Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Education Convention President Dr. William Thompson said last night that the Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) missed a "golden evangelistic opportunity" to be a witness during Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. Thompson, chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, called on the BCC to broaden its approach to national development.
"I call the Christian Council to become a little wider in its focus, and present strategies and social programs that would be seen as integral parts of our community on a daily basis," he said during the 80th session of the Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Education Convention.
"The church ought not be seen as a reactionary entity. It is my believed conviction that the church missed a golden evangelistic opportunity to be a witness during Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival."
BCC President Dr. Ranford Patterson has said that carnival will "encourage promiscuity, fornication, rape, incest and other sins of the flesh".
But Thompson questioned the "time spent bashing the government and the event".
"I seriously believe that just as the carnival committee took 18 months to plan and prepare for the carnival to come, the church should have spent its time putting in place training and plans to present to this nation the greatest evangelical thrust ever to reach the people in these islands."
Patterson said last week that he was "very concerned" about what he saw during the Road Fever event of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival and is "afraid" of the future impact the festival will have on the country.
"People were gyrating," he said. "I saw some pictures with guys on top of girls in the street with practically nothing on. That's not us. I'm not comfortable with my five-year-old grandchildren and others seeing this.
"That's not us. That's not what we grew up on as Bahamians. If that is the route that Bahamian people want to take [then so be it]."
Thompson said "Christian literature and tapes along with counseling should have been seen to be in place" during carnival. I call on the church led by the Christian Council to consider the possibility of convening a national forum on all areas of human abuse that are affecting our society."
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