The sounds of reverberating African drums, songs and dancing and swaying bodies filled City Hall Auditorium, Knox Street, Port-of-Spain.
Members of the National Evangelical Spiritual Baptist Faith (NESBF) made a joyful noise to celebrate their 50th year of the Enactment of Act 21 of 1964 Representatives of the Shouters in T&T to mark the occasion last month.
Members young and old sang and danced energetically to favourites such as Through All The Changing Seasons of Life, Guide me O Thou great Jehovah and Tell Me Where You Come From.
Speaking to the packed to capacity crowd Bishop Patrick Denoon said: "When I came here this morning I saw two open air Baptist meetings in Woodford Square. When I saw the small number of people in attendance I asked myself 'do we serve that enactment?' because the square should have been packed.
"Whether you are in the NESBF or another organisation, the elders fought for the freedom to worship, exactly what they're doing right now in the square."
He said it was the perseverance of the elders led by deceased Archbishop George Elton Griffith who petitioned the Government of the day no less than 33 times before they were eventually successful that paved the way for Shouter Baptists to practice their faith without fear of persecution.
Denoon added that in the time of the founding members they had to post lookouts and worship in secrecy, risk being beaten, fined and imprisoned by the police and were even pelted with stones by people.
He said at one time when members started to shout people thought they were mad. He continued: "Now they tell them they were mad in the love of Jesus and it was in the blood."
Denoon said today Shouter Baptists can now marry in their own churches, conduct burials and come together as one happy gathering of people.
He said the occasion was a time to make a joyful noise and celebrate the enactment, thanks to their forefathers who made the tremendous sacrifice.
By Act 21 of 1964, the NESBF Archdiocese Inc is mandated to represent Spiritual Shouter Baptists in the territory of T&T.