Spiritual Baptists appoint new archbishop

THE West Indian United Spiritual Baptist Sacred Order Inc (WIUSBSO) will appoint a new archbishop on Sunday.

His Lordship Bishop William Leon John will be enthroned at Mt Zion Spiritual Baptist Church Zone 8, Punnette Avenue, Arima, at 9 am.

John’s elevation follows the death of the late Patriarch His Grace Archbishop Ivan Lancaster, on June 8, at the age of 92.

John will be succeeded by Bishop Norbert Dominique while Archdeacon Wendell Dardaine will be elevated as Dean of the Archdiocese.

John, the pastor of St Peter’s Spiritual Baptist Church, Vistabella, is a retired teacher and founder/co-director of Agape House Ministries and has worked extensively with the Baptist community locally and internationally.

A lecturer at Caribbean Mission Bible Seminary, he served as chairman of several arms of the church including the WIUSBSO Youth Council, Central Committee of the Diocese, of the Archdeacon’s Board, and the National Congress of Incorporated Baptist Organisations of TT. He has also held the position of Area Bishop of the Southern Division.

As convention chairman of the Universal Ecclesiastical Order of Spiritual Baptist he has co-ordinated international Baptist conventions in TT, St Vincent, Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique, New York and in California in the US.

WIUSBSO official Joseph Bridgewater said John has a deep passion for the word of God.

On behalf of the members of the organisation he wished him, Dominique and Dardaine, “a long and meritorious tenure as they endeavour to serve their God and the organisation, as they lead and guide these people of God in their new positions.”