Baptists plan village to honour Butler

Still seeking social acceptance by the wider public, the National Congress of Incorporated Baptist Organisations of Trinidad and Tobago (NCIBOTT) has announced plans to host a week-long Tubal Uriah “Buzz” Butler Village in San Fernando. As part of the Spiritual Baptist Liberation Day celebrations, Bishop Leon John spoke about plans yesterday during a media conference at the St Peter’s Spiritual Baptist Church in Vistabella, San Fernando. The village, which is scheduled to run from Saturday to the March 30 holiday, will feature educational fairs from a government ministry each day beginning at 10 am. 

There will also be small business booths pertaining to craft, food, music, pastries and the Baptist faith. The evening period begins at 6 pm when a cultural show will feature Ella Andall, saxophonist Francis Prime, the T&T Police Band and Jeunes Agape. John said the Baptist community was still scarred by the era of the Shouters Prohibition Ordinance, when members were socially discriminated against in practising their faith.

 

 

Despite admitting that much had changed over the past decade in terms of development and public perception, he said many people were still uncomfortable not only with the Baptist faith but with African celebrations. The bishop said he wanted to bring about more change and urged the public to engage in their celebrations. “A prominent feature of the Spiritual Shouters Baptist Liberation Day celebrations this year is the staging of the Tubal Uriah ‘Buzz’ Butler Spiritual Baptist Village. This village is designed in a tangible and physical sense to demonstrate what Spiritual Baptists and the wider population all aspire to: namely better life and embracing opportunities for personal growth and development.”  He said Butler emerged as the leader of the trade union movement, but was also a spiritual leader in the Baptist faith and therefore it was fitting to mount the first ever Spiritual Baptist Village in honour of his contributions. Saturday’s launch of the celebrations will kick off with the annual street procession at the Baptist Monument at Carib Street, San Fernando. A massive rally is scheduled to take place as well as the blessing of the village. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and other politicians have also been invited to speak.

 

Celebration schedule