Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development Clifton de Coteau says the Spiritual Shouter Baptist community must stop being "crabs in a barrel" and unite.He made the call on Saturday night as he addressed the close of the Tubal Uriah Buzz Butler Baptist Village 2014, at Harris Promenade, San Fernando.De Coteau told the audience that for too long the Baptist community has been separated."The days of going underground are gone, there is no need for separate churches," he lamented. "We are like crab in a barrel," he said.
Bishop Leon John, in his welcome address, said for the first time in the eight years of the village they have been asked to pay for use of the promenade.He said former mayor Marlene Coudray allowed them free use of the promenade, but current mayor Kazim Hosein wrote them a letter informing them that they would have to pay.
De Coteau, in congratulating the Universal Ecclesiastical Order of Spiritual Baptist and West Indian United Spiritual Baptist Sacred Order for the annual village on the promenade, suggested that they write Coudray, who is Local Government Minister on the matter.However, he also added that he believes the Spiritual Shouter Baptist community should have a permanent home like the Hindus have at the Divali Nagar site at Chaguanas.
But, he said, the only way that could happen is if the community unites and comes up with a proposal.