Pastor Henry Higgins said that he and his wife, Pastor Ann Higgins, have been walking the call that God placed on their lives for many years, and that with their affirmation and consecration as apostles, they finally caught up on earth with what God had ordained in heaven. The co-pastors at Creative Christian Arts Ministries International were affirmed and consecrated as apostles on Tuesday, October 9 at New Destiny Baptist Cathedral, Destiny Plaza on Baillou Hill Road. "Being consecrated and affirmed as apostles won't change us in any way," he said. "We [my wife and I] will still be the people that we are -- people who love people, and people who want to see people fulfill their goal and purpose in life.

"And so for us, walking in it will only be a part of our mandate that God has taught us which is to walk in the air of apostleship and to pull down the strongholds over the nations of the world." As pastors, Mr. Higgins said he and his wife shepherded a flock of people who gathered in one place to teach them how to maintain their salvation and their lives as Christians. He added that as pastors they were also charged with helping to direct people to their purposes in life. "We are just walking the call that God has placed on our lives. We are just catching up on earth what God has ordained in heaven," he said. And the training for their new role came at the feet of Jesus, just like the apostles. Mr. Higgins said. "I sat at Jesus' feet for nine years as a pastor and I sat at Jesus' feet as a Christian.

I am now walking into His calling. So what God is doing is catching up with in the natural what had already been assigned in the spiritual," said the pastor. Creative Christian Arts Ministries International church focuses on the arts and getting young people involved in the arts through community development. They pastors also established the first Christian Junkanoo Group, Conquerors for Christ, through which Mr. Higgins said they have saved souls for the Lord. He said 75 percent of their membership is comprised of people who came to the Lord through them ministering on Bay Street. With a number of other programs in their church's portfolio, Mr. Higgins said they want to expand on them and continue to bring to fruition even more programs.

They have established a Men in Prayer group which meets at least once a month to pray for the nation. They started in Rawson Square and move around from park to park praying. The ministry has also established two community centers -- one on Nassau Street at the former T.G. Glover Primary School site where they operate an after-school program Mondays through Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. In addition to school help, people taking advantage of the center can avail themselves of a number of family life programs that take place as well. At a second center that is expected to open on Farrington Road within the next month, they will have an arts resource center where they will teach art and craft, jewelry making and offer self-improvement classes.

A dance institute will also be opened where people can learn about liturgical dance. Apostle Ann Higgins is the leading liturgical dance instructor in the country. The pastors are also currently in the process of establishing a program called Violence Breakers -- a group that will go out into communities where violence is dominant and speak to the people about conflict management and conflict resolution. The Violence Breakers program is expected to begin in the ministry in December. They are also establishing a program that they are taking into schools called Manners and Respect at the National Center for the Performing Arts.

They will bring together students from around the country to minister and teach them manners and respect. As apostles, Mr. Higgins said they will continue doing the Lord's work as they've been doing for years, including making a return trip to China to minister to the people through the arts and drama. They are planning a trip for May 2013. "When we go to China, all the underground Christians come out. We minister to between 75,000 people to 100,000 people on a Sunday morning, which I would never get in The Bahamas in my church. And to see all of the people come out to hear the message of Jesus Christ through drama and dance is amazing, " he said. Present at the affirmation and consecration service for the pastors was Bishop Arnold Josey, Bishop Clarence Williams and Bishop Chester Rolle.

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