Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Good Afternoon.

I am very pleased for this opportunity to bring remarks at this Service of Appreciation celebrating the ministry of faith and witness of the Rev. Dr. Charles W. Saunders who has completed 29 years as Superintendent of The Bahamas Baptist Union of Churches.

From time to time in our country we have the opportunity to learn about outstanding Bahamians who in their time and through their various contributions have earned the accolade -- Bahamian icon.

We are gathered here today to honour and to pay tribute to one such deserving Bahamian who through the decades has left an indelible mark on the Bahamian Church and the nation’s spiritual life as well as on our education system and broader national development.

Some time ago I had privilege of describing Rev. Dr. Charles W. Saunders as a prince of the Baptist Church in The Bahamas. I am here today to reaffirm that title and to recall the affection this Bahamian and Baptist Prince has earned through a lifetime of service and commitment to the People of God.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Particularly since Independence in 1973, we have sought to build upon foundations set by brave generations who went before; moving from strength to strength, because of the sure footing put in place by men and women of great character, love of God, and dedication to the service to others.

Rev. Dr. Charles W. Saunders is one such outstanding Bahamian, a nation builder who, notwithstanding advancing age, continues to labour in pursuit of spiritual and academic upliftment of the Bahamian people.

Last year when the students at the Charles W. Saunders Baptist School honoured their founder, the Minister of Education, my colleague the Hon. Desmond Bannister, reminded the students that the best way they could pay tribute to their patron was to learn their lessons, become disciplined and respectful human beings, and have God at the centre of their lives.

That was good advice, especially coming from one who had himself been a former student of Dr. Saunders. Indeed it was a testament to Rev. Saunders’ ministry of teaching and education that one of his former students had risen to become the Minister of Education for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

While we pay formal tribute to Rev. Saunders during today’s celebration, he should know that his legacy is assured by the service and contributions of his former students in so many walks of life, including in the field of education.

And, in that field his extended presence is felt across our archipelago and from the primary to tertiary level and in public and private education. Indeed within the Ministry of Education, a number of people are proud to have had Dr. Saunders as a teacher, principal, colleague and indeed friend and mentor.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Since 1974 Dr. Saunders has served as Senior Pastor at Salem Union Baptist Church, a wonderful and goodly heritage from such as the late Rev. Enoch Backford, Sr.

However, through the years and beyond the doors of his congregation, he has served and has had a tremendous influence over the wider Baptist community in The Bahamas

He served as head of the Bahamas Baptist National Missionary and Educational Conference at a time when there was a vexing dispute between the Conference and the Southern Baptists of the United States over the property on which the Bahamas Baptist College stood. A resourceful and determined Dr. Saunders resolved that issue and rescued the school.

He has remained a man of the people, a man for all seasons, a man devoted to the betterment of both Church and State.

Like prophets of old and freedom fighters today, he has stood fearlessly against inequality and prejudice in our country and is widely respected for his role as a promoter of respect for, and protection of, the rights of citizens and the dignity of the human person, made in the image and the likeness of the God to whom he has devoted a lifetime of labour and love.

Within months of my first term as Prime Minister, I was pleased to appoint Dr. Saunders as Chairman of the Police Service Commission which is the constitutionally-mandated entity that approves the promotions of all officers, from the rank of inspector to assistant commissioner.

Such an appointment is for three years. But because he was so well regarded in that capacity, Dr. Saunders has remained in that post up until the present time, including the years 2002 to 2007, when my government was not in office.

Rev Saunders is a truly remarkable man, a pioneer in education and a champion of the collaboration between the Church and State in the pursuit of the common good. He richly and rightly deserves the honour you are bestowing on him today.

I am proud and honoured to join you in this celebration. I pray that Almighty God whom Dr. Saunders has served so faithfully for so many years, will grant his servant and our brother many more years to continue to assist us with the advancement of our beloved Bahamaland.

God Bless our Commonwealth and this Bahamian son, a nation builder, whom God has favoured us with for so many years.

I thank you and good afternoon.