First annual combined celebration

Aimed at promoting a sense of unity among various churches, the all-day event was organised by the National Congress of Incorporated Baptist Organisations and the National Evangelical Spiritual Baptist Faith in conjunction with about ten other groups.

Yesterday’s celebration of Spiritual Baptist Shouter Liberation Day is part of a commemorative year of events which began in November. All events, including one taking place on April 13, were organised by the Spiritual Baptist Shouter Prohibition Ordinance Centenary Commemoration Committee.

Rev Dr Hazel-Ann Gibbs De-Peza, chair of the committee told Newsday, “One day or even one week was not enough to properly mark this occasion.” She said celebrations are about the fact that, “We can come together in public to practise our faith without fear of being arrested by police.” The committee received $20,000 from Government to assist in yesterday’s celebration, an amount with the committee head said was insufficient.

Asked how the day’s activities turned out, given the smaller than expected grant, De-Peza told Newsday, “While we had asked for $1 million and were hoping to get half, we didn’t let the money stop us because we had a job to do. God has been on our side, He has helped us along.” Two weeks from now, the committee will host a Youth Explosion at NALIS, Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain.