Bishop Lawrence Rolle has commended Min. of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell, for Minister Campbell’s insistence and persistence in ensuring that the “Singing Bishop’s” Feeding Ministry be registered under the country’s Non- Profit Organizations Act, 2019. The registration means that the Feeding Ministry now meets the requisite compliance structures contained in the Non-Profit Organizations Act, 2019 – a position that will provide the Feeding Ministry with greater opportunities to seek grant funding at the governmental, national, regional and international levels, thereby further expanding its reach. The Feeding Ministry is now also eligible to be included in, and has been included, in the Government’s list of programmes to which subsistence is provided.
Addressing persons attending a mid-afternoon service (Wednesday, May 12) at his International Praying Deliverance Ministries (Second Street, Coconut Grove), Bishop Rolle told the congregation that he was initially hesitant to follow through on the recommendation because the Feeding Ministry was something that was placed in his heart by God ever since he was a boy; that admittedly, he had brief knowledge about the workings of a Foundation, and that as his Church Ministry was the licensed authority for all of his works, he had to give consideration to under which banner the Feeding Ministry would fall.
“I did not want the Feeding Ministry to go underneath the church and so absolutely he (Minister Campbell) was the one who pushed and pushed and in some parts of the pushing, I was mad, I was very mad, I was very distraught because I did not know anything about how a Foundation works. They invited me to one of the banks and the bank (confirmed what they were saying). Right from the bank, I went straight to the lawyer and he also (confirmed) what the bank had said. This ministry (Church Ministry) is licensed and so I do everything underneath this ministry. When it came to my Feeding Ministry to go underneath this church, I said no, no, no.
Another Pastor could take this over, but not my Feeding Ministry. God gave me that from a little boy. “And so upon the release, we took the $5000 cheque and we registered the Foundation and we now have the papers to prove that. You have to give people their flowers while they are living. I thank God for this Honourable Minister. He speaks truth.”
Campbell, addressing the congregation of International Praying Deliverance
Ministries during their mid-afternoon service Wednesday (May 12, 2021).
Bishop Lawrence Rolle is in background. (BIS Photo/Matt Maura)
Min. Campbell said the idea was proposed to Bishop Rolle earlier in the year and was taken in the context of the Gospel of Matthew, 4:19 which reads thus: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” The Social Services Minister said officials at the Ministry and its Department of Gender and Family Affairs, in conjunction with colleagues at the Office of the Attorney General and several of Units/Departments, have undertaken the process of registering the country’s Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) who have come forth to be registered as NPOs since 2020.
The registrations mean that the registrants now meet the requisite compliance structures contained in the Non-Profit Organization Act, 2019, that will allow them greater opportunities to access grant funding at the national, regional and international levels.
“These are the kinds of things that we have done, that we continue to do — without any kind of fanfare, without looking for, or receiving, any kind of recognition – in order to ensure that our organizations receive subsistence because we realize that no government can do it alone, and so these partnerships are important to the work of the Bahamian people. These partnerships are important to ensure that no one is left behind,” Minister Campbell said.
“When I became Minister, there was, and continues to be, a list of non- governmental/non-profit organizations that the Government, through the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development, provides subsistence to.
“Bishop Rolle’s Feeding Ministry was not a part of that list and so the Bishop and I had a number of conversations towards enabling his Feeding Ministry to be able to benefit from that process, while also being able to fish in other ponds at the national, regional and international levels. We could have taken the easy route which would have been to keep giving the Bishop one little fish every now and then, but the decent thing to do would have been/is to ensure that the Bishop could fish for himself, and so we
encouraged him to form a Foundation, because as a real fisherman, the Bishop and his Foundation could continue to fish not only in the pond of the Government, but to also fish in regional ponds and in international ponds.
“I’ve come today to say that in the upcoming budget, the Bishop’s Feeding Foundation will be an official part of our subsistence list, and I am going to be honest with you, like we do with all of our organizations, it’s not for publicity; it’s not for any kind of attention, but it is to ensure that the government has the kinds of partnerships that are necessary to reach every nook and cranny to ensure that those that are vulnerable amongst us will get some assistance,” Min. Campbell added. Minister Campbell applauded Bishop Rolle for his work and encouraged individual persons, companies and/or groupings to partner with the Ministry and indeed the government.
“My commitment to partnership is as strong today, as it was when I first took office,” Minister Campbell said. “I invite anybody else who is minded to partner with the government to help those who are less fortunate among us. I am minded to speak to good, corporate citizens. I am minded to talk to small groups, I am minded to talk to individuals who feel that God has so blessed them, that they want to bless somebody else.” Minister Campbell drew attention to one such grouping – the Parking Lot Crew. The group collected funds amongst themselves and purchased grocery items to assist Bishop Rolle’s Feeding Ministry.
“I have a group of friends that I spoke with some time back and I spoke with them again recently and so on behalf of that group of my personal friends, I want to say that we put together a couple of our personal dollars and we purchased some groceries and we want to give you this receipt from the Parking Lot Crew. We ask that you keep us covered in prayer, that God will continue to bless us, and we will continue to Bless You.”
Bishop Rolle’s Feeding Ministry was also presented with Gift Certificates from the Lenny Kravitz ‘Let Love Rule’ Foundation by Ms. Kim Sawyer, Acting Director, the Department of Social Services. The ‘Let Love Rule’ Foundation also donated to the Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19 relief efforts.
