Remarks by Minister of Social Services on the Occasion of the Church of God of Prophecy's Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving Service

Wed, Nov 30th 2016, 03:26 PM

It is indeed a privilege to have once again been invited to this service. While I have the opportunity, let me commend the Church of God of Prophecy for creating a national framework in the form of a Family Life Ministry. I believe that more churches should follow this example.

I have said it before but it bears repeating, families are the foundation of our communities. Christian families are therefore doubly important to the long-term success of our country. It is the intention of this government to do all it can to save our families through the implementation of a number of initiatives while also seeking to remove elements that can harm families.

New initiatives such as R.I.S.E, our conditional cash transfer programme and the National Parenting Programme are designed to lift families out of poverty and give them the tools to better the lives of the next generation of Bahamians. This is all being strengthen by the elevation of the Bureau of Women’s Affairs in the Ministry to the Department of Gender & Family Affairs. This new Department will expand focus on issues impacting women and girls and men and boys – the entire family.

While the government can do much to help families it cannot do everything, and this is where family life ministries such as this are called upon to deliver daily lessons and reminders on what Christ expects from us. On this point, I’d like to say a few words. The theme for this year’s service is “Train up a child in the Way of the Lord and when he is old he shall not depart from it”. We are reminded that Jesus also states, “But whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

My ministry sees over 600 hundred cases per year of child abuse, neglect, abandonment, and sexual molestation. These crimes happen to rich and poor, educated and illiterate children throughout this country. This fact speaks directly to your theme and your ministry. When we speak about training a child in the way of the Lord, we must be mindful that going to church, reading The Bible, regular prayer, are only parts of a greater whole.

Children learn more from what they see regularly in their homes than what they hear anywhere else. So the question to ask is, what do they see?

When they see and experience violence, they become violent, when they hear verbal abuse, they learn to curse, when they are neglected they will be uncaring of others, finally when they see hypocrisy in any form, they are more likely to become hypocrites.

If we are committed to a better Bahamas, then we must regulate our own behaviour in our homes. It is also our Christian duty to report acts of abuse in our homes, in the homes of our neighbours and even family members. It is not easy but we can and we must do it. As Christians especially, God is depending on us to make a difference in our families and thus the nation.

Again, thank you for inviting me to this service of prayer, praise and thanksgiving for our families, I encourage you to continue all of your efforts to build the youth of our nation so that we can enjoy a better, stronger Bahamas.

By The Minister of Social Services & Community Development

The Honourable Melanie Griffin M.P

Source: Bahamas Information Services

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