Changes to next year’s Gospel Fest

There is a great anticipation in the air that come next year, ‘Gospel Fest 2007’ with its newest dimension, Caribbean Night, will be exceeding expectations.

This is the proposition of Reverend Junior George of the Vermont Miracle Tabernacle, Deputy Chairman/PRO of the SVG Gospel Fest. The sentiment is also shared by Rene Baptiste, Minister of Culture and several church leaders who participated in a press conference on Tuesday morning, May 6.{{more}}

During the ceremony, eight churches, namely, the Bethel Gospel Assembly (Georgetown), Bellevue Pentecostal Church, Faith Temple, Hope for Life Restoration Ministries, Layou Miracle Church, Streams of Power (Sion Hill), and the Vermont Miracle Tabernacle who actively participated in the SVG Gospel Fest 2006 received monetary contributions ranging from EC$1,000-$500 to enable them to execute projects.

The SVG Gospel Fest Fund was formally established at the press conference. Director of Culture, Michael Peters, said the fund was created “to share the fruits of the festival”.

“We are always mindful of the need to say thanks. It’s important for us to say thanks and recognize the contribution of those persons and organizations who would have made the festival what it is,” said Peters.

According to Peters, the SVG Gospel Fest Committee does not view the festival as a moneymaking entity that makes a profit. He stated it is contextualised as a show with an operating surplus. The event was regarded as a good year when the revenue, sponsorship and gates exceeded the committee’s expenses, hence, the immediate establishment of the SVG Gospel Fest Fund with EC$5, 500 out of the surplus.

The purpose of the fund is to provide annual financial support to various churches and organizations that are an integral part of the festival. The amount presented each year will be determined on the surplus that is accumulated.

Minister Baptiste complimented the Gospel Festival Committee, the churches, and the pastors for their collaborative effort in making the show a success.

She encouraged Vincentians to build every area of their lives and not to become wary in doing so.

“We are an extremely young nation.We are trying to fill the shoes of nations founded 500 years, thousands of years of years ago, who are building upon their own foundations. We are now just building on a little foundation…so let us remember the framework within which we have to work, let us remember our boundaries that we have but not to let the boundaries confine us in our imagination and our creativity but to let that grow and expand,” said Baptiste.

The minister used the opportunity to announce that she has recommended Fidel Taylor for a seat on the National Cultural Foundation, representing church based organizations and gospel festivals.

The plans for the 2007 SVG Gospel Fest include establishment of a Gospel Fest Academy to train artistes in all areas, the setting up of a Gospel Fest Studio to assist artistes with recordings, the provision of opportunities for artistes to participate in regional gospel festivals with the emphasis on youths and staging of a schools programme.