Salutations

I bring you special greetings and best wishes for a successful conference from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.

It is a pleasure for me this morning to welcome delegates of the Ninth Quadrennial General Conference of the Wesleyan Holiness Church in the Caribbean to the shores of Antigua and Barbuda where we say the beach is just the beginning.

I know that you will feel at home right here in Antigua and Barbuda and I hope that you will have time during your week long deliberations to sample some of the uniqueness of our twin island state.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

In a few weeks time Antigua and Barbuda will commence celebrations marking this nation's twenty-fifth anniversary of Independence. The theme of the celebrations marking the event is "Antigua and Barbuda - One Family; Embracing the Future Together.

I wish to specifically draw to your attention the theme of the celebrations: Antigua and Barbuda - One Family; Embracing the Future Together and also call to mind one of the basic principles of the Wesleyan Holiness Church, which states that the Church should "preserve the sanctity of the home by honoring Christ in every phase of family life and by demonstrating Christ like love, and by living peacefully with one another, thereby encouraging the nurture and education of the children in the Christian faith so as to bring them early to the saving knowledge of Christ."

The theme of our Independence Celebrations and that basic principle of the Church highlight the important role the church plays in ensuring that our Family of Nations, our Church Family and our individual families adhere to the Biblical teaching as outlined in Proverbs 22 verse 6 to teach our children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it."

In fulfilling that biblical teaching, as a family we would accomplish the task of producing good Christian men and women within our nations who would contribute towards building a secure future and stronger nations.

There are many who will disagree that the Church has a decisive and enviable role to play in securing our future and building strong nations.

The Wesleyan Holiness Church and by extension the Christian Church through its work within the Caribbean have demonstrated that through the imparting of ideas and biblical values; the Church is a valuable partner in nation building.

It is popularly recognized that the foundational materials used in building a nation are not only bricks and concrete, not only a strong treasury, nor a strong army, though they are important. To be a strong nation, any society requires political unity, an executive, a constitution, a common law, a means of viable transportation and communication.

The Christian Church that is involved in building a nation is deeply concerned about these constituents, but more so about the most foundational aspects which are values and ideas. We all know that a nation is primarily built on principles.

When the Church involves in building a nation it is done on the foundations of and in concurrence with the Biblical values and principles

The foundation of God's throne, the Bible says, is righteousness and justice and a nation is built on righteousness or destroyed by its absence.

It is law and justice that keep a nation steady and strong. A nation is a good and welfare state when it is built on the principles of honesty, morality, justice and fairness.

Righteousness, morality, justice provide the foundation for a just and welfare nation. Its pillars are principles of human dignity and freedom, truth and knowledge, personal responsibility and stewardship, and the rule of law. The Church's role in nation building is therefore set in a firm foundation.

As you deliberate throughout this week, it is my hope that as a Church family you will focus your attention on how the Church can become more involved in building strong societies and strong nations.

The Christian vision and commitment must be the building up of a just, participatory and sustainable nation.

The Church must focus fully on the fostering of moral and ethical values such as kindness, integrity, love, patience, joy, reconciliation, forgiveness and decency which all go a long way in building just and progressing nations throughout the region.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Throughout our region we are daily reminded via the various media reports that the anti-social behaviour among our young people is a cause for concern.

Our young people are the custodians of our families and the trustees of prosperity for future generations.

The present challenges facing our youth, if not addressed on a coherent, coordinated basis can present a bleak future for us all. The Church, through its involvement in education and youth development programmes provides hope for our young people.

It is statistically proven that graduates of schools influenced by churches show the highest level of success and make some of the most significant contributions to society.

This morning, it is also my hope that your deliberations will focus on how the Church can further extend its outreach in education.

Has the time come for the Wesleyan Holiness Church to commence the establishment of schools across the entire region? Can the Wesleyan Holiness Church fulfill its mission of evangilisation, discipline, equipping the church and ministering to society through its own schools? These are questions that must be considered.

The community and the Family along with that central institution, the church, can provide the social capital which will give our youth the necessary values to guide them through life.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The government of Antigua and Barbuda before entering into office believed strongly in partnering with the Church. It was our belief then, it is our belief now.

As a government we are prepared to continue partnering with the Church in not only having God's direction in our actions and deliberations, but in our continued efforts to work for the common good of every citizen of this nation.

May your deliberations be fruitful. May the results further empower you to bring others closer to God through worship, witness and loving deeds.

May God bless us all. May God bless all of our nations.

Thanks You.