Reverend Turnbull says festival deviating from intended purpose
Chairman of the Virgin Islands Heritage Month Committee, Reverend Dr Melvin Turnbull, said the church has fumbled regarding festivals, and said celebrations over the years have been deviating from the initial purpose of emancipation festivities in the BVI.
In a recent interview on JTV 55 News, Dr Turnbull said there may be a time when the Virgin Islands cannot have festivals but there should never be a time when emancipation is not celebrated in the territory. He said people need to understand why the celebration happens — emancipation from slavery.
“At the heart of the celebration is spiritual because when the slaves were declared free, one of the things they did was go into the church and prayed and sang and for those who don’t know, the celebrations started with the church. It was the church, the Methodist and Anglican Churches, from whenever up to 1954 that alternated the leadership of the celebrations,” Dr Turnbull said.
“It was called ‘Fete on the Field’ which really was a cultural thing and a happy time. The church dropped the ball kind of, and then other organisations picked it up. So, over the years, it has shifted away from its original intentions,” the Reverend added.
He explained that people, like himself, have been trying to keep the nucleus of the celebrations and not drift too far from the original meaning of festival.
“It is our emancipation and when you behave in a certain way it shows that you are not emancipated,” he said.
The Reverend noted that most of the celebrations he described have been attributed to the festival celebrations in Easter, but he explained that although there are many festival celebrations, the territory needs to focus more on the main thing and keep the August celebrations the main thing.
“Sometimes we get fragmented and lost in the process. Again, I want to declare, since 2004, that the month of August is really our heritage month. We can have a lot of things and call them a lot of other things but really, we must never forget emancipation month. Heritage Month is August. I must add it should not be a one-month thing, we should always talk about our heritage,” Dr Turnbull said.
This year’s festival celebration is expected to open on July 27 with Gospel Night and an opening ceremony. It will close on August 5 with Carrot Bay Cultural Day, among other activities.
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It has been soing that for years sir
Start from within the home first and that includes your church.
It’s clear who is pretending to serve God and following the devil.
What kind of pastor runs poker run promoting gambling, worldly music knowing these events attract half-nakedness and alcohol.
Can’t take these people seriously!
More concerned with following the ways of the world than winning souls for Christ.
but neither is your church. Bye!
Start from within the home first and that includes your church.
It’s clear who is pretending to serve God and following the devil.
What kind of pastor runs poker run promoting gambling, worldly music knowing these events attract half-nakedness and alcohol.
Can’t take these people seriously!
More concerned with following the ways of the world than winning souls for Christ.
Start from within the home first and that includes your church.
It’s clear who is pretending to serve God and following the devil.
What kind of pastor runs poker run promoting gambling, worldly music knowing these events attract half-nakedness and alcohol.
Can’t take these people seriously!
More concerned by being accepted by people than pleasing God.
These same people lead others astray by having them think what they do is acceptable.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.
It has been doing that for years sir
Every year he going say the same s**t? Nothing in life remains the same! It is okay for the Church to be caught up and involved in everything of the world but here talking about festival? Just like we are urged to remember what Festival is about we should remember the role the Church plays in a society. Right now Church is a dress up fest as opposed to being what it used to be for the Community.
It is an ‘Emancipation’ Festival.
Are you a member of the BVI Christian council? If the answer is no, then why? And if the answer is yes, the why are you not at the meetings? That platform can be used to implement changes, just a thought….
are not the same as 188 years ago in 1834. Sadly most BVI churches and congregations are still a few generations behind even in 2022. Chances of these BVI churches and religions ever accelerating their slow pace of change is doubtful. Fortunately BVI senior citizens are glad their churches are still living in the past.
This is fast becoming a music festival
So has the church and the pastors Sir including you.
Start from within the home first and that includes your church.
It’s clear who is pretending to serve God and following the devil.
What kind of pastor runs poker run promoting gambling, worldly music knowing these events attract half-nakedness and alcohol.
Can’t take these people seriously!
More concerned with following the ways of the world than winning souls for Christ.
so what your’re saying is that the church doesn’t condone 2 weeks of out of control drinking ?
WELL LOOK WHO JUST SHOWED UP ? MR HOLINESS FINALLY GOT TURNED ON / WELL HALLELUJAH , MAKE SOME NOISE FOR THE QUIET ONE OF THE 3 HOLY PRETENDERS FROM CGB? ???
Interesting observation that one of the tools used by the colonists to control and oppress (Christianity) has been adopted and is now being brought forward as part of the emancipation festival. Seems some are not entirely free and still bound by the shackles of one of the most violent religions forced upon the masses.
This storyline again?…Lord send help! But it look like the thing starting in the church and it ending with the cultural day so I now wondering if the good pastor saw the lineup before suggesting it has lost it’s true meaning. His definition of the true meaning is church and culture fete on the field. Sigh
BEEN ON THE PRICE HAS LEFT
sir: it been started by an organization group that called them self church , its a pagan retual ceremony ,its has nothing to do with God , the true church of God doesn’t involved in these thing carnivals and worldly things , the church is all about souls, the mandate that GOD HAS GIVEN , scripture said that after the teaching of Jesus christ to the Apostles were he teaches them things portaining to the kingdom of heaven and scripture also says they turn the world upsided down ,today the world has turn the church upsided down every thing the world do the church followno descernment of spirit because there is no fear of God , people don’t want to hear nothing about carnival people needs to be saved the right way, there souls are hungry hurting not for carnival, carnival comes and goes but yours soul remain as aa matter of fact when carnival finish all it did is drawn you closer to hell , i am not bosching the world and what they do, but we are to do what we were mandated to do.
When I came here over 30+ years ago, the Festival was different. The children yes and lots of floats and floupes. The festival has truly lost its true meaning. This was a commemoration of emancipation not a carnival. Two separate things. Due to the influence of ‘other’ cultures including usvi the dynamic of carnival was introduced with the influx of the skimpy costumes, feathers et al. Seems to me that we ought to separate BVI Festival and Caribbean Carnival and have them at different times of the year. Maybe merge Caribbean Carnival with another event. In this way you keep the BVI culture clean and allow those who want a different vibe to also have their fun seeing that that is what the younger populace enjoy.