On Sunday morning the Methodist Church of Barbados honoured the legacy of National Hero, the Right Excellent Sarah Ann Gill. Recognized for her pivotal role in advancing Methodism in Barbados, the Remembrance and Wreath Laying Ceremony, which celebrated her significant contribution to the religious community, took place at the James Street Methodist Church, which stands on land she provided and where her body is interred.
Representatives from various circuits of the church gathered to pay their respects. Among those who laid wreaths were Riley Marville-Smith of the James Street/Speightstown Circuit, Adondre Holder of the Bethel Circuit and Chelsea Browne of the Ebenezer Circuit. Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humprey and Minister of State in the Office of the Attorney-General Corey Layne were in attendance representing the Government of Barbados.
Reflecting on Gill’s monumental impact, Sonia Rowe from the Bethel Circuit of the South District Methodist Church presented a detailed historical overview of her life and achievements. Rowe noted, “Though persecuted, prosecuted, and faced with threats of death, she kept Methodism alive, educated the enslaved, and promoted religious and racial tolerance.”
Rowe detailed, “Empowered and emboldened by her faith, her Christian convictions, and her church’s mission, she was never intimidated by threats of physical harm and death, which unfortunately came.”
The national hero was heralded for her strength. Rowe said, “She successfully challenged the powerful, self-serving defenders of slavery, of the very Parliament of the country, extending religion and education to the enslaved and advancing the abolition process.”
She added, “Were she here today, Sarah Ann would have found creative ways to keep the church community connected, grounded in faith, and explosive in its mission. Undoubtedly, Sarah Ann Gill would have reassured us of the power of God in Christ to redeem, restore, and save a broken world ravaged by disease, disasters, confusion, deliberate wrongdoing, and hopelessness.”
Officiating Minister Nicholas Chambers remarked, “Her courage, Christian conviction, determination, and commitment to religious freedom and equality for all before God have set Sarah Ann Gill apart. In discharging her primary duty to God, she secured the freedom to worship and the dignity of all humanity.” (STT)
