The recent men’s conference held under the theme “Facing The Challenges of a Post-Truth Society” was no doubt a success as it saw men from across Guyana, gather to discuss and be instructed on a myriad of issues. The setup provided a safe space to collate and ask the kind of questions that confront their realities.
The first session was held at First Assembly of God, Wortmanville (see: The Language of a Post-Truth Society), and followed the usual church service format, along with the feature ‘Man talk’. The remaining three nights, however, stepped away from the norm and were presented as panel discussions. Attendees participated in praise and worship and were treated to steelpan selections and other artistic offerings. The panel discussions were held at the Parfaite Harmonie Outstation, the Blacka Bridge in Sophia, and First Assembly of God, Wortmanville, Louisa Rowe Parking Lot, respectively. The panels boasted an impressive line-up, each panelist proficient in his field. Panelists included Bishop Dr Murtland Raphael Massiah, Reverend Winston Assanah, Reverend Dr Marcel Hutson, Reverend Randolph Singh, Reverend Anthony Semple, Pastor Dr Wilbert Lee, Assistant Pastors Dellon Thompson, Joshua Griffith, and Nyvin John, Elder Wesley Adams, and Deacons Orson Smith and Martin Massiah.
A range of topics stemming from the theme arose from the floor and in many instances, lively debates ensued. Of great interest was the question of the church’s response, should the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community be successful in lobbying to legalise same-sex marriage.
General remarks from the panel highlighted that the Bible prepares us for what will happen in the last days and as such, it is not surprising if it happens. They posited that pastors and ministers who are marriage officers will have to decide whether they will obey the Word of God or obey the laws of the land. There was a consensus that the church should not bow down to the laws of the land that contradict the laws of God. It was said that most marriage officers (including those on the panel) would prefer to set aside their licenses than perform same-sex weddings. One contributor declared that the Scriptures reveal that when post-truth is matured, it produces madness, confusion, and destruction, therefore, our strategy, our approach, and our resistance need to be tailor-made to counter such threats.
Audience feedback included references to times past when the militancy of the church and other religious bodies caused a planned LGBTQ parade to be canceled. The floor contended that the church is “loudly silent” and allowed the last pride parade to happen uncontested. The question of the corporate response of the church concerning the wanton display of homosexual acts in our streets was also raised. In addressing the question, reference was made to Jesus Who operated in a post-truth society controlled by the Romans. It was explained that Jesus preached the Gospel and set the captive free while declaring truth wherever He went, while there were those that He needed to be more militant and match the Roman’s aggression with aggression. It was explained that if the church takes up the role of aggressor, we would not be fulfilling our role to go into the world and preach the gospel, make disciples, and declare truth.
The audience queried about the parental approach to children who prefer same-sex relationships. They heard that parents should expose their children to the Word of God, so ultimately when faced with anything that is contrary to their foundational teaching, they are equipped to recognise it for what it is. They were also told that the team was not advocating homophobia but instead was admonishing the gathering to teach their children God’s law and be responsible for their choices. The men, however, were encouraged to love their children by the grace of God, regardless of their sexual preferences.
On the question of secular humanism, a young audience member in his preamble said that one of the arguments for secular humanism contends that Christian denominations have different interpretations of the Scriptures. As such, the church may have been incorrect in its doctrinal stance. He wanted to know the church’s response to secular humanism. The youngster was informed that from time immemorial, there have always been varying interpretations of the Word of God. However, certain core values of the faith remain consistent, and failure to live by those core values is tantamount to denying Christ.
Also noteworthy for its engaging discussion, was the diminishing role of the man as head of the home in a post-truth society. It was the general belief of the panel that God is a God of order, and He created certain structures and one such is the family in which men were given the responsibility to lead. It was explained that whenever men abscond from their responsibility there is chaos, the family degenerates and there is a perpetuation of poverty when they are not in place. The attendees were told that notwithstanding the fact that every relationship has quarrels and disagreements, it is difficult to envisage a man loving his wife and receiving such resistance that his leadership is threatened.
The issue erupted into a spirited debate when a statement made by Bishop Massiah was challenged by an attendee. The Bishop exegeted the Word of God in Ephesians 5:23, stating that God has placed man at the head, and every woman has a right to choose who will be her head. He emphasised that the man is mandated to love his wife as Christ loves the church. When the Bishop juxtaposed the love of Christ for the Church with the love of a husband for his wife and concluded that “a man must be prepared to give up everything”, the questioner shouted from his seat “I do not agree with that”. He further explained, “In the context of everything I don’t see that happening in the lane of leadership”. Bishop Massiah repeated the biblical injunction, whereby the man interjected by saying, “Christ does not love the church for what is not right, therefore, as a man I can’t give up everything when I know that things are wrong and ah gat the right to address it”. Explaining further, the man argued that when the Bishop said “give up everything”, some men falsely run with the idea that they have to love their wife, and if she demands anything, whether he has it or not he has to provide it because he loves her. Clarifying, Bishop Massiah countered that he (Bishop Massiah) only examined one part of the equation but the biblical instruction came to both the man and the woman. The Bishop stated that the woman received the instruction to submit to her own husband, and the reason the woman has to pay that heavy price is that the man is paying a greater price since he is required to love his wife unconditionally. The man shouted out “wonderful”. Continuing, the Bishop declared that submission is only required where there is love and a woman would not run away from love if a man loves his wife unconditionally as Christ loves the church. The Bishop also reminded the male gathering that God loves us irrespective of how much we sin, and that we as men must exhibit that type of love for our wives.
The issue of domestic violence was also foremost. In large part, Bishop Massiah took the lead on this matter. He highlighted the high incidences of domestic violence in our country which oftentimes lead to the death of women. He acknowledged that there are a few cases of men being physically abused by their spouses and that these acts of violence are not likely to be reported because of the shame culture. He quoted the lyrics of the Mighty Sparrow which advocated the treatment men should mete out to their wives, that “every now and then cuff them down, they love you long and they love you strong, black up their eyes, bruise up the knees, then they love you eternally”. Notwithstanding that sociologists caused him to amend his lyrics to “then they leave you eternally”, the song added fuel to the domestic violence culture. He noted that some men still hold the view that the best way to deal with their wives is to subdue them. He reminded the gathering of the Apostle Paul’s instruction that husbands must love their wives as Christ loves the Church and gave Himself for it. He cautioned men not to use brute force and ignorance to coerce their wives into submission. He noted that the aforementioned Scripture was not post-truth, but the inspired Word of God.
Delicate marital and financial issues were heard and discussed intuitively and with emotional intelligence over the nights. As the conference progressed, it became clear that it was a haven of sorts for men to abandon their societal-expected bravado and confront the issues close to their hearts.
It was evident that the empathy and experience of the panelists provided much-needed resolution and to some degree, healing for those in attendance.
The four-day Men’s Conference was an overwhelming success. The evil imposition of the poisonous post-truth indoctrination was exposed for its folly in all areas of its operations, covering the social, economic, and political landscape. There is a need for the resurgence of the biblical Truth in our nation, which would enable the saints to uproot, expose and expel the deeds of darkness. Let’s heed the clarion call children of God, and remember the famous line from Martin Carter… ‘all are involved, all are consumed’.
