Minister tells Baptists they have an important role to play

SPIRITUAL Shouter Baptists in Trinidad and Tobago have been reminded by a government minister that they, like other faith-based institutions, can play an important role in the country. In a message to mark Spiritual Shouter Baptist Day this Tuesday, Minister of Community Development and Culture, Joan Yuille-Williams refers to certain attributes, while urging Shouter Baptists to carry on. “The challenges that confront us today, and will no doubt do so tomorrow, will always speak to the importance of values such as forebearance, responsible behaviour, perseverance and consideration for others,” says Yuille-Williams.

According to the Minister in today’s world, positive values slip away easily, and many are without the spiritual guidance that will promote caring and sharing, family life and the respect for others that are necessary for nation-building. “All of this is indicative of the important role that the Baptist community can and must play,” said Yuille-Williams. She recalls the struggle waged by Trinidad and Tobago’s Baptist  community to practice their religion and contribute to greater spirituality and a more just and equal society. “Theirs has been an experience in the exercise of faith, humility, perseverance and courage, and all in our nation should feel proud of their character of their liberation struggle over the years and continuing.
“Out of it all, there is a lot that is instructive for us as a nation.” said Yuille-Williams.

Her message is: “Let us draw on the Baptists’ spiritual moorings, committing ourselves to even greater labour in the vineyard among our citizens, through the promotion of positive values that will strengthen our individual capacity for restraint and selflessness, and our collective resolve towards peace, harmony and progress.”