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About the Adventist Church in The Bahamas and Around the World
  1. Our Mission and Vision Statements and Guiding Principle  Added December 16, 2008
  2. Our Nassau Headquarter - Office  Location and contact information
  3. Our Logo  Adventist Logo
  4. The Wall of Presidents Past Bahamian presidents of the Bahamas Conference
  5. National Symbols of the Bahamas  Government of the Bahamas Government website
  6. Resources
  7. Themes for the Church 2006 to 2010
  8. Great Links to the World  Schools, Hospitals, Great People, etc.
  9. Our North Bahamas Headquarters
  10. Our West Indies Union Headquarters
  11. Our Division Headquarters
  12. Adventist World Headquarters
  13. A Brief History of the Adventist Church in the Bahamas
  14. A Brief History of the World-Wide Seventh-day Adventist Church 
  15. Adventists 28 Fundamental Beliefs   PDF Format
  16. Adventist Church in the West Indies and the Word - Administrative Territories
  17. Adventist Pastors in the Bahamas Conference
  18. Adventist Resources  Schools, Journals, Bible Study Helps, Media, Research, and much more. All you need to know
  19. Adventist Burial Society
  20. Who Are Adventists? - Short Video to Download - A People of Hope
  21. Adventist Churches in the Bahamas Conference  From Nassau to Inagua
  22. Adventist Church in North Bahamas  North Bahamas Mission Website        
  23. Adventist Churches in the North Bahamas Mission Grand Bahamas, Abaco, etc
  24. Adventist Churches in North America
  25. Adventist Churches Around the World    It is not an exhaustive list
  26. Adventist Worship Services in the Bahamas  Hours and days
  27. The Adventist Logo
  28. Organizational Structure and Governance of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
  29. Basic Fundamental Beliefs  All you need to know about Adventist beliefs and teachings
  30. What Adventists Teach About:
  31.      Speaking in Tongues
  32.      Biblical Sabbath     Sabbath Truth.com
  33.      Sabbath Keeping
  34.      Meaning of Soul in the Bible
  35.      Everlasting Punishment
  36.      Judgment
  37.      Justification
  38.      Faith and Works
  39.      Jewelry  More or Jewelry
  40.      Clean and Unclean Meats
  41.     Alcohol, Wine and Beer   More Info
  42.     Methods of Bible Study
  43. Biblical Research Institute of the Adventist ChurchType you subject in the search engine to get your answer.
  44. Facts and Figures of the Adventist Church World Wide
  45. A Seventh-day Adventist Philosophy of Music - Guidelines Voted October 2004
  46. Adventist Professional Network
  47. Adventist Volunteers Ministries Network
  48. Adventist Deaf Ministry
  49. The Territory of the Bahamas Conference
  50. Adventist Churches in the Bahamas Conference  List of churches, pastors, and addresses
  51. History of the Adventist Church in the Bahamas
  52. Official Statements  Official statements on specific issues.  For example "Marriage," "The Environment." etc
  53. General Conference Departments & Services  Serving the whole world
  54. The Church Manual of the Adventist Church World Wide  Guidelines, polices and practices for local churches
  55. Conference Administration, Ministries, Services, Institutions & Associations
  56. Calendar - Bahamas Conference 2004 Calendar of Events
  57. Ellen White's Writings - A search engine for all her writings etc. 
  58. Nine of Ellen White's Most Popular Books Online
  59. Ellen G. White Estate Main Site
  60. Ellen G. White Estate and Resource Center at Northern Caribbean University, Jamaica
  61. Ellen White  Who is she?
  62. Online Sermons
  63. The Sabbath
  64. History of the Sabbath
  65. Guidelines for Sabbath Observance 
  66. Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual 
  67. Adventist Online Magazines
  68. Adventist Youth Bahamas
  69. Adult Sabbath School Lesson  There is a new lesson each quarter. 
  70. French Adults Sabbath School Lesson

 

Below select the topic you would like to read about Seventh-day Adventists.  Or  click HERE to take you straight to the Resource Page.

   

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
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 --
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
Copyright (c) August 2000 Bahamas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists  
P.O. Box N-356, Nassau, Bahamas.  Tel: 242-341 4021   Fax: 242-341 4088 
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