A time of celebration took over the inner sanctuary of the Church Of The Nazarene Bank Hall last week Sunday.
During a special service of thanksgiving to mark the 45th anniversary of Federal Motor Spares Limited, owner Gordon Alleyne was hailed as “a good man” by Reverend Dr Scofield Eversley of the Caribbean Nazarene College; “a faithful man” by Reverend Dr Orland Seale, district superintendent of the Church Of The Nazarene; and “a godly man” by Reverend Wayne Webster of Calvary Temple.
Alleyne, his wife Patricia and their son Richard were also praised and recognized for their dedication and commitment to God, the church and their business.
As he thanked those who paid him accolades, Alleyne said that the business started very modestly and recalled that on opening day – July 1, 1967 – his first and only sale was a car part worth just $1.50 at the time.
Reverend Anderson Kellman, pastor of the church, told congregants that they must always possess a spirit of thanksgiving for Almighty God.
“We are always asking God for something and not giving Him [enough] thanks,” he said.
Using Psalm 107:1 to 9 as his main text, Kellman said: “The Psalmist exhorts us to give thanks to the Lord for He is good. We know we serve an excellent God when we consider where we have been and what we are going through.”
He added: “He is also a God whose faithful love endures forever. It [His love] is tried, tested and faithful to the very end. Even when we do not deserve it, God’s love is faithful.”
Telling the congregation that God “redeems, rescues and repatriates” us, Kellman added that the principal attributes of God “is that we serve a God who cares; a God who comes to us Himself amid the challenges of our lives and takes care of our situations”.
The preacher also told his listeners: “We serve a God who comes to us in the midst of our difficulties. He came through for Israel when they were facing seeming starvation.
“We serve a God who comes in the midst of our situations to rescue us, like He rescued His disciples in the storm. We serve a God who does not leave us or forsake us, therefore, we should give Him thanks.
“We ought to be a thankful people because God has been faithful to us as a country and as a people. We should explode with worship to Him for His goodness. He is the God of yesterday and of yesteryear.
“No matter what situation you are in today, God is well able. He is a waymaker – the way, the truth and the life,” Kellman declared.
