History of Methodist struggles and victories in Barbados and the Bahamas

  

Odilon Massolar Chaves

 

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Copyright © 2025, Odilon Massolar Chaves

All rights reserved to the author.                                                            

Article 184 of the Penal Code and Law 96710 of February 19, 1998.

It is allowed to read, copy and share for free

Books published in the Wesleyan Digital Library: 563

Books published by the author: 643

Booklets: 3

Cover: Ruth Nita, Sarah Gill and Barbados Methodist temple (top); Shonel Laverne Ferguson, Walter Tull, and Bahamas Methodist temple (bottom).

Translator: Google

All glory to God!

Odilon Massolar Chaves is a retired Methodist pastor, with a doctorate in Theology and History from the Methodist University of São Paulo.

Son of Rev. Adherico Ribeiro Chaves and Roza Massolar Chaves. Married to RoseMary Braga da Costa. He has two daughters: Liliana and Luciana.

His thesis dealt with the Methodist revival in England in the eighteenth century and its contribution as a paradigm for our days.

He was editor of the official Methodist newspaper Expositor Cristã twice, editor of No Cenaculo, professor and Coordinator of the Theology Course.

He is a writer and poet. He has a YouTube channel. He publishes daily videos on Facebook for edification.

Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

 

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Table of Contents

 

·       Introduction

·       Highlights of the book's chapters

History of Methodism in Barbados

·       Getting Started with Thomas Coke

·       National Heroine of Barbados

·       The citizen of the world from Barbados

·       First Methodist Pastor in the Caribbean

·       Second black man to play in the English League

History of Methodism in the Bahamas

·       The Ebenezer Methodist Church in the Bahamas

·       Awarded as a Nurse in Bahamas

·       Bahamas Olympian

 

 

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Introduction

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Methodism arrived in Barbados in 1788 by the British Methodist Thomas Coke.

The plutocracy, the wealthy and ruling class, considered the Methodists to be anti-slavery and therefore constantly persecuted the church.

"There have been several (unsuccessful) attempts to ban Methodism in Barbados. By 1793, Methodists were often seen by the Barbadian upper classes as anti-slavery agitators and Methodist missionaries regarded as agents of the Anti-Slavery Society, based in England."

Two slaves, Joseph Paul and Anthony Wallace, migrated from America to the Bahamas in 1786 and gathered Methodists in New Providence for worship.

"They built a small wooden chapel/classroom and loved it

In 1799, the meeting of the British Methodist Conference in Manchester decided to send William Turton (1761-1818), a whiteman, to the Bahamas.

Ruth Nita Barrow was one of the seven presidents of the World Council of Churches (1983-1991). She chaired the Young Women's Christian Association and the Jamaica Nurses Association. 

She was ambassador to the UN and the first and only female Governor General of Barbados.

In sports, Shonel Laverne Ferguson was an Olympian and recognized MP in the Bahamas.

Born in Barbados, Walter Tull was the second black man to play football in the English league.

Other people excelled in Methodism in Barbados and the Bahamas.

Today the Methodist Church has approximately 8,000 members in Barbados (12% of the population) and 5,500 (6% of the population) in the Bahamas, in countries with little population.

Stories that edify us and honor the first Methodists in these countries.

The Author

 

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Highlights of the book's chapters

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History of Methodism in Barbados 

Getting Started with Thomas Coke

Their first efforts were unsuccessful and 20 years later they had only 30 converts."

The plutocracy, the wealthy and ruling class, considered the Methodists to be anti-slavery and therefore constantly persecuted the church.

National Heroine of Barbados 

Sarah and her sister Christiana Gill were among the leaders of the Church and opened their homes for the Church to gather. Sarah held services in times of persecution and physical threats, which included burning down their homes and prosecutions for holding "illegal" meetings 

The citizen of the world from Barbados 

She was vice-president of the Methodist Conference of Churches in 1973 and became director of the Christian Medical Commission of the World Council of Churches in 1976. He was a devoted member of the Methodist Church. She dedicated her life to improving adult education, poverty reduction, women's advancement and health care 

First Methodist Pastor in the Caribbean 

At the age of 22, she left her dream of being a doctor to enter the ministry of diakonia. From 1953 to 1956, she was trained at Caenwood Theological College in Kingston, Jamaica. In 1957, she was the first Methodist deaconess appointed to Barbados

Second black man to play in the English League

Walter Tull, the grandson of slaves, began life in a Methodist orphanage but went on to enjoy a successful football career playing for Northampton Town and Tottenham Hotspur

History of Methodism in the Bahamas 

The Ebenezer Methodist Church in the Bahamas

Two slaves, Joseph Paul and Anthony Wallace, migrated from America to the Bahamas in 1786, and gathered Methodists in New Providence for worship.

