Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves says his government is willing to help the country’s Spiritual Baptists repair their churches.
“We also have work to do on the churches,” he said at the worship service at Victoria Park to mark the inaugural annual national holidays in recognition of the Spiritual Baptist faith.
“And as I told the archbishop, we have to get to help to repair them, one by one, two by two, and we will count them by the numbers, day by day, sweet Jesus, and we will get them repaired,” Gonsalves said.
Gonsalves said there were over 60 Spiritual Baptist churches in the country, adding that the number might actually be 75.
Gonsalves also suggested that Spiritual Baptists in St. Vincent and the Grenadines set up a special school of Spiritual Baptist theology, saying members of the faith can rely on him for support.
He also suggested that they have their hymn books, as is the case in Trinidad and Tobago.
“They have their own hymn book with hymns taken from different churches but also the Spiritual Baptist hymns and the sankeys. And there’s some special ones in St. Vincent, and they must not die out and we have to help with those publications.”
Gonsalves further said:
“And just like how you have a clear understanding of the Scriptures and applying the Scriptures through the experience of the people in our Caribbean civilisation, we must have that properly documented also.
“And the School of Theology for Spiritual Baptists can teach all of that and establish it as a fountain head of learning for Spiritual Baptists all over the world, because St. Vincent and the Grenadines is where it started.”
Gonsalves, whose Unity Labour Party (ULP) came to office in March 2001, noted that his government repaired a major Spiritual Baptist church building soon after coming to office.
“Those of you who know Pastor Free church [at Sion Hill] that was the church, that was a focal point of the resistance against colonialism after the war, and it was important for us very early in our administration to rebuild that church, to enlarge it and to build it in a manner which is dignified and respectful of its important history in the Spiritual Baptist faith in this country,” the prime minister said.
In 2024, Parliament passed a law with bipartisan support declaring May 21 as Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day.
Gonsalves said that early in the Unity Labour Party administration, his secretary had told him that Johnny Jones, who is now an archbishop, and a deacon, had come to see him.
“And then within five minutes, she said, Archbishop Pompey, that’s Cosmore Pompey is there,” Gonsalves said.
He said the trio had not communicated with each other before coming to see him, but “they came with the same mission to ask me to give an official day of recognition for Spiritual Baptist as a prelude to having a spiritual Baptist Liberation Day”.
He said he raised the matter with the Cabinet the following Wednesday.
“I said, ‘The Lord has spoken, and we must do it.’ And then last year, on Eloise birthday, May 26th at the Market Square, Johnny Jones, the Archbishop, then had me promise that we will have this day,” the prime minister said.
He said he got the approval from the Cabinet on May 29 and gave the Attorney General the instructions to draft the law to take to Parliament.
What ever happened to the concept of the separation of church and state?
That’s same thing the pm is trying is what got our ancestors and now us,in the situation we’re in and have been in for over 400yrs. Our oppressors know we’re a spiritual people and would capitalize on anything that’s going to ensure they continue to opress you.
The church is the most effective tool of the oppressors. Please look at your family who are jobless and penniless because of this man’s vaccine mandate and choose wisely. Vote wisely.
Fix the dilapidated , mold covered government offices first instead of bribing poor people. The Godly thing to do. Amen
Hey Ralph, what about the non-Spiritual Baptist churches? Shouldn’t you also pledge gov’t assistance in repairing them as well? Why are you choosing to exclude all the other churches? Isn’t this gov’t sanctioned church discrimination? It would be grossly unfair and unconstitutional for you to only repair churches of a specific denomination and not ALL churches in SVG. If you are going to do it for one group then you have to do it for all groups. Period!