The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features

Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

Year after year, the fight against crime continues for the members of the Commonwealth Baptist Church.

The church has now announced phase two of its “Revival, Revolution and Reformation” project with the goal to be the salvation for young Bahamian men and women.

On March 15, beginning at 6pm, church members will organise an island-wide campaign to cover every street in Nassau with the assistance of other churches in various communities.

“Our prayer is that these revolutions will result in reformations or re-forming individual lives, relationships and communities, and that many will experience personal renewal and refreshment in the spirit when they cry out to the Lord for revival,” said Commonwealth Baptist’s Bishop Arnold Josey.

With this vision, members took to the streets to host the church’s Prayer Motorcade in January.

Bishop Josey has first-hand experience of fighting crime, having dealt with this social ill in his previous profession as a police officer. He believes fighting crime from a spiritual aspect and with the power of the church and the word of God is also needed.

Alecia Josey, coordinator of the church’s events, said Commonwealth Baptist Church has a mandate which states that where they see wrong they are compelled to respond.

While she believes law enforcement and government are doing their best, she also believes the ultimate response and answer is God.

“The bishop is trying to make this as simple as possible. We want to go where we can talk to persons one-on-one. Our thing is to just talk to persons and encourage them to change their lifestyles. Our mission as Christians is the fact that we are supposed to go out and compel persons to come to church. This is something that we want to have at the back of our minds, but not be so forceful with it. If you do not come to church we just need you to change your thinking,” said Mrs Josey.

Referencing Proverbs 11:3, 5, 6 and 8, Mrs Josey said they all express one common thought: “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. The road is clear then; the only way to stop the bloodshed, mayhem and carnage on our streets is to get these men and women converted.

“The scripture is saying God will take care of those people who serve him, and the people who don’t are bound to die. We feel like we affected persons with the motorcade, so if you watched the news after the week of our motorcade in January, there were no murders committed. Nothing will be achieved without the prophetic intercessors passionately praying, declaring and decreeing victory over anti-Christian forces at work in the land.”