President of the Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, Rev. Philip McPhee is lamenting about Junkanoo hurting church attendance on watch night.
McPhee told ZNS News, “just about every Pastor that I have spoken to has echoed the sentiments that this watch night celebration has been the most devastating watch night in the history of this country. Our people did not come to their churches as they should. They prepare themselves for Junkanoo more than giving God thanks for bringing them to the last day of the year.”
Rev. McPhee is calling for consultation ahead of the Junkanoo parades. ”We welcome Junkanoo. We appreciate Junkanoo. We are part of Junkanoo. It’s our culture but we must not give Junkanoo the priority of preventing our children to turn and walk away from what is spiritual and needed to build a stronger families at Christmas and watch night.”
This year’s New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade began at 2 am.
