IN MEMORY OF THEM

I am pleased to announce my new book: ‘IN MEMORY OF THEM

‘Sometimes I feel as though so many of my friends have died. I feel at times that all I am writing about and sharing is tributes and words of comfort. And, I have another tribute I am presently working on to honour the life of my friend, the late Mr. Livingston Parks. That will come soon. I never called Livingston anything other than Parks…from the first time I met him in Governor’s Harbour Eleuthera in The Bahamas when I was 23 years old.

My career in Ministry with The Methodist Church in The Bahamas, first as Youth Director for the District/Conference, then as The General Secretary for the new autonomous Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church and later as the Dean of Education for the BCMC. All three of my careers were district and conference based and this resulted in over 40 years of interactive travel to all islands and all Methodist churches of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands.

I am grateful for the opportunities to be blessed with friendships with people who were the ‘older’ leaders of the Methodist Churches from 1975 when I was first stationed in Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera. Many of the people who became my dearest friends have passed on and heaven is now their home. E. Rosetta Gibson and Livingston R. Parks, recently departed, are two of my friends who were Youth Leaders in the Methodist Youth Department all those years ago. For over five years I wanted to publish a book in memory of the many wonderful men and women who had befriended my life. I actually began the project five years ago. Clint Higgs sat with me one night in Eleuthera and I made up a list of the eulogies and tributes that I had been honoured to deliver over the many years. I think I probably listed 39! When I returned to Nassau and went through my files I found many more. When I began the compilation of the book in October 2020, I had 137 hard copies of eulogies and tributes; 67 of those have made it into my new book ‘IN MEMORY OF THEM’.

So many of the people featured in this book are people who helped define ministry for me. People like Louise Albury from Ebenezer who was one of my most sincere supporters during the 15 years I served as General Secretary for the BCMC…people like Edwina Burrows from Rock Sound, Eleuthera who prepared lunch for me almost every Friday during the four years I served as District Youth Director in Eleuthera; people like Dr. J. Wavell Thompson who was not only my best friend but a medical doctor of outstanding charity who cared for, assisted with healing and provided a safe place for counselling and grief recovery for people from all walks of life. People like Ross Newbold, my dear fried from Spanish Wells who provided me with some of the most enjoyable fishing trips in my adult life. People like Pastor Harold Poitier, Nurse Adrella Gibson, Ruth Pauline Higgs, Terrence C. A. Bethell, Dr. Walter Gibson, Sir Durward Knowles and the list goes on.

There are 67 informative bios and inspiring stories of people who gave outstanding service to their church, their community and their country…stories of ordinary men and women who lived their lives as best they knew how…devoted, ethical, relational and full of love. Many of my family are in the book including my brother-in-law Deacon Osbourn Weech who left us four years ago after his heroic battle with colon cancer.

My good friend, Vanny Johnson, many years ago, assigned me the title of ‘Minister of Funerals’. Suffice it to say that it has all culminated in what I believe is a wonderful book of memories and the celebration of the lives of 67 outstanding Bahamian men and women from all walks of life. ‘IN MEMORY OF THEM’ will be available in mid-October, 2021. As soon as I can, I will update and provide information on pre-orders, cost and a possible book launch. Right now I’m grateful for so many people who have helped me with this project as we journeyed together, reading and re-reading, correcting and editing 172 pages.

I’m grateful to God for the wonderful Saints of God who have rested from their labours and who, before they did, poured countless blessings into my life!