Posted: Thursday, December 3rd, 2015. 7:20 PM CST
By Aaron Humes: There are now two Evangelical associations in Belize. The new group, the National Evangelical Association of Belize (NEAB) left behind the Belize Association of Evangelical Churches (BAEC), accusing it of being unwilling to finalize a constitution that would make the BAEC more representative of churches countrywide.
Additionally, NEAB says their former BAEC colleagues, after kicking them out arbitrarily, took over the process to appoint a new church senator following a change in government.
Caught in the middle is that appointee, Reverend Ashley Rocke, Baptist pastor, who was nominated by the rump portion of the BAEC and approved by the Belize Council of Churches, but serves all the churches. He actually comes from the old BAEC and when we caught up with him today he said he hopes to be able to bridge the divide between the two groups.
Reverend Rocke maintains that he will be as unbiased as possible in the performance of his duties as Senator.
He already has meetings lined up with the Council of Churches and his own Belize Association of Evangelical Churches but says he does hope to meet with the new group to decide what his role should be.
All senators will attend an instructional meeting with the senate committee on Saturday ahead of their first senate working meeting on December 9th.