“The elders who do the church’s work well are worth twice as much honour,” the Bible says (1 Timothy 5:17), and it is that sentiment that has led to a weeklong celebration at Christ Anglican Church of Devonshire called “The Appreciation Project” to bring honour to Canon James Francis, and his wife Audrée, for their more than 50 years of service to the church.“They were murmuring about it,” admitted Canon Francis with a smile who was surprised when the intent and details were brought to his attention last year by a committee from within the church.Initially, he didn’t want all the attention.“I have this thing that you get rewarded at the end,” he added, but he ended up agreeing to the plans. “I’m an emotional person — if they think that much of me, then I shouldn’t stand in their way.”Canon Francis first felt the call into ministry when he was about 11 or 12 years of age.“I was born, raised and baptised in the Anglican church,” he said.However, when his parents came to Bermuda, due to segregation they ended up worshipping at Angle Street with many of the other West Indians on the Island, under the preaching of the Rev. EB Grant.“He was a very bright, almost genius preacher — an artist, a linguist,” and his preaching greatly influenced the very young James Francis towards ministry and service.However, young James did not want to go into just any ministry.“It had to be solid with some sense of direction, and I had to be trained and get the best training I could.”Unfortunately, he was told that within the Anglican community, there was, “No place for natives in the church in Bermuda.”Thankfully, Rev Thomley and his wife, who served in the AME church, took several young men, including Canon Francis, under their wings, to guide and direct them towards full-time service. Eventually, he went on to study at Wilberforce University and Payne Seminary, and then at Baxley Hall, which is a part of Kenyon College, all in Ohio, before being ordained as a deacon in 1959, and then as a priest in 1961.Throughout his years of ministry, and even today, Canon Francis has had several goals in ministry, the most important being the enlightening and enabling of the Anglican church.“I see the need for Anglican church to wake up from their sleep and rediscover their true mission and vision,” he said.“We’ve been called to do something with all the talents and blessings we’ve been given, speaking to and for the people of Bermuda, helping raise up young people so we are not dependent on foreign missionaries, re-establish our connection with Canterbury, and for our young people to be the best trained [in ministry] for not only the sacraments, but evangelism, planning and finances.”He sees that the independence of the Anglican Church in Bermuda it falls directly under the Archbishop of Canterbury, the traditional head of the Anglican communion, may have hurt the church in Bermuda as a whole.“I think we’re out here by ourselves, we have no connection with a larger body. Every other denomination has an association with a group outside of Bermuda, but we have no real connection. The time has come for the church to broaden its mission field and become a part of the worldwide Anglican community.”Canon also sees that the Bermudian church needs to develop its own flavour.“The church in Bermuda was always more British than the British themselves. There is a need for liturgy that embraces Bermuda and its culture to be developed.”Within the church, there is also a need for greater unity and vision, particularly in terms of encouraging and ministering to the people of Bermuda.“On a whole, there are churches doing well, but as a whole ... we don’t have that common goal and vision. We’re a sleeping giant, waiting to be aroused and waiting for the vision to respond to God’s will.”He really hopes that the church will learn to give the people a voice, and when they don’t know what direction to follow, help them know what they want to do, then help them to do it.Experience in ministry in the US helped Canon Francis to broaden this understanding.“Individual churches didn’t have a lot of money,” he explained, but when they pooled their resources and opened it up for ideas and proposals from throughout the diocese to be submitted, a joint committee was then able to select those they thought would best utilwze the funds and maximise efforts within the community.”However, he also believes that the community needs to take on the responsibility, especially when a ministry or programme is serving that community well.“Here, everyone’s doing their own thing. We need to pool our resources and bring coordination. We also need to require people [being helped] to give something back.”Unfortunately, he sees that many in Bermuda have a vain sense of entitlement.He understands that many need help, and therefore they should be helped, however, people shouldn’t just be given jobs, because they deserve jobs.“Be positive — everyone deserves a chance. Equip them to do the best job, and then monitor to make sure they’re being effective. If they are not able or capable, transition them to what they can do to be effective.”When it comes to the global Anglican community, Canon Francis is quite excited to see what will happen as a new Archbishop of Canterbury is named, following the conclusion of Rowan Williams term of service at the end of this year.“The new Archbishop must bring his true self and not be a carbon copy,” Rev. Francis shared.He thinks it is wonderful that Rev. John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, is a possibility, as tradition has held that the Archbishop of York be the next in line to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury, and he hopes that neither his race or his African birthplace would stand in the way He also s. ees it as exciting that the Gospel is making a full circle, having been first brought to Africa by those from the British Isles, and now, through Archbishop Sentamu making its way back to England.