Church and State Deepen Partnership at Religious Affairs Retreat

Religious leaders from across Belize met in the city today as government and church representatives took another step toward strengthening their working relationship. The Ministry of Religious Affairs brought faith leaders together for a retreat led by Minister Dr. Louis Zabaneh and CEO Chester Williams, opening the door to deeper collaboration on national issues. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with the following story.

 

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Religious leaders from across the country gathered in Belize City today, answering a call from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. At a special retreat, church leaders met with Minister Dr. Louis Zabaneh and CEO Chester Williams, as the ministry continues its push to strengthen ties with faith-based groups. Since taking on the portfolio, Dr. Zabaneh has been working closely with the religious community, and today’s meeting marked another step in that ongoing collaboration.

 

Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Religious Affairs

“We have a foundation for all of us with respect to our work in the religious community, our work in the public sphere, our work in the private sphere. There’s a foundation that has been set that is to guide us, especially in terms of nationhood. I look forward to us continuing to define and prioritize those special areas that we need to work on together.”

 

Archbishop Philip Wright kept it simple today: the church isn’t trying to replace or compete with the state. He said its job is to connect communities, defend human dignity, and speak truth with compassion. He added that government must protect the vulnerable and work for justice. Real progress, the President of the Belize Council of Churches said, only happens when both sides respect each other, keep talking, and put people first.

 

Archbishop Philip Wright, President, Belize Council of Churches

“The church’s role in society has never been to replace the state, nor to compete with it, but to help form connections, uphold human dignity and speak truth rooted in love. The state, in turn, bears the solemn responsibility of ensuring justice, peace, and the common good for all, especially the most vulnerable, the weak, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised. True partnership between church and state flourishes where there is mutual respect, open dialogue, and a shared commitment to the dignity of every person.”

 

CEO Chester Williams says the government must rethink how it works with the church, stressing that Belize represents everyone, not just one slice of society.

 

Chester Williams, CEO, Ministry of Religious Affairs

“Certainly there’s a lot that needs to be done with respect to the church/state relationship that we have in this country. I do believe that Belize is still a Christian nation, as many of us are God-fearing. But while we have that belief, we, as a government, will have to look at the broader picture, the broader scope of things. And while working with the Christians, we must also seek to see how we can strike the balance with those who are non-Christians, and those who are Christians but have different beliefs than we do. As a country, as a government, we represent everybody, and not just a fraction of society.”

 

Reverend Lloyd Stanford says evangelical churches are pushing for unity despite their differences, hoping today’s forum helps them fully grasp the challenges facing Belizean society.

 

Reverend Lloyd Standford, President, Belize Association of Evangelical Churches

“We seek to carry this out through a unified effort among ourselves, recognizing all the doctrinal differences that we have but we respect each one of them as we seek to carry out the mandate that God has given to us. My prayer is that, as we meet in this forum today, that we will get a better understanding of the scope of the challenges that we have in this society.”

 

And as that dialogue continues, today’s retreat closed with a shared push for unity and a clearer path forward on how church and state can work together for the country’s good. Isani Cayetano for News Five.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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