The headquarters of the New Testament Church of God, newly renamed the Alvah A. Hunte Centre for Ministerial Excellence, is set to be transformed into a centre of refuge at a cost of over half a million dollars.
At a renaming and rebranding service on Sunday at the Fairchild Street, City headquarters, plans for the centre’s expanded role were unveiled.
Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham
Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham
Administrative Bishop Dr Kenroy Burke highlighted the late Bishop Alvah A. Hunte’s more than five decades of service as pastor, administrative bishop and national overseer from 1994 to 2006.
He praised Bishop Hunte for strengthening the church’s governance, developing ministers and leaders, promoting theological education and advancing organisational excellence.
Bishop Burke said Bishop Hunte believed buildings should serve as instruments for ministry rather than monuments:
“He understood that buildings are not monuments to the admired, but instruments through which God advances His kingdom and serves His people. We do so not merely to remember his accomplishments, but to affirm the values he embodied. Faithful leadership, servant-hearted ministry, unwavering integrity… It is our prayer that every person who enters this building will be inspired by that legacy and challenged to continue the work to which he so faithfully devoted his life.”
He explained that while the centre would continue to house the church’s national administrative offices, Bethel Bible College of the Caribbean, Barbados, and its conference centre, the organisation intended to broaden its outreach through the establishment of a centre of refuge.
“A place where people discover hope, a place where families in crisis can find support, a place where individuals struggling emotionally can receive compassionate and professional psychosocial care, including individual and family counselling. A place where marriages can be strengthened and parents equipped, a place where persons can access legal aid clinics, health and wellness clinics, educational support, mentoring, life skills development, practical guidance for life’s challenges.
“A place where vulnerable individuals can receive food assistance, clothing, emergency relief, and pathways towards greater stability. Not simply handouts, but opportunities for employment, dignity, and transformation.”
The location of the facility in the heart of The City presented an opportunity for the church to respond to the needs of surrounding communities, Bishop Burke said.
He said the area has long faced challenges including crime, violence, poverty and social vulnerability, adding that the new centre would represent the church’s commitment to responding to those issues:
“Located in the heart of Nelson Street, an area that has long faced the challenges of crime, violence, poverty, and social vulnerability, The Alvah A. Hunte Centre for Ministerial Excellence stands as a visible declaration that the Church is committed not only to preaching the Gospel but to transforming lives and communities.
“We fully recognise that Nelson Street and the surrounding communities have faced the painful realities of crime and violence for many years. While the Church is not called to fight crime in the way that law enforcement is, we are called to address the conditions that often give rise to it.”
Adrian Hunte, son of the Late Bishop Dr Alvah Hunte. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham)
Bishop Hunte’s son, Adrian, reflected on changes in Barbados over the past four decades and said the church has a role to play in reaching those in need:
“We have an island that’s seeming to be going crazy. Forty years back in Barbados, I almost don’t know the place. We got a job to do, people. There’s souls out there that need to be saved. He’s just here for us to be marshalled in and go out and do the things that God called us to do.”
He said his father was most passionate about street ministry, prison ministry and helping vulnerable people.
Minister of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector, Colin Jordan. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham)
Minister of Labour Colin Jordan described the location of the centre as strategic, saying its elevated position meant it should serve as a lighthouse for the community:
“I believe that you are here because you are expected to shine a light from this place. It is difficult for others to see if you are shining a light from in a valley, but when you are in an elevated space, your light is expected to be seen… You’re located in an elevated spot; you’re also located in the middle of the city and God expects you to do what is necessary to interact, to touch, and to lift people from where they are to where God wants them to be.”
Jordan also reiterated the government’s support for faith-based organisations, noting that social issues cannot be solved through government and civic action alone but require partnerships with faith communities.
Administrative Bishop Dr Kenroy Burke. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham)
Bishop Burke revealed to Barbados TODAY that the church has applied for a $500 000 grant through the Faith-based Organisations Special Fund Grant Facility, which has an annual allocation of $5m. He said the funds would assist with the initial stages of the project.
“The project is about a half million, based on square footage and the proposal. I think that’s about a half million just for infrastructure, but by the time you start outfitting it how you want to really push the ministry, it’s going to be more expensive.”
The proposal is currently being assessed along with more than 20 others submitted under the initiative, Jordan said.
(LG)
