The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

Fathers will be honoured in a special way for the impact they have made on their children, church and community when the Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention Men’s Department hosts its second annual pre-Father’s Day dinner on June 17.

The event will be held at the William Thompson Auditorium at 7pm.

Musical entertainment for the dinner will be provided by The New Dynamic Features. The emcee will be Sister Sherese Ferguson of 107.9FM and Lorenzo Symonette, who is the music director at Annex Baptist Church.

“The theme of the dinner is ‘Fathers of Love”’, given that all of the honorees have proven themselves to be fathers of love for what they are doing and what they have done over the years,” said George Bodie, a member Men’s Department.

“This year we are putting out everything there is to make sure that the honorees and the people who attend enjoy themselves and have a real good time. We have some 35 fathers who will be honoured for their fruitful role as fathers to their children, church and the community.”

The organisation believes it is important to recognise fathers and give them a sign of appreciation, in this cases roses, for upholding duties to their families and their churches.

“We must ensure that the men of our convention, and by extension, our community be men of integrity, men who are the head and not the tails in our homes, church and the community. They must fit into their role God has called them to be – the priest, the provider and the protector,” he said.

Mr Bodie, along with members of the convention, hope the event will be special experience for the fathers.

“We believe that this year’s pre-Father’s Day dinner will be the best ever in the history of the Baptists. We are so pleased that so many of our pastors have been a part of this year’s dinner. This is our second time we, the men of our Baptist Convention, are putting it on for our men and it will the last of our administration,” he said.

“Next year, we want to do something different. We as a people keep doing same old, same old, only to arrive at the same result. Our national president, Rev Dr William Thompson, echoed his mantra for his theme this term, ‘Rebuilding, Rebranding, and Renewing’, and the men are all about that,” he said.

Fathers to be honoured include: Bishop Simeon Hall, Bishop Stanley Ferguson, Rev Dr Carrington Pinder, Rev Dr J Carl Rahming, Bishop Samuel Greene, Rev Dr Lockwood Deleveaux, Rev Jeffrey Deleveaux, Overseer Randolph Deleveaux, Rev Dr Carroll Rolle, Rev Dr Philip Rahming, Rev Dr Philip McPhee, Rev Dr Stafford Munnings, Rev Dr Ifill Russell, Minister Shelton Rolle, Rev Dr Shelton Higgs, Dec Frank Pancho Rahming, Minister Sidney Colle, Bro Anthony Thompson, Rev Christopher Smith, Rev Gregory Major, Rev Ronald Nick Hepburn, Minister Bernal Bullard, Rev Leroy Higgins, Minsiter Anthony Garrison, Rev Clarence Knowles, Bro Randy Curtis, Minister Lindsay Williamson, Rev Donald Carey, Dec Hilbert Collie, Rev Dr Charles Rolle, Rev Hartman Nixon, Bishop Victor Coopers, and Rev Dr Arthur Charlton.