Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/3898/-1/135/
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Rev. Dr. Niles: THE CHURCH IS RELEVANT No One Will Control It
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One of Anguilla’s most outspoken and passionate Clerics, the Reverend Dr. H. Clifton Niles, has set out four of the principles which have guided his ministry over the years and which he intends to carry forward in his homeland.
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Rev. Dr. H. Clifton Niles
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The just-arrived Superintendent of the Anguilla Methodist Circuit outlined his objectives on Sunday, September 3, at the Bethel Church, as he responded to the welcome from representatives of the five congregations on the island. In the prayerful words of Supernumerary Minister, Reverend Dr. Dr. S. Wilfred Hodge, Reverend Niles was being welcomed “to his home circuit, home church and home people.”
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Reverend Niles and family
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And Reverend Niles made his home-coming clear. “I look forward to your honour, support, respect and love in my own homeland and I promise the same,” he told the church folk. His previous posting for four years had been in the St.Maarten/St. Martin Circuit, a step nearer home for him after studying and serving in the regional and international fields.
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The Ebenezer Choir
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The South Hill born Reverend Niles, who is likely in five or so years to join five noble Supernumeraries who have returned home permanently, is accompanied by his wife, Teacher Ruth, formerly of Sandy Ground.
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The Bethel Choir
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“I have one aim to gain in Anguilla: to promote the cause of Christ through the Methodist Church first of all and through the Christian community in general,” he stated. “Everything I do, whether you like it or you don’t, will spring from this desire to promote the work of Christ, to strengthen the witness of the Church, to make the Church relevant.”
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Retired Methodist Ministers and others
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One of the four guiding principles of his ministry he spoke about “is the principle of the inclusiveness of the Church,” he emphasised. “The Church does not belong to any particular family or group; and no particular family or group must manage the Church. Where that is the case and I see it, I will break it up. No individuals, no group, no family will control the Church and have a stranglehold on it. That will be offensive to God.” Noting that there was a conspicuous absence of children and young people at the welcome service, he said: “Part of that inclusiveness is to give to our children and young people a high profile in the life of the Church.”
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The Immanuel Choir
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He continued on: “The second principle is that of human development…It has been a principle of mine, a guiding, motivating factor in my ministry, to develop people through knowledge and information so that they grow in knowledge even as they grow in grace…Programmes in the Church, suggestions, efforts and energies, as in the past, will be spent to develop every member…As we grow in knowledge we will grow in our commitment and our discipleship. Education then, will be a high priority – not just religious education about the Methodist Church, who are we, where we come from, what we are here for and where we are going - but the Christian Church on a whole: education in general.
“The third principle that has guided me in my ministry is the relevance of the Church. The Church is not a dinosaur: an ancient, outdated, outmoded institution…I believe Anguilla needs to hear the relevance of the Church and each of us needs to rise up to emphasise that the Church is relevant to every aspect of society. There are always people in the community who wish to relegate the Church to some remote, irrelevant entity, and unfortunately, there are some of us within the Church who by our own actions and attitudes contribute towards the irrelevance of the Church…Anguilla needs the Church.
“The fourth guiding principle is that wherever I go, I pray God that I make a positive difference…I am not a radical. I am somewhat traditional, but I seek to make a difference in the name of Christ…I am not a person who feels that my ideas must be the only ideas that work. I welcome suggestions, debate and discussion. I don’t tolerate rudeness or disrespect. We can be frank and open, but respectful…We will together, as a Church, make a positive difference in Anguilla.
“As one coming in the island, you see the deterioration in the community; the lowering of standards; the toleration that is given to ideas, concepts and moral principles which are unchristian; the acceptance of foreign ideas that do not benefit our spiritual and cultural development. We are calling on you to help reverse the downward trend and make a positive difference for the development of the island.”
Reverend Niles exhorted the Methodists to be “Loyal and loving; insightful and reformed, be Godly in whatever you do, be honest and be trustworthy… and be the light and salt of the earth.”
Reverend Niles, who was born on October 19, 1941, is the fourth son in a family of eight brothers and one sister. Over the years he taught in Anguilla; attended the United Theological College in Jamaica; Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, where he completed the MA degree with emphasis on the Bible; Union Theological Seminary in Virginia where he completed the TH.M. Degree with emphasis on the Old Testament and later completed the Ph. D. programme, but for the dissertation; and Emery University, where he completed the Doctor of Divinity programme. Later on he completed the MBA programme in Church Management at Graduate Theological Foundation. He did other courses in England, Germany, USA, Malawi, Singapore and in the Caribbean. He was a Lecturer at the United Theological College of the West Indies; Secretary of the Connexional Conference of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas and President of the Leeward Islands District.
His wife, Mrs. Ruth Niles, taught in Anguilla and was trained at the Antigua Teachers’ College. She and Reverend Niles are the parents of two sons, three daughters and five grandchildren.
The Minister and his family were welcomed to Anguilla by Principal Assistant Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, Evalie Bradley, who is also a Lay Preacher; Assistant Anglican Priest, Reverend Menes Hodge on behalf of the Anguilla Christian Council; and Circuit Steward Cecil Niles who, like Mrs. Bradley, spoke about some of the challenges facing the Minister. Ms Muriel Smith, the Leeward Islands’ District Treasurer and an Anguillian residing in St. Thomas, where Rev. Niles served, spoke highly about him and called on all to support his ministry.
The order of the service was conducted by Reverend James Richardson, the second Methodist Minister on the island.