Baptists — Fight crime with peace and spirituality

The worsening crime situation in TT has come about because of spiritual depravation.

This is the view of  Sterling Belgrove, representing the Rose Foundation and Universal Ecclesiastical Order of Spiritual Baptists, who called for peace among the Spiritual Baptist community, as it tries to increase spiritual awareness in the lives of the people of TT. Belgrove was one of the speakers at Hilton Trinidad yesterday, where the UEOSB launched its annual convention for July 2004, with the theme, “Building a Culture of Peace.”

The first convention was held in Long Beach, Carlifornia in July 2001 and subsequently in Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines and now in TT next year. Representatives from the US, the Caribbean and TT attended the launch and  hailed the opportunity as a milestone, despite the many hurdles and internal friction. Archbishop John Noel of Grenada, said the spiritual baptist community should not see the UEOSB as interferring with the autonomy of any other  organisation, but as an opportunity for peace and unity.

Belgrove said the convention was timely, especially with the degradation of the social fabric of the country and when crime was at an all-time high. “Now is the time for us to come together and work together with the common goal of unity and peace for our environment. All the crime, acts of murder, violence and kidnappings, show there is a breakdown in society and an emptiness in people’s souls where there is now anger and rage,” he said. Archbishop Vernon Vaughn, Patriach of the National Congress of Incorporated Baptists of  TT, called for the merging of all spiritual baptists organisations under one umbrella, with hope that they would have their own identity.