NASSAU, The Bahamas – Minister of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting, the Hon. Myles K. LaRoda, met with members of the Bahamas Christian Council and pastors from individual church groups, their media directors and other media personnel Wednesday (July 31) to discuss the first phase of the ministry’s Stronger Families Campaign.

Phase One of the initiative is expected to utilize the vast reach of the Church -- 90 per cent of Bahamians are said to be Christian and/or attend a church -- to share a “consistent message of hope, love, compassion and tolerance” to a wider section of Bahamian society through the various church media outlets that already cater to both in-house and external viewers and listening audiences through their existing radio, television and online programming.

Wednesday’s presentation and follow-up discussion provided Mr. LaRoda with an opportunity to outline his Ministry’s objectives for the campaign to the wider church community.  He was accompanied by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting, Mrs. Phedra Rahming-Turnquest, who facilitated a PowerPoint presentation that was followed by an open discussion. Senior officials from across the ministry and its various departments and divisions were also in attendance.

A partner in the Ministry’s year-round “Stronger Families Campaign” that is designed to place even greater emphasis on strengthening the family structure in-country, the Bahamas Christian Council has also agreed to integrate teachings on the family on a regular basis during their sermons.

Minister LaRoda said the message of the importance of creating and maintaining stronger families is already an area of focus by several of the ministry’s departments and/or divisions, but from different aspects. He called the partnership with the church “a natural fit.”

“We recognize the extent of the reach (of the church throughout the community). Some of the churches are well experienced with technology in getting the word out through their own media departments and media teams, and so it is a natural fit to reach out to the church for them to help partner with us in strengthening our families thereby strengthening our community, thereby strengthening our country.

“Stronger families build stronger communities and by extension a stronger nation. We have to work together if we want to change what we are seeing in the country -- brother killing brother; father killing wife; children being abused or abandoned; the use of guns and more guns.  Everything stems from the family life,” Minister LaRoda said.

“The President assured us of the support of the Christian Council in this initiative and now we want to explore how a consistent message of hope, love, compassion and tolerance can be skillfully developed and delivered through various forms of media -- all geared to encouraging a stronger family life.”

Christian Council President, Bishop Delton Fernander, said the collaboration between church and state in crafting and sharing a “consistent message of hope, love, compassion and tolerance” across denominations can help to produce positive results.

“The church is the place where we meet the needs of the holistic family. Why not collaborate with the ministry and its various departments and divisions to help fix some of the problems that we have in our country today,” Bishop Fernander said.

“(Recent statistics), indicate that more than 90 per cent of the persons in our country say that they are Christian and that they attend a church and so if there is one place that people are checking in with, whether it is online or in a physical space, it is the churches and so lending our voices in those spaces where we are every week, sometimes twice or three times a week, we believe, can help to change the narrative in our society.”