Premier Parry tells Weslyan Church delegates: Remember the communities in which you serve
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| Premier of Nevis Hon. Joseph Parry as he addressed delegates at the 47th Annual District Conference of the Weslyan Church |
CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (FEBRUARY 25, 2008) -- Premier of Nevis Hon. Joseph Parry called on members of the Weslyan Church to remember the children, parents and the community in which they served as they decided in which the direction the church should go.
Mr. Parry made the call on February 23, 2008, while he addressed delegates the 47th Annual District Conference of the Weslyan Holiness Church at the Mount Nevis Hotel. The retreat formed part of the church’s 100th anniversary celebrations. The District covers St. Kitts, Nevis, Saba, Anguilla and St. Maarten.
He said the church had a very significant role to play in the society and in the behaviour of everyone in particular the youth.
He also said it had a responsibility to reach out to the community to remind
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| A cross section of those present at the Weslyan Church’s 47th annual District Conference |
persons of the importance of protection from negative outside influences.
“The church has a very important role to play in terms of reminding us that we are Christians and the way that we behave.
The church also has a role to play to remind us that we live with other people and that if we don’t protect the people around us, then we ourselves are exposed.
“So the message that we give to each other we have to give to our fellowmen as well, to the parents and the children.
We have to reach out to them and be involved in the community and remind them that we are one and that we must protect ourselves from all the negative things we see on television, all the negative things we learn from the United States of America,” he said.
~~Adz:Left~~ In Mr. Parry’s view, there was no good reason for the presence of gangs in the islands and it would require the contribution of all to fight against criminal activity.
“There is no good reason to take up a man’s car and smash it up over night. Human life has value, human life must have value and it makes no sense to pick up a gun and shoot down your fellow man over some stupid argument. So we have a job to do and it is the church, it is the government, it is the police, it is the community it is all of us…
“The Bible says we must love our neighbour as we love ourselves and if we take care and protect our neighbour, we would be doing the work of Christ and we will be behaving like Christians,” he said.
Also present at the retreat were Premier Parry’s wife Mrs. Myrthlyn Parry, General Superintendent Reverend Carlton Christie and District Superintendent Reverend Sylvester Herbert and all pastors.
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