They built a small wooden chapel/classroom and worshipped there

Awarded as a Nurse in Bahamas 

She has received several national awards in recognition of her work. He received the Silver Jubilee Independence Medal and Certificate. 

In November 2003, Bahamian Prime Minister Pierry Christie opened the home for the elderly in his honor named Nurse Naomi Christie, who initially provided 24-a-day care to 13 seniors 

Bahamas Olympian

Shonel Laverne Ferguson "is a three-time Olympian (1976, 1984 and 1988). Ferguson was inducted into the Bahamas Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1993 

 

 


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History of Methodism in Barbados

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Getting Started with Thomas Coke

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Their first efforts were unsuccessful and 20 years later they had only 30 converts."

The plutocracy, the wealthy and ruling class, considered the Methodists to be anti-slavery and therefore constantly persecuted the church. 

 

Methodism arrived in Barbados in 1788 by the British Methodist Thomas Coke.

According to historians, the "intention to Christianize the slave population. However, their first efforts were not successful and 20 years later they had only 30 converts."[1]

The plutocracy,[2] the wealthy and ruling class, considered the Methodists to be anti-slavery and therefore constantly persecuted the church.

"There have been several (unsuccessful) attempts to ban Methodism in Barbados. By 1793, Methodists were often seen by the Barbadian upper classes as anti-slavery agitators and Methodist missionaries regarded as agents of the Anti-Slavery Society, based in England."[3]

Stones were often thrown into the meeting places of the Methodists, interrupting the services.

The Methodist chapel was torn down. "The hatred of the planters was so strong that in 1823 an angry mob tore down the Methodist chapel in James Street, Bridgetown."[4]

Despite the difficulties and opposition, a beautiful temple was erected in 1848. "The beautiful replacement, and essentially the Georgian building with a three-arched Palladian harbour, pedimentated front and pink window, was built in 1848 and remains. More popular now, Methodists have expanded to eight chapels and four meeting places in Barbados."[5]

"The James Street Church fire may have been the turning point, as by 1848 its congregation had swelled to over five thousand and there were eight chapels and four meeting places." [6]

A new convert to Methodism,Sarah Ann Gill(1795-1866), made all the difference to. She is one of the "tenNational Heroes" from Barbados. She is also considered the heroine of Methodism in Barbados.

In Sarah Gill's time, Barbados was an overseas territory of England. Sarah's mother was black, and her father was white. In Barbados, a person of African descent was considered inferior. Sarah married Alexander George Gill, of mixed ancestry, and at the age of 28 inherited his estate at the time of his death. The couple had a son, who died at a young age.

In 1788, Methodism arrived in Barbados and challenged the prevailing social order by its fight against slavery.

Sarah embraced this faith and donated the land for the construction of the first Methodist temple.[7]

In October 1823, a mob of whites destroyed the chapel under construction, and the missionaries had to flee.

Sarah and her sister Christiana Gill were among the leaders of the Church and opened their homes for the Church to gather. Sarah held services in times of persecution and physical threats, which included burning down their homes and prosecutions for holding "illegal" meetings.

Sarah's house was shot at, and she was prosecuted by the Assembly of the Republic, but she confronted the authorities and continued to defend religious freedom and hold services. On June 25, 1825, the House of Commons in England declared a broad religious protection and toleration in Barbados. Sarah donated the land for the construction of James Street Methodist Church in Bridgetown.

She was named a national heroine.

For her steadfastness against oppression, courage, perseverance and commitment to religious freedom, the Parliament of Barbados in 1998 included her as one of the ten National Heroes of Barbados, being the only woman.[8]

His contribution to Methodism and to the island of Barbados was immense.  "Her courage, perseverance, and commitment to religious freedom set her apart from the good Christian administrators of her day. By discharging her primary duty to God, she undoubtedly secured a standard by which Barbadian society was greatly elevated and enriched."[9]

Today, the Barbados Methodist Church "is slowly transforming the way people lead their spiritual lives. Organizing beneficial programs for those less fortunate to run charities across the country, one thing is clear: our primary mission is to help people grow in faith in the Lord."[10]

 "Today the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and the Americas has approximately 8,000 members in Barbados, 5,500 in the Bahamas, 900 in Costa Rica, 3,700 in Guyana, 5,000 in Haiti, 2,000 in Honduras, 18,000 in Jamaica, 15,000 in Leeward and Windward, 900 in Panama and 7,000 in Curacao-St.Kitts-Tobago-Islas Vírgenes."[11]

Methodism is practically all over the Caribbean. The British Virgin Islands has about 45% of the population, according to the latest census.

In percentage, we have in other Caribbean countries:

Barbados: 12%

Jamaica: 2.7%

Bahamas: 6%

Anguilla: 33%

Saint Vincent and Grenadine: 28% [12] 

Mission Statement for the James Street Speightstown Circuit  

"Our mission is to practice and promote Christ as living and empowering people to use their latent, gifts and treasures in ministries that bring commitment to Christ and the transformation of our Communities."[13]

 

 

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National Heroine of Barbados

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Sarah and her sister Christiana Gill were among the leaders of the Church and opened their homes for the Church to gather. Sarah held services in times of persecution and physical threats, which included burning down their homes and prosecutions for holding "illegal" meetings

  

Sarah Ann Gill (1795-1866) was a social and religious leader in Barbados, in the Caribbean. At the time, it was an overseas territory of England. Sarah's mother was black, and her father was white. In Barbados, a person of African descent was considered inferior. 

Sarah married Alexander George Gill, of mixed ancestry, and at the age of 28 inherited his estate at the time of his death. The couple had a son, who died at a young age. In 1788, Methodism arrived in Barbados and challenged the prevailing social order by its fight against slavery. 

Sarah embraced this faith and donated the land for the construction of the first Methodist temple. In October 1823, a mob of whites destroyed the chapel under construction, and the missionaries had to flee. 

Sarah and her sister Christiana Gill were among the leaders of the Church and opened their homes for the Church to gather. Sarah held services in times of persecution and physical threats, which included burning down their homes and prosecutions for holding "illegal" meetings. 

Sarah's house was shot at, and she was prosecuted by the Assembly of the Republic, but she confronted the authorities and continued to defend religious freedom and hold services. On June 25, 1825, the House of Commons in England declared a broad religious protection and toleration in Barbados. 

Sarah donated the land for the construction of James Street Methodist Church in Bridgetown. 

She was named a national heroine. 

For her steadfastness against oppression, courage, perseverance and commitment to religious freedom, the Parliament of Barbados in 1998 included her as one of the ten National Heroes of Barbados, being the only woman.[14]

 

 

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The citizen of the world from Barbados

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She was vice-president of the Methodist Conference of Churches in 1973 and became director of the Christian Medical Commission of the World Council of Churches in 1976. He was a devoted member of the Methodist Church. She dedicated her life to improving adult education, poverty reduction, women's advancement and health care 

 

Ruth Nita Barrow (1916-1995) was born in St. Lucy, Barbados. His father, Reginald Barrow, was an Anglican bishop. He attended the universities of Toronto and Edinburgh. 

She was vice-president of the Methodist Conference of Churches in 1973 and became director of the Christian Medical Commission of the World Council of Churches in 1976. He was a devoted member of the Methodist Church. She dedicated her life to improving adult education, poverty reduction, women's advancement, and health care. 

In 1964, she became an advisor to the World Health Organization and then to the Pan American Health Organization. She was elected president of the YWCA (1975-1983), a women's movement working for global social and economic change. 

In 1980, he received the highest honor in Barbados: he became Dame de St. Andrew of the Order of Barbados. He was president of the Executive Committee of the International Council for Adult Education (1983-1989). 

He was one of the seven presidents of the World Council of Churches (1983-1991). She chaired the Young Women's Christian Association and the Jamaica Nurses Association. 

In 1985, she was the convener of the non-governmental organization (NGO). Forum for the Decade of Women, in Nairobi, Kenya. 

She was the only woman from the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group  to go to South Africa to negotiate the end of apartheid and the release of Nelson Mandela. 

She was ambassador to the UN (1986-1990) and the first and only female governor general of Barbados (1990-1995). She is described as a "citizen of the world". He visited more than 80 countries.[15]

 

 

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First Methodist Pastor in the Caribbean

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At the age of 22, she left her dream of being a doctor to enter the ministry of diakonia. From 1953 to 1956, she was trained at Caenwood Theological College in Kingston, Jamaica. In 1957, she was the first Methodist deaconess appointed to Barbados

 

The Stella Gregory Award, named for the club's late founder, is presented annually to a woman who has excelled in her profession. Boothe began her vocation as a deaconess in the Methodist Church in 1956, having received training at the United Theological SeminaHyacinth Ione Boothe (1928-2012) was born in Blackwood, Clarendon, Jamaica. She was baptized as a baby and attended Sunday School at Mt.  He began his education in Thompson City and elementary school in Jones City.

