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NASSAU: Father Boyd Confirmed As Archbishop Gomez's Successor
By Bianca Symonette
The Bahama Journal
4/4/2006
With the unanimous confirmation from the House of Bishops, Anglican priest Father Laish Boyd has now assumed the title of Bishop Coadjutor-Elect of the Diocese of The Turks and Caicos Islands, Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez announced on Wednesday.
The rector of the Holy Cross Anglican Church emerged as the archbishop's successor on February 23 after an intensive round of voting at the Holy Trinity Activity Centre.
The archbishop, who attended a meeting of the House of Bishops in Barbados on March 21, said that the bishops agreed to hold the ordination and consecration of Father Boyd at 10am on June 29 at Christ Church Cathedral.
Archbishop Gomez said that because of events at Holy Cross Parish related to the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the parish, he has agreed to delay Father Boyd's full time attendance at the diocesan office.
"As of June 29 he will provide Episcopal assistance to the [diocese] on a schedule fixed by the [diocese]," he said. "The date for his fulltime participation at the diocesan office will be announced later."
As the Bishop Coadjutor-elect, Father Boyd is also expected to participate in ordinations and confirmations and attend diocesan meetings and functions.
Archbishop Gomez said that Father Boyd will assume administrative duties on a part time basis first before assuming full term duties towards the end of this year.
He said during the transitional period, Father Boyd will be functioning as a bishop.
While the process for selecting a rector for Holy Cross has not started as yet, Archbishop Gomez explained how this will be carried out.
"Regulations require that the parish produce a parish profile and the bishop meets in consultation with the vestry and out of the consultation the bishop will give names and the vestry responds and thus making an appointment of a new rector," he said.
Archbishop Gomez said the new rector will be appointed by the end of the year.
As for the resignation of Archdeacon I. Ranfurly Brown, the rector of Christ the King Anglican Church, Archbishop Gomez said that that decision has been quashed.
Father Brown resigned as archdeacon following the election of the new coadjutor bishop.
He was reportedly disappointed that he had not gotten the kind of support in the election that he had apparently been promised.
However, Archbishop Gomez said the reason for his resignation was not satisfactory and he (the archbishop) refused to accepted it.
"The matter has been addressed and it's now a matter of history and no longer a concern," Archbishop Gomez said. "He is still the archdeacon I did not accept the letter of resignation. I did not deem it appropriate given the circumstances."
Meanwhile, the diocese is hosting its first Diocesan Grand Recognition Ball on April 28 at the Radisson Cable Beach Resort.
Archbishop Gomez said the objective of the ball is to recognize and give thanks for the contributions made by members of the church at the diocesan level.
The honorees of the ball include Sir Orville Turnquest, Basil Sands, Arthur Sherman, Dean Foster Pestaina (decreased), Rev. Canon Neil Roach and Rev. Canon Dudley Strachan.
The archbishop hopes the event takes place annually.
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