The Bahama Journal has selected Anglican Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the West Indies Drexel Gomez "Man Of The Year 2003".

The Archbishop was chosen because of his impact to Anglicanism worldwide.

Archbishop Gomez acknowledged that his role in impacting regional and international issues began from as far back as when he served as the Bishop of Barbados.

Although not taking credit for the defeat of political leaders like former Guyana Prime Minister Forbes Burnham and former Barbados Prime Minister Errol Barrow, Archbishop Gomez suggested that the way those leaders treated him did account for their eventual removal from office.

"[Prime Minister Errol Barrow] had an overwhelming majority and [in] the elections held the next year he only retained four seats and so it was quite clear that it was the result of his bad behaviour," Archbishop Gomez said.

"I certainly spoke out very strongly against Mr. Burnham and the way in which they were acting and I led a Caribbean conference of churches delegation to Guyana that led to the defeat of [Guyana former political leader] Desmond Hoyte."

Archbishop Gomez said in his communication with members of the clergy he often advises them to be consistent in their messages.

"When one decides that one will speak in the public arena the essential quality required is consistency," Archbishop Gomez said. "You cannot appear to be one-sided and showing partiality so I always spoke to issues not to personalities."

When asked if he thought he had become too assertive or outspoken in the political affairs of some Caribbean countries during his time as Bishop of Barbados, the archbishop said there were occasions when he had "perhaps been a little too strong."

"In my dealing with [former Barbados leader Sir Lloyd Erskine] Sandiford]...the principle was correct, but perhaps a little too strong, but there was no compromise on the issue itself and the principle," he said.

The archbishop explained that he views himself as a regionalist because of the role that he has played in impacting matters of regional concern. He also noted his increasing influence in international matters.

"Only recently have I been involved on the international scene as a primate of the Anglican communion," he said. "I have been privileged to represent a fairly large block of that communion, for example, at the last conference in London I spoke on behalf of about two-thirds of the Anglican communion."

Addressing the evolving move toward increased globalisation, Archbishop Gomez expressed several concerns.

"It was quite clear that the forces that were promoting globalisation led to the increase of the riches of the rich at the expense of the poor and this is particularly the case in some small nation states," he said.

Caption: Drexel Gomez

Posted: Thursday January 8, 2004