Reverend Daniel Chance, new moderator of Presbyterian Church

REV Daniel Chance has broken the 12-year women stronghold of the Presbyterian Church.

Chance was elected as moderator at the Presbyterian Church annual general meeting on April 27, at Naparima College auditorium, San Fernando.

He succeeds Rev Joy Abdul-Mohan, one of three female ministers who stood at the helm of the church’s leadership for the past 12 years.

His nomination was challenged by Rev Brenda Bullock who got 37 of the 101 votes cast.

In an interview, Chance thanked the church of its confidence in him while clarifying there was no rivalry for the position. He said Bullock and himself belonged to the same church.

He shied away from making any gender-based statement about his succession, saying his election is a continuation of the work of his predecessor.

A minister of the Presbyterian Church for the past 33 years, Chance, who was last assigned to the Tabaquite pastoral region, said he will continue to fulfil that mission to which he has been called, in whatever capacity he can serve.

He vowed to continue the work and programmes put in place under the tenure of his predecessor, in particular, working with migrants, the poor and dispossessed.

On the thorny issue of the Concordat – a signed agreement between the government and religious bodies, giving denominational schools the right to recommend 20 per cent of the student intake after SEA and, to determine their own curricula – Chance affirmed his decision and that of the church to challenge any attempt to move away from that system.

In recent times, the denominational school boards have challenged Government’s decision to hire its teachers, with legal challenges being mounted.

“That law will not be violated. We will continue to maintain the Concordat because it is enshrined in our Constitution,” Chance said.

“We would like to continue what we have been doing, nurturing and fashioning the young, tender minds, according to the word of God.”

In terms of crime, he intends to continue the collaborative effort with other religious bodies to influence those who have deviated from the right path to get back on track.

He said the focus would be on the schools to change students' mindset while their young minds can be still be moulded.

Chance said the church has been deliberating on a strategy urging a switch in careers by encouraging their teachers to join the ministry as a second career and fill the ministerial shortfall.

There has been a shortage, across the religious bodies, of people wanting to join the clergy and remuneration has been one of the discouraging factors.

As she completes her journey as head of the church, Abdul-Mohan, who is a qualified a lawyer and also served as an independent senator, said the past four years have been a blessing, but also one that was very challenging.

Two of those four years, she recalled were served during the covid19 pandemic, which demonstrated the rallying of "troops in this turbulent time."

Not yet ready to reveal her future plans, Abdul-Mohan, who goes on pre-retirement leave from May 1, said she will be around until the installation of Chance in June, to hold her successor’s hands as the church forges ahead.