We are called to serve – Brian Burke

“I CHALLENGE ALL our leaders, those in leadership capacity this morning, in light of all that God has done for us as a people, as an expression of gratitude to God, lead in a manner that honours.”

This was the appeal of teacher, Brian Burke as he addressed public servants at a church service last week Monday, June 20 to kick start a week of activities to mark Public Service Week, 2022.

“God wants you to be fair and just to those whom he has placed under your care. God wants you to create an environment that your workers can thrive and not die. God wants you this morning, as leaders… to make amends for all your errors that you have made,” stated Burke, a teacher at the Emanuel High School.

He was delivering the sermon at the church service at the New Testament Church of God, at Wilson Hill, Kingstown, the first activity in the celebrations.

“God this morning is calling on all the leaders where you are wrong, to make it right,” the teacher said.

Burke who holds a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, and is a graduate of the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Institute of Theological Education, challenged the public servants, that as expressions of gratitude to God, “…we do our work with integrity, that we do it with all our hearts, as unto GOD and not to please men, that we do our work, not because the boss is watching.”

Burke who is also the Caribbean Director for Community Bible study, International, and a national volleyball coach, told the gathering that public servants should honour God with their work.

“God wants us to buck up. God wants us as public servants to understand that our work ethic is an expression of our gratitude to God. Remember, God is not just concerned about our thanks-giving, God wants our thanks-living.”

Meanwhile, Minister of the of Public Service, Consumer Affairs, and Sports, Frederick Stephenson expressed disappointment at the number of civil servants who attended Monday morning’s church service. Of the hundreds of persons in the Public Service, only about 75 civil servants were in attended the service.

“I know what I am going to say next, and I am going to say it anyway. Some people may be vex with me,” Stephenson said. “I am a civil servant too, having joined in 1988. But when we have an activity of this nature, and the ministries are asked to send representatives, and you come to the service and see less than the minimum of persons in the public service attending, you feel disheartened. And you feel that what you have been doing over the last couple of weeks to promote this activity was a waste of time.”

Over the past weeks, there has been a number of public awareness activities to mobilise support for the observance of Public Service Week. Minister Stephenson added, “I do not know how some people feel but that is how I feel. And if I feel so that is my own feeling.”

A number of other activities will be held over the next few days as part of the Week of activities, and Stephenson used the opportunity to “implore” civil servants to participate in greater numbers.

“There is one civil service in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and we must all as public servants remember that,” he said. “Sometimes you hear on the streets or persons would come to my office, or they would go to another member of the Cabinet Office and you would hear persons speaking about civil servants; sometimes what they say is not always the truth.

“But most times, there is some truth in what members of the public say. We are public servants, and why we are public servants; because we are called to serve the public.” Stephenson further stated that: “At all times, we should do so with a sense of understanding that all persons are not the same. We have members of our community who would not understand, how nicely you put the English language to them.You have to put what you say, so that persons would be able to understand,” he said as he addressed those in the pews. “We have to understand the limitations of the members of the public who come to us from time to time and some of them get the run around in some ministries, and departments”.

The Minister also chastised public servants who “feel that you own your department and your ministry so that nobody should come there to inquire about anything and to ask you about anything because you feel entitled to this or to that. But remember, [what] the civil service orders say when you get your letter of appointment. Do not think here is yours. Because when you think so, you can be transferred to any other department within the government service at a short notice”.

He therefore encouraged civil servants to appreciate each other at all times.

“Today, we are going to enjoy ourselves by giving thanks to God, and pray that everything goes well. So when we leave here with a mountaintop experience, let us go back to our workplaces to make St.Vincent and the Grenadines and the public service, a better place for all of us to live in.”

Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves was unable to attend Monday’s church service because he was still in quarantine, having tested positive for COVID-19 last week; he has working from home as a result.