7 News Belize

NGC Considering Stirm’s Apology
posted (April 12, 2016)
While we had the opportunity, we asked these Garifuna elders if they accept Pastor Scott Stirm's apology. 11 days ago, the National Evangelical Association of Belize called a press conference in which Stirm apologised, but members of the Garifuna community who back Stirm also declared their support for what he had to say about the revered Dugu ceremony.

We got a reaction from the NGC today, and here's what they told us:

Roy Cayetano, Advisor, National Garifuna Council
"If I may, my own thinking is that the gentleman is irrelevant. His marshaling Garifuna people to speak against their own people is evidence of a serious weakness in the socialization of our people and the schooling that our people get. Whoever reported to him was lying and he perpetuated the lies."

Jerris Valentine, Senior Member, Garifuna Community
"We have been pointed out, that we are singled out, and attacked even because of who we are and what we practice, mostly because of our spirituality. There was a group of people who were sent to Dangriga to civilize the devil worshiping Garifuna in that community, that's recorded, that's written. There have been churches that excommunicated members because of our spirituality. so we have been the target, our spirituality has been targeted by so many and today, survival day, I think we should celebrate our survivability from all of these powerful forces."

President Robert Mariano says that the Council has to meet to decide what formal response they will send back to the Stirm and the National Evangelical Council of Belize.

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