NEW YORK (JIS) - Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - A Service of Appreciation for the work of the Hon. Dr. Basil K. Bryan as Consul General of Jamaica in New York will be held at the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 777 East 222nd Street (White Plains Road & Barnes Avenue), Bronx, on Saturday afternoon, October 20, at five o’clock.

The service is intended to allow the community to express its thanks to God for the outstanding stewardship by Dr. Basil K. and Mrs. Bryan over the nine years that he has served in this office.

The service is being arranged by a number of persons in the Jamaican Community under the Patronage of the Vicar Bishop for New York City, the Right Reverend E. Don Taylor, and everyone is invited to attend.

The lesson at the Service will be read by the Hon. Dr. Basil K. Bryan who will also address the congregation at the end of the service. He went public for the first time on Sunday, July 29, at the Independence Anniversary Church Service at the New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Jamaica, NY, telling the congregation that he was demitting office by year’s end. He demitted office on Monday, October 1, 2007.

Dr. Bryan was appointed Jamaica’s CG on April 1, 1998, succeeding Kay Baxter. Prior to coming to New York, Dr. Bryan served as Deputy Chief of Mission (Deputy Ambassador) in the Jamaican Embassy in Washington, D.C.

A highly decorated diplomat, Dr. Bryan was awarded the Order of Distinction (OD), by the Government of Jamaica in 2002 and is a recipient of the ‘Lignum Vitae’ Award for outstanding and dedicated service to the Jamaican community by the National Association of Jamaican and Supportive Organizations (NAJASO).

This past summer, Dr. Bryan was recognized by New York Senator and Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton for his many years of exemplary service as Consul General of Jamaica and chair of the NY Caribbean Consular Corp.

The congregation is being asked to be seated no later than 4:45 p.m.