By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

HUNDREDS gathered at Bahamas Faith Ministries International on Saturday to mourn and remember Captain Stanley Thurston, the pilot of the Learjet that crashed in Grand Bahama on November 9.

Bahamas Faith Ministers (BFMI) Senior Pastor Dr Myles Munroe, 60, his wife Ruth and six others were on board when the fatal crash occurred.

As family and friends struggled to cope with the untimely loss of the father of two, they highlighted his “unwavering” belief in God during his funeral, expressing confidence that because of it, he is in “a better place”.

“I won’t say rest in peace because I know he’s not resting; he’s having fun,” said his daughter, Dr Dione Thurston Dorsett.

She added: “Although he was superman to us, my father knew he was just a man and like all men he had an appointed end. He ensured and Loren and I knew the one who would never leave us or forsake us, the Lord Jesus Christ, the great provider, the great protector, comforter, prince of peace and that is his greatest gift to me, a life lived for Christ. We are so proud of you Daddy. Thinking of you in Heaven puts an automatic smile on my face. We love you and will always cherish the gift God gave us in you.”

Captain Thurston was the chief pilot for Dr Munroe.

Friends said he relished his job and regarded it as one which allowed him to fulfil his purpose in the “kingdom of God.”

One of his friends Dr Genius Wells said: “He possessed the blessed hope and purified himself accordingly on a daily basis so that when the time came for him to be absent from his body, he would’ve been ushered in the presence of his Lord. ‘Doc’ is among the blessed ones who died in the Lord. He has ceased from his labours and his works will follow him. I have been inspired to make this declaration that Stanley Thurston did not die in a plane crash. He died safe in the arm of Jesus.”

Another friend, Captain Wentworth Stubbs, also said Capt Thurston had a strong faith in Christ.

“Doc was a man, I need not repeat this, of great spiritual capacity and principle,” he said. “He believed so much in his ability as a Christian, that I remember one time one of the pilots said he had a headache and Doc said ‘Hey, come here to me let me lay my hands on (you), let me heal you.’ Well pilots are not known to be very religious people, so the guy took off and he ran and said ‘No I don’t want you to heal me,’ but I believe that pilot must have been healed because he never complained about a headache after that.

Last week, fellow crash victims Lavard “Manifest” Parks, his wife Radel and their five-year old son Johannon had their funerals at BFMI.

Mr and Mrs Parks were newly ordained youth pastors at the church.

On Tuesday, a funeral service will be held at BFMI for Dr Richard Pinder, who was the senior vice president for the ministry.

A memorial will be held on Wednesday at the National Stadium in honour of Dr Myles Munroe and his wife, Ruth.

A state recognised funeral will be held at BFMI for the couple on Thursday.