In 1942, she attended St. Andrew's School for Girls. 

At age 15, she became a member in Lyndhurst Methodist Church and was active in the Girls League, Samaritan League, and Class Leader.

At the age of 22, she left her dream of being a doctor to enter the ministry of diakonia. From 1953 to 1956, she was trained at Caenwood Theological College in Kingston, Jamaica. In 1957, she was the first Methodist deaconess appointed to Barbados. 

She graduated from United Theological Seminary. He won a scholarship and, between 1966 and 1970, obtained two degrees from the University of Toronto.

She received a Bachelor of Divinity from Colegio Emanuel in Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, Canada.In 1975, Hyacinth was the first woman to be ordained a pastor in the Methodist Conference of the Caribbean and the Americas.

In 1980 he embarked for Scotland on a scholarship to do his doctorate at the University of St. Andrews.  In 1988, he obtained his doctorate in philosophy with a thesis on the Gospel and Culture.

She was Superintendent of the Frankfield and Savanna-la-Mar Circuits and taught at Morant Bay High School and St. Andrew's High School for girls. His prophetic vision and articulate voice urged the Church in the Caribbean to take a fresh look at the Gospel of Christ by discovering its relevance to contemporary society. She was a respected educator and theologian, having published a number of articles in national and international journals. In 1999, she published the book "Breaking the Silence: A Woman's Voice". In 2004, he managed to carry out his social project with the Methodist House for Retirees. His Christian ministry has been nationally recognized with the honor of the Order of Distinction Commander Class. In 2010, she received the Stella Gregory Award as the woman who stood out in her profession.[16]

 

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Second black man to play in the English League

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Walter Tull, the grandson of slaves, began life in a Methodist orphanage but went on to enjoy a successful football career playing for Northampton Town and Tottenham Hotspur

 

Walter Tull (1888-1918) was born in Barbados, Caribbean. He was the son of Daniel, a carpenter.

In the 1980s, the family moved to Britain.

Daniel married in Folkestone, where the family attended the Methodist Church Society. They had five children. Becoming a widower, Daniel married Clara, his wife's cousin. They had a daughter.

Three months later, Daniel passed away and his stepmother Clara faced great financial difficulties.[17]

Walter and his brother Edward went to the National Children's Home in Bethnal Green.[18] His brother Edward was adopted by a Glasgow dentist. [19]

"Walter Tull, the grandson of slaves, began life in a Methodist orphanage but went on to enjoy a successful football career playing for Northampton Town and Tottenham Hotspur." [20]

Walter started playing soccer at the Methodist orphanage. He became the second black player to play in the League. The first was the Methodist Arthur Wharton (1865 -1930).

Walter joined Clapton F.C., playing in the final of the amateur Cup in 1909, winning 6–0 against Eston United. He was quickly signed by Tottenham Hotspur." [21]

"He signed for Tottenham Hotspurs in 1909 and, after suffering racial abuse at a match in Bristol, moved to Northampton Town in the Southern League in 1911. His last game for Northampton was against Milwall in 1915. [22]

With the First World War, Walter enlisted in the British Army and "attained the rank of Sergeant and fought in the battle of the Somme (1916).

Recovering from trench fever, he trained as an officer. He died on the Somme on 25 March 1918, leading his men as a second lieutenant who had risen through the ranks." [23]

Walter "was the first black officer in the British Army, as well as the first black officer to lead white troops into battle in World War I. For his bravery, he was recommended the Military Cross and died a hero at the last Battle of the Somme in 1918, at the age of 29." [24]

Walter is remembered in two memorials in Dover – the City Memorial outside the Maison Dieu House, and the River Parish Memorial. He is also named on a scroll in the river church.[25]

"In 2008, the 90th anniversary of the Armistice and the 120th anniversary of Walter Tull's birth and the 90th anniversary of his death, a year-long initiative to raise awareness and celebrate the life of Walter Tull was led by the City of Westminster Archives, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund." [26]

Walter "was posthumously awarded the British War and Victory Medal and recommended for a Military Cross (which was never awarded).

In 2008, his story was commemorated in a TV show "Walter's War" and a traveling exhibition, and by a statue in his honor outside the grounds of Northampton Town.

In 2014, a film was made of his life and the Royal Mint issued a commemorative coin in his honor.

In 2018, a stamp from a World War I commemorative series included his portrait."[27]

 

  

 

 

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History of Methodism