ANGLICAN BISHOP ENCOURAGES COVID VACCINATION

19 March 2021 Dear Anglican Family,

Today we thank God for where He has brought us. In 2020 we were introduced to COVID-19.

As a church we weathered the storm, pivoted and kept on going. We even expanded our virtual and other ministries to respond to the COVID reality. In that respect we sought to make the best out of a challenging situation, searching for the blessings by making limeade out of limes. God blessed us.

God showed His mighty hand, and we continue to believe that He has all power in every circumstance.

We also need to celebrate the response of the health systems in our two countries, The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands. We congratulate our national health teams and urge them to “Keep on Keeping on” exercising their best stewardship and leading the charge. We are behind them 100%.

It is important to note, that on the world scene, both countries have been commended for their
management of national COVID efforts.

Since COVID came on the scene, one prevailing message remains that the individual response of a person impacts a country’s overall ability to fight, limit and eradicate the spread of the virus. Thus, the emphasis on practicing and maintaining protocols like social distancing and hand sanitizing, to name a few. Protocols HAVE LIMITED SPREAD AND HAVE SAVED LIVES.

However, we must now accept that getting vaccinated has to be added to the list of ways we can fight COVID-19. Public vaccination began in The Turks and Caicos Island on Thursday, 11th January, and in The Bahamas on Sunday past, 14th March.

As the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands,
I want to state categorically that I support the vaccination process. This is our BEST way
forward right now. I will get vaccinated as soon as I get an opportunity.

I am a husband, father, baby brother, brother-in-law, uncle, neighbour, friend and priest. I want to do the best I can to protect the people that I am connected to and to protect myself.

So you examine the facts, learn as much as you can on this matter and seriously consider getting vaccinated. You will have to decide for yourself.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12 that “we are the Body of Christ and members one of another.” Every time we come to mass, we say that. Across the scriptures there are literally hundreds of other references to being our sister or our brother’s keeper. What better way to show that we are one another’s keeper than by taking the best steps to keep ourselves safe and to ensure the safety of others.

Remember that God is still God and we are still the Church. In this whole experience we must
seek to be good stewards, to take the best advice and to follow all the protocols. BUT we must also trust God, seek to do God’s will, depend on His grace to bring us through, and remember that, no matter what, God is in charge of His world.

Be encouraged, and encourage someone today.

Your friend and Bishop,

The Rt. Rev’d Laish Zane Boyd Sr.
Bishop of The Diocese of the Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands