Seventh-day
Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist
Church is composed of 50,000 congregations in 210 countries and over 12 million
members. To maintain strength, unity, and efficiency, the church is organized
into four structural levels.
The
General Conference/Divisions
provide leadership on a global scale and focus on unique needs
within the various world fields.
Unions
implement the church's vision and goals in their regions, adopting specific
mission strategies in a way that fits their territory.
Conferences
manage the day-to-day affairs of a group of churches and institutions, while
coordinating the advancement of God's work in their assigned area.
Local churches
nurture members, evangelize their communities, build individual faith, and
provide the grass-root structure for the entire church organization.
The Bahamas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the fourth largest
religious denomination of the Bahamas. With a history of over 100 years (1893),
the Bahamas Conference consists of 36 churches scattered throughout the Central
and Southern Bahamas, and has a membership of 9,935 who seek to spread the
gospel of Jesus Christ. As of January 10, 2003, North Bahamas was
organized into the North Bahamas Mission. This includes Abaco, Grand
Bahama, Bimini and the Berry Island. Pastor Keith Albury was elected as
its first president.
Within the organization, there are three conference schools. These are:
Bahamas Academy Secondary, Bahamas Academy Elementary located in Nassau, and The
Grand Bahama Academy which is situated on the island of Grand Bahama.
The Conference Administration, though young, consists of a competent and
gifted team that is supported by a cadre of able departmental directors,
pastors, conference workers and laymen
History of Seventh-day
Adventist Work in The Bahamas
On November 27, 1893, two colporteur missionaries from New York, C. H.
Richards and his wife, arrived in Nassau, Bahamas, after a three-and-a-half-day
voyage and sowed the seeds of Adventism via the printed page. Thus from this
humble beginning, the church in the Bahamas began. Today, the Seventh-day
Adventist Church is the fourth largest denomination in the country with over
11,000 members and some 35 churches in New Providence and the Family Islands.
Upon the arrival of C. H. Richards, the arrival of C. H. Richards, the
population of the country was estimated at 50,000. He reported that one third of
the population was Caucasian and the balance with shades from yellow to black.
In fact, C. H. Richards implied that the Bahamas was a virgin territory and that
"now one of whom so far as we know, fully understands and obeys the
(Sabbath) truth for this time."
During the tenure of C. H. Richards, evidence of possible conversions has
been limited to their report of a young police officers who was a lay preacher
of the Methodist Church and had begun to show a keen interest in Adventism. He
was planning to receive formal education in an effort to instruct others, but
financially his family depended on him and so he could "not yet" see
his way clear to leave his post on the police force. It was not documented
whether the young officer eventually became a member of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church.
In March of 1895, Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Parmele, also literature evangelists,
under the directive of the Foreign Mission Board, succeeded the Richards in the
Bahamas. Mr. Parmele reported that the work of his predeccessors had sparked
quite a bit of interest in the colony. In fact, about one week after his arrival
a family of six, for the Richards toiled, started to keep the fourth
commandment.
Charles Antonio, a shoemaker was the first Bahamian to accept the Seventh-day
Adventist message. His son, Brother William W. Antonio was among the first
Bahamians to serve on the Bahamas Mission of SDA Executive Committee.
Pastors Silas N. McKinney and Neville E. Scavella, were the first Bahamians
to train for the ministry. In 1956, upon completion of their theological studies
they were employed by the Bahamas Mission.
- Bahamian Presidents:
-
Silas N. McKinney 1964 - 1976
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Leslie V. McMillan 1976 - 1980
-
Hugh A. Roach 1980 - 1986
-
Silas N. McKinney 1986 - 1990
-
Jeremiah Duncombe 1990 - 1996
-
Keith D. Albury 1996 - January 10, 2003
-
Leonard Johnson - January 10, 2003 --
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