Diocese Ordains the Revs. Anatol Ferguson and Tristan Lockhart to the Sacred Priesthood at Christ Church Cathedral

On Friday, July 11, 2025, the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas & The Turks and Caicos Islands gathered under the vaulted ceiling of Christ Church Cathedral in Nassau to witness the ordination of the Rev’d Anatol Allison Ringel Ferguson and Fr. Tristan Derone Lockhart to the sacred priesthood. Held on the Feast of St. Benedict of Nursia, the service drew clergy and lay people from Grand Bahama, Exuma, New Providence, and beyond, filling the historic Cathedral with praise, and prayer.

The Rt. Rev’d and Rt. Hon. Laish Z. Boyd, Diocesan Bishop, presided over the service. The Cathedral’s program was rich with Anglican liturgy and music. The combined choirs of Christ the King (Nassau) and St. Andrew’s (Exuma) opened with “Thy Hand, O God, Has Guided,” followed by readings from Isaiah, Ephesians, and Matthew. Psalm 84, which speaks of longing to dwell in the house of the Lord, was sung with solemn reverence.

As the Rev’d Ferguson and Fr. Lockhart lay prostrate during the Litany for Ordinations, the congregation prayed for God’s mercy and the grace of the Holy Spirit. This posture of humility set the stage for the laying on of hands, when Bishop Boyd and clergy invoked the Spirit over the ordinands. Each was vested with a stole and chasuble, their hands anointed, and they were presented with the Bible, chalice, and paten that would now define their ministry.

The Rev. Oswald Pinder of Grand Bahama preached a sermon that cut to the heart of what it means to be a priest. Drawing from John 21, he emphasized that Jesus’ question to Peter was simple but searching: “Do you love me?”

“Jesus didn’t ask Peter if he was clever enough, or had a gift for leadership,” said Fr. Pinder. “He asked, ‘Do you love me?’ That is the only true qualification for ministry.”

He recounted words given to him by Canon Good before his own ordination: “If you can’t preach, love your people. They will pray for you. If you can’t sing, love your people. They’ll help you carry it. If you fall, love your people. They will lift you up.”

Fr. Pinder continued, “The priesthood is not a performance. The people are not your audience. They are God’s beloved. You’re called to feed them, protect them, lead them beside still waters, and yes — sometimes walk with them through the darkest valleys.”

He told a story of being called to a hospital bed where a patient kept crying, “I need Jesus!” “I prayed once, then twice, each time thinking I’d done my part. The third time, I nearly said, ‘I need Him too!’ It wasn’t until I dropped the priestly front and just spoke to him from my heart that he found his peace.”

“This,” he said, “is why you must always be yourself. God didn’t call you to be someone else. He called you because of who you are.”

Bishop Boyd used the moment before the Peace to highlight the community effort behind each vocation. He acknowledged the Rev’d Ferguson’s husband, the Rev. Dr. Ethan Ferguson, their son Zire, her mother Kathy Munnings, siblings Altov and Andrew, and her father, who could not travel due to illness. He thanked parishioners from Christ the King in Freeport and Nassau for nurturing her call.

Turning to Fr. Lockhart, he recognized his mother Lori Adam, sister Lethia Carey, grandmother Winifred Lockhart, and many from Ascension in Lucaya, St. Stephen’s in Eight Mile Rock, and St. Andrew’s in Exuma. “This is your whole Diocese gathered here tonight, praying for you and standing with you,” Bishop Boyd said.

The Rev’d Ferguson shared how deeply her Anglican heritage roots her faith. “Being an Anglican is who I am. The prayers we say, the Nicene Creed, these hymns — they tie me to the people who came before and those who’ll come after. It’s the very core of me.”

She recalled how shortly after arriving at Christ the King in Nassau, a young woman confided she might want to be a priest. “Since then, I’ve tried to live intentionally, hoping to inspire others the way clergy inspired me.” She also described the Pentecost night fire that damaged her church’s sacristy and offices. “Being there, grieving with parishioners while also trying to be a steady support — when we held hands and sang ‘Bind Us Together,’ I felt it deep in my spirit. I won’t forget that.”

Now, she says she looks forward most to celebrating the Eucharist and caring for the sick. “The Eucharist is the highest point of our worship. And journeying with families, especially through illness, is something sacred to me.”

Fr. Lockhart spoke about trying to avoid the call at first. “I wanted to live life on my own terms. Sin has its appeal, let’s be honest. But there was always something pulling me back.” Now serving St. Andrew’s in Exuma, he said simply: “Wherever I go, I want people to know that Fr. Tristan is someone who serves. That’s how they’ll see God is real.”

He also described taking his students to distribute care packages across Exuma. “Going from Williamstown to Rolle Town, seeing people light up when these young people gave them food — that’s what ministry looks like.”

Even in high school, friends called him “Pastor.” “I never saw it, but they did. This is for them too, to show God still does big things.”

Bishop Boyd concluded by introducing seminarians preparing for future ordinations. “It costs about $25,000 each year to prepare a seminarian. We have a strong clergy, but we always need more men and women willing to step forward,” he said, urging continued prayers and financial support.

The service closed with hymns like “Our God Reigns” and “Who Are These Like Stars Appearing.” The Rev’d Ferguson and Fr. Lockhart offered blessings at the altar rail as families and parishioners came forward.

Fr. Pinder’s final words echoed long after the Cathedral emptied: “This is not a job. It’s a call to follow Jesus with everything you have. Your whole life must answer that question: ‘Do you love me?’ If you do, then feed my sheep.”

The Diocese gives thanks for these new priests and invites everyone to keep them in prayer as they begin this new phase of service.

Photos by Mark Ford