SDA disassociates itself from NICE Radio pledge

The St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Mission of Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) has disassociated itself from a pledged contribution to Nice Radio, which was made in the name of the church.

Pastor Dermoth Baptiste, president of the SVG Mission of SDA, in a release issued Friday, said the unidentified person who pledged monetary contributions to the radio station on behalf of eight congregations of the SDA Church was not authorized to do so.

“I wish to disassociate the churches named from the statement and from whatever donations may have been promised. I wish further to state publicly that no authorization was ever sought, or permission given for such statement to be made. The announcement is therefore considered to be unfortunate, regrettable and mischievous,” Baptiste said in the statement.

Last Tuesday, during a radiothon held on Nice Radio to raise the over $210,000 required to save BDS Ltd, the station’s parent company, from going into bankruptcy, a male caller pledged $500 on behalf of each of eight SDA churches.

Baptiste said the church, through its official internal structure, has established policies that guide its channel of communication with the public.

“I, therefore, call upon everyone, be it member or non-member, to desist from bringing the church into disrepute by issuing statements that can mislead an unsuspecting public.” 

Baptiste said “the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist church is to salvage men and women across the social divide from the wreckage of sin, pointing them to Jesus as the ultimate source of happiness, peace, security, satisfaction and fulfillment.” 

In November 2009, the High Court entered judgement in favour of Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of SVG, who had filed a defamation suit against BDS Ltd and Matthew Thomas. In February, 2012, the court ordered BDS Ltd and Thomas to pay Gonsalves $166,625 in damages and costs, but nothing has been paid to date. The sum owed now stands at $210,495.31.

A Bankruptcy Petition, filed by Gonsalves, was scheduled to be heard in court yesterday, June 26, 2017. The petition sought an order declaring BDS Ltd bankrupt, as the company has failed to honour its indebtedness to Gonsalves for over five years.