Spiritual Baptists install new Bishops

It was as if the spirit of the African forefathers visited the St Elizabeth Spiritual Baptist Cathedral at Belmont for the consecration service of Bishops Frank Simon and Melford Pompey last Sunday, March 25th, the exact date of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.

Spiritual Baptists from Grenada, Barbados and Trinidad journeyed to this Country to witness and celebrate with the local congregation and they all danced, sang and worshiped God using musical instruments and even the conch shell.{{more}}

After observing a minute silence for ancestors who suffered the torments of slavery, Reverend Bishop Peter Hernandez from Trinidad delivered his sermon. He called for the Black people of the Caribbean to see themselves as Africans, “No land, no space, no water mark can keep us from who we are and if we can say that we are African and not Trinidadian, Grenadian or Vincentian I wonder what the world would say.”



Bishop Hernandez said by referring to themselves as Africans, Caribbean people would make their ancestors who struggled for freedom proud. He pointed out that he was not racist but condemned depictions of Jesus as a white man and said that the books of Daniel and Revelation in the Bible described Jesus as dark skinned.

The Spiritual Baptist Minister said many lies have been perpetrated to cover up the rich history of Africans but unlike other peoples, black people seemed to have come out stronger and were survivors. He pointed out that Spirituals Baptists have also survived many persecutions and urged them to follow the teachings of Christ and called on them to “feed the sheep.”

The touching sermon became too much to bear for Frank Simon and Melford Pompey who were to be consecrated as Bishops, and they were overcome by the spirit.

Even though his message was incomplete, Bishop Hernandez let the spirit flow and the deacons, canons and other members of the clergy called on the Holy Spirit to move as the congregation chanted while the soon to be consecrated Bishops shook uncontrollably.

As the proceeding fell back into the order of the ceremony the Bishops took their oath, signed the documents were donned in their robes and were presented to the congregation.