdeacon Knowles charged the men to be who God has called them to be. He told them to continue to lift the cross of Christ high in the home, at their workplace and in society at large. He urged the men to continue to be faithful and committed.

President of the ACM Council Dwight Gibson welcomed the men and spoke on the theme, “Rise Up of Men of God, A Call to Commitment”, as these will be the watch words for the remainder of the year.

“We have lots of work to do, men. Our country has fallen prey to young men who are lost and misguided. We have a mandate to do our part in reaching those young men where they are, that means we need to go out and evangelise our communities,” said Mr Gibson. He then thanked the Archdeacon for opening the 43rd ACM conference.

Meanwhile Dr Delon Brennen expounded on the importance of National Healthcare Insurance and Shaun Ingraham from The One Eleuthera Foundation shared suggested to the men to form their own cooperative in the near future.

Supt Christopher Wright stressed the importance of men to be stand-up citizens and urged them to take back the country from the scourge of crime. He charged the men to police their homes and their communities by becoming a father in the house and a father to the fatherless. Canon Basil Tynes wrapped up the service by speaking on the conference’s main theme. He challenged the men in attendance to take up their cross and follow Christ as he is the ultimate leader. Through him they will continue to rise up and be committed to the growth and development of the church.

On Sunday morning the men marched through the community of Governor’s Harbour on the way to the closing service at St Patrick’s parish where the rector was Father Ivan Timmy Eldon and preacher of the service was Bishop Laish Boyd.

Bishop Boyd charged the men to continue to be faithful and committed to the work of the Lord. He admonished them do not get weary and not to lose focus. He commended the men on the work done throughout the diocese and asked that they continue to lift the cross of Christ and live a life that is pleasing to Him always, as the Bahamas’ young men are watching.

The service ended with a cheque presentation, and delegates departed to their various islands after lunch was provided.