Members of the clergy with Deputy Government Commissioner Mervyn Stegers (centre) and members of the community at the Post Hurricane Season Thanksgiving Service at Bethel Methodist Chapel.
EUSTATIUS–A Post Hurricane Season Thanksgiving Service was held Bethel Methodist Chapel in St. Eustatius on Monday evening. The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season came to an end on Friday, November 30.
Various members of the clergy and members of the community came together to give thanks for the island being spared during the hurricane season.
Present at the ceremony were Deputy Government Commissioner Mervyn Stegers, Methodist Church reverend Vincia Celestine, pastor of the Bible Baptist Church Merville Hazel, deacon of the Anglican Church Hillorene Jeffers, pastor of Big Stone Fellowship Maurice Howard, and pastor Simon Wilson of the Roman Catholic Church.
Pastor Virgil Sams conducted the prayer of intercession and Jeannette Farrell and Vannessa Bennett gave the opening welcome to all those present at the ceremony.
There were various performances throughout the service, the highlight of which was the Methodist Junior Choir singing “You Are Here,”
Commissioner Stegers spoke on behalf of the Public Entity, and Wilson read the scripture about the 10 lepers who were cured, but only one came back to give his thanks.
Celestine said: “Statia doesn’t know how blessed we are when you look around the surrounding islands, when you look at the world news and what is happening outside, you can see that Statia is blessed. We are so blessed because the 2017 hurricane season saw many homes and businesses on Statia that suffered damages from the hurricanes that hit the island and these homes are being repaired thanks to the Dutch Government. This year, Statia was spared, but other islands have suffered flooding, hurricanes and other natural disasters in 2018.”
The service came to an end with the singing of the hymn “To God be the Glory,” after which Hazel said the closing prayer and gave the benediction.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/83355-statians-grateful-that-they-were-spared-in-2018-hurricane-season
View comments
Hide comments