Carribbean Evangelicals Gather at for Seventh International Congress

By Pauline J. Chang, Christian Post Reporter Friday, February 25, 2005

The Evangelical Association of the Caribbean re-elected the Rev. Dr. Ken Ragoonath of Trinidad to serve as its president for another four year term, during the four day 2005 Congress of Evangelicals in the Caribbean (CONCECAR), Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005.

The CONCECAR, the seventh of its kind in history, opened with a message by the Governor General of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Dame Ivy Dumonth.

“By assembling to discuss critical matters affecting the Caribbean Christian community, CONECAR furthers the development of its leaders, strengthens their fellowship, and redirects their ministry energies to greater achievement,” Dumonth said.

Prime Minister Perry G. Christie also addressed the crowd with hopeful words:

“It has been said that faith is insufficient without good works. The needs of the everyday world are real and pressing and it is good to see that CONECAR has made it its focus to address everyday social issues among our people,” Christie said.

Meanwhile, in a presentation during one of the plenary sessions, the Rev. Philip Drayton of Barbados encouraged participants to become the salt of the society.

“Are we truly impacting our society? Are our ministries really making a difference?” he said as he pointed out that salt has 14,000 uses.

There dozens of workshops scheduled throughout the gathering covering diverse topics such as the Church and sexuality, response to sexually transmitted infections, and utilising prayer as a strategy for permanent societal change.

CONECAR started in Jamaica in 1984. Over the past 21 years hundreds of pastors and church leaders have been challenged and revitalised as the congress moved to Trinidad, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Puerto Rico, and Barbados. Many Caribbean evangelical leaders have commented that their ministries have changed as a result of attending a CONECAR at some time during the past 21 years.