Brooklyn church marks Vincentian Day with visit from new consul general
Vision Pentecostal Church of God has honoured its St Vincent and the Grenadines members each year since a group of Vincentian worshippers joined the congregation in 1978.
NEW YORK, United States. Vision Pentecostal Church of God on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn celebrated Vincentian Day on Sunday, October 11, bringing past and present members together in fellowship.
"It gives us an opportunity to reflect on how the church's longstanding members have helped shape our lives," Curlina Hills, a Vincentian-born evangelist and member of the church, told Caribbean Life. She said it was also a time to "honour our heritage".
Joan Hills said the celebration was about family and unity, and how Vincentians supported one another after migrating to Brooklyn. "Some people had no place to stay, no work, or proper papers," she said. "We shared one apartment, supported each another, and helped each other get through difficult times."
A tradition since 1978
Barbadian-born Pastor Melchior "Harry" Springer said the church, which is largely Barbadian, started in November 1977 in the Brooklyn home of his late father, Pastor Denzil D. Springer, and moved in 1978 to its first home at 1074 St Johns Place in Crown Heights.
A few months later, he said, "a contingent of saints from St Vincent and the Grenadines joined the church", making a tremendous impact with their energetic worship and strong sense of community.
His father designated a day to honour that first wave of Vincentian worshippers, and it has been an annual tradition ever since, supported by the Vincentian community and people from other Caribbean countries.
Consul general's first Vincentian Day
Roland "Patel" Matthews, the new St Vincent and the Grenadines Consul General to the United States and a former Member of Parliament, said it was "a joy and a privilege" to attend.
He said that since his appointment in March he had been invited to several churches celebrating International Day or Caribbean Day, "however, this is the first occasion that I have been invited to celebrate a day dedicated to Vincentians".
"We have been ravaged by storms and hurricanes. We have experienced the eruption of La Soufriere volcano, and we have risen like the phoenix from the ashes," he said.
Matthews urged that young people "need to understand the sacrifices of those who came before them".
He noted that October is celebrated as the Month of Independence for St Vincent and the Grenadines, and that the theme for the 47th year of independence is "Hand in Hand, Uplifting Our Nation".
