After years of neglect, THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has once again pledged to give some assistance to the Spiritual Baptist community in Tobago.
Augustine was speaking during Thursday’s Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day celebrations at Signal Hill themed – Let Us Give Thanks Unto The Most High God – which followed a procession from the Orange Hill traffic lights, Claude Noel Highway, to the Baptists’ incomplete, multi-purpose facility. The formal celebration took place there.
President of the Tobago United Spiritual Baptist Association (TUSBA) Bishop John Carrington, of the Mt Bethel Spiritual Baptist Church, in addressing those gathered, heaped praises on former chief secretary Orville London for granting the lands but hastened to outline the struggles of the organisation. In March 2006, members of the Spiritual Baptist community were presented with three acres on a 99-year lease to facilitate the construction of the educational complex. To date, an incomplete two-storey structure remains on the property.
“Today, as we celebrate with joy, we are able to do this in this space again. It’s not our first time here and it wouldn’t be the last – maybe the last down here, the next time we go upstairs. I usually say, sometimes we forget our dreams but I 'en forget mine – my dream is that we are going to be upstairs.”
He recalled the handover by London, saying that following that, the battle was only beginning.
[caption id="attachment_1008565" align="alignnone" width="768"] THA executives, from left, Secretary of Health, Wellness and Social Protection Dr Faith BYisrael along with Assistant Secretaries Megan Morrison, Wane Clarke and Sonny Craig at Thursday's Spiritual Shouters Liberation day celebration at Signal Hill. - Kimmi Potts[/caption]
“We started this building a good while, as we journey it took some time – we began the building, but the journey started to become a little harder to climb but we trusted a God who is abundantly able to do what he says he can do. This battle going on in our lives – sometimes folks get despondent, disillusioned and they started to doubt their faith and in doing that they draw back but the faithful few still hold on. We were able to spend $1.9 million on where we occupy.”
He said it is a long, long way to go, but there is a victory to be won.
“So, I want to urge all of us, don’t be despaired, don’t be discouraged. The enemy would put stumbling blocks in our way but Jesus knows how to roll away stones before us.”
He added: “We look forward with great anticipation, knowing that the God who has brought us to this place, the God who has our hearts to start this construction is the same God who we trust to take us safely through. I believe that if God take us to it, he would take us through it – it’s not the best and I believe that before the year ends, we will have this place comfortable. And the next time we assemble on this property of Spiritual Baptist faith in Tobago – upstairs not downstairs is because God have done it.”
In response, Augustine said
