PM Harris Hails The Role Church Plays In Communities, Calls For More Active Churches

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, October 25, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — The availability of churches in communities in the country should not be taken for granted as it continues to enrich the lives of the citizenry and residents, and Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris is calling on more active churches, to serve the needs of the people.

“The Methodist Church has been a church that has been very much involved in the life of the people of Tabernacle and of course persons from elsewhere,” said Dr. Harris. “So for me, it is always special, and it is like coming back home. We want in the country to have, of course, more active churches around because there is certainly a need, especially in times like these, for the church to be used as an agent of socialisation, particularly for our young people.”

Prime Minister and Area Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher Seven (Bellevue to Ottley’s), Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, made the remarks on Sunday, October 24 at the Tabernacle Methodist Church, where he had led a delegation of members and supporters of the Peoples Labour Party (PLP) to his hometown church for morning worship.

“All of my conscious life growing up, the (Tabernacle Methodist) Church has been part of my own foundation,” said Dr. Harris. “It was my father’s church and the church for most of the family on my father’s side, so whenever I come there is nostalgia.”

Dr. Harris, who is the National Political Leader of the Peoples Labour Party, was accompanied by PLP Senator and Deputy Speaker the Hon Dr. Bernicia Nisbett, Ambassador His Excellency Michael Powell, PLP’s National Youth Representative Mr. Jeremiah Locker, and PLP’s National Director of Communications Mr. Craig Tuckett.

Others in the delegation were drawn from the Peoples Labour Party Branches and included Chairman of PLP Constituency Number Five Branch Mr. Glenville Mills, Deputy Branch Chairperson Ms. Marsha Lewis, and Branch Women Representative, Ms. Janice Lewis.

The Tabernacle Methodist Church is part of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas, Leeward Islands District, St. Kitts Circuit. The worship service was held on the Twenty-second Lord’s Day after Pentecost and the preacher was Rev Stacia Williams-Christmas, who welcomed Prime Minister Harris and his delegation to church.

“May you have a blessed day and may our lives be enriched by the availability of churches in our communities and our country,” Prime Minister Harris told the congregation as he wished Rev Stacia Williams-Christmas well in her role. “What we are taking here for granted doesn’t exist in every country. In some countries, you have to hide to get into a Christian church. Here we are a Nation under God.”

Praying for God’s continued blessings for the rest of the season, he hoped that the hurricane season will end at the end of November all over in the region and that people will have nothing to talk about except about God and His goodness, and His provision to them.

The Honourable Prime Minister however reminded that Covid remains and that it has been a battle of how to live with the pandemic. He called for all to follow the laid down Covid-19 protocols of wearing masks, sanitising, and keeping social distance as in doing so it would be assisting the country in that battle. He encouraged those who are yet to be vaccinated to do so, noting that there is no medical or religious reason why one should not get vaccinated.

During the service, Rev Stacia Williams-Christmas called five junior members of the church to the front and spoke to them pertaining to when illnesses come and advised them to just continue trusting God and not to give up on themselves but to trust in God for He is the Almighty Healer and that He would continue to strengthen them.

On behalf of the Peoples Labour Party, Dr. Harris presented a token of appreciation to the church through Rev Stacia Williams-Christmas, “as our way of saying thank you for the welcome we have had and for all the good things that have happened to us each time we worship with you.”