John Gray Memorial United Church in West Bay has purchased a van equipped to take up to 3 wheelchair passengers. (Article continues below, after pictures.)

Mr. Harry McCoy and Mr. Kerith McCoy of Elite Mobility Services hand over the keys of the new wheelchair van to Rev. Dr. Yvette Noble Bloomfield, Minister, and Mr. Bryan Bothwell, Chair of the Missions Committee, of John Gray Memorial United Church

The Braun hydraulic lift on the new wheelchair van has a number of safety features

The purchase was proposed by its Mission Committee as a way of better ministering to those members, relatives of other members and those in the wider community it serves, who are largely dependent on wheelchairs for mobility, as it observed that moving persons from their wheelchair to and from a car can be quite stressful and strenuous on all concerned.  The van, a 2003 Ford, has been newly equipped with an eight hundred pounds capacity lift and the heightened top and doors as shown in the picture. Although the proposal was made earlier, the purchase of the vehicle now fits well with the Theme adopted at this year’s Synod, of a Caring Church ... In addition to taking members of the congregation and the community to church and to doctors, etc., the congregation has an active Senior Citizens Ministry and this facility will certainly (and has already started to) enhance that ministry and enable the Church to expand how it is able to share God’s love to those who will find it easier to get around by this means. At a recent Sunday morning service, the keys to the van were symbolically handed over by Mr.Harry McCoy, OBE, JP, of Elite Mobility Services. He commended the congregation on this very worthy initiative and wished them all God's richest blessings as they continue to serve Him in this additional way. The Minister, Rev. Dr. Noble Bloomfield, stressed the desire and intention of the congregation that the van be used to minister to the entire community. It took some time to find the 'right' van but eventually Mr. Kerith McCoy located the vehicle at a dealer in Georgia, USA. The Church is extremely thankful for the full support of the congregation in undertaking this new mission by the grace of God and to Elite Mobility Services and Mr. Kerith McCoy for his advice and services in securing the vehicle, all of which they provided at no charge. (Mr. Harry McCoy is, coincidentally, the Church’s ‘historian’ in Cayman, as the author of the book "Journey To Partnership," covering the Church’s first 150 years in Grand Cayman - copies of this very interesting history can be purchased from the Council office or any of our congregations in Grand Cayman.)