Voices of praise and reflection filled the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Creekside on Sunday as government leaders, clergy, and citizens gathered for Antigua and Barbuda’s 44th Independence Thanksgiving Service, launching a week of national celebration under the theme “Solid, Stable, Soaring.”
Governor General Sir Rodney Williams, delivering greetings, described the theme as an invitation for reflection and renewal. “Our nation has been shaped by generations who placed their faith in God and their trust in one another,” he said. “To be solid is to stand firm on the principles that define us—love of God, respect for one another, and pride in country. To be stable is to remain focused on our mission. And to be soaring is to continue building on our achievements.”
The service, attended by Acting Prime Minister Sir Steadroy Benjamin, Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle, and members of both Houses of Parliament, featured scripture readings from Isaiah 26 and Matthew 7. The passages emphasized peace, trust in God, and the importance of building a firm spiritual foundation.
Delivering the sermon, Pastor Fitzgerald Semper urged citizens to ground national progress in faith and moral integrity. Using vivid imagery of ice, cheese, and rock to illustrate varying degrees of solidity, he declared that true strength comes from being rooted in God’s unchanging character. “Trusting God and living His way is the only firm foundation for life,” he said. “If we stand firm on the rock of Jesus Christ, we will remain strong through every storm.”
Semper called on the church to lead by example, the government to promote transparency and unity, and citizens to uphold righteousness in daily life. “The political divide has even reached inside the church,” he warned. “We must break down those walls if we are to be solid as a people.”
His message drew on scripture, history, and national identity—linking the theme to the island’s moral and civic responsibilities. He praised the continuation of national prayer days, school devotion services, and the expansion of education through local institutions as “solid” initiatives, while condemning gambling, drug use, and social division as “not solid.”
The pastor concluded with three declarations, inviting all present to affirm their roles as “solid, stable, and soaring citizens of Antigua and Barbuda.”
The service closed with prayers for the nation, its leaders, and uniformed officers, offering a collective call for faith, peace, and unity as the twin-island state approaches its 44th Independence anniversary on November 1.