Council of Churches returned home this week to join the celebrations of his alma mater's 65th anniversary.

Bishop Vinton Randolph Anderson, of the Fifth Episcopal District AME Church which includes more than 250 churches in 14 US states, was invited back to the Island by Sandys Secondary School.

The Somerset-born Bishop first attended the school at age eight -- when Dr.

Marjorie Bean was principal.

And this week, in a press conference, he credited those at the school and Allen Temple AME, where he worshipped, for being positive examples to him.

"Any achievement I have had has been as a result of training at Sandys Secondary and Allen Temple,'' Bishop Anderson said.

"I have some fond memories of those who were role models and provided a challenge to me through God's word.'' Bishop Anderson, who last visited Bermuda two years' ago with a delegation of some 150 AME members shortly after being elected president of the World Council of Churches, has a long list of accomplishments.

They include being honoured by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education in 1988, receiving Johnson Publications' American Black Achievement Religion Award in 1991, and being the November feature on the United Negro College Fund's 1993 Historic Calendar.

In addition to earning Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees from Wilberforce University and Payne Theological Seminary and a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from Kansas University, Bishop Anderson has received honourary doctorate degrees from Paul Quinn College, Wilberforce, Payne Theological, Temple Bible College, Morris Brown College, and Eden Theological Seminary.

Active in civic and community work, he also served as a member of a site visit team to Los Angeles following last year's riots and was a member of the site team to New Zealand and Australia for the programme to combat racism in 1972.

He was also a member of a team of black church leaders who visited Nationalist China in 1976 and toured the Middle East, the South Pacific, Singapore, Chile and Russia.

In fact, Bishop Anderson has preached and lectured worldwide, including in the Caribbean, South and West Africa, South America, Australia and Canada.

In February, without the presence of security forces, he addressed 150,000 worshippers seated for the closing of the Mar Thoma Convention in India.

Former scholars at Sandys will pay tribute to Bishop Anderson during a luncheon at Willowbank guest house today.

Bishop Anderson will also be a special guest at Allen Temple tomorrow. And he will address students at the school on Monday when the school will also have an open house.

"I'm sure his presence alone will serve to encourage our young people,'' said principal Mr. Melvyn Bassett said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Sandys North MP Mr. Eugene Cox who is also president of the school's Board of Governors.

"We're very happy and honoured to have him here,'' Mr. Cox added.

Mr. Neville Conyers.