New Anglican Bishop presides over first confirmation service

Bishop of Barbadian Anglican Diocese, Reverend Michael Bruce St John Maxwell held his first confirmation service this morning urging the confirmation candidates to continue to walk the path of righteousness.

At the service held at the Cathedral of St Michael and All Angels, Reverend Maxwell confirmed 15 parishioners from the St Michael’s Row, Bridgetown church.

He reminded them their journey with God was ongoing and did not conclude with today’s service. He noted that quite often parishioners did not return to church following the service.

“There is the unfortunate trend that many after they have been confirmed see it as a validation to leave the church,” said the Bishop.

“Very often there is the tendency that you have been instructed, you know the faith, you have been brought up and you don’t need any more nourishment but no, you need every bit of nourishment every Sunday to continue to nourish you in the faith,” he said.

He encouraged the congregation to pray regularly and to attend church every Sunday as it was the ideal means to “experience God in a special way”.

“We should always have that great longing, that great desire to come to church to come in the Lord’s house, to assemble regularly with fellowship of other believers, for this is what is best for us,” Reverend Maxwell stated.

He urged the confirmation candidates to “always hunger or desire”  to spend time with God and set aside time for worship.

“I love church because coming into the special presence of God reminds me of who I am and whose we are as a family of God and it also reminds me of who God is, that God is in control of my life, the one who I can depend on [and] the one who can strengthen us, who is there for us when others are not there for us,” the Reverend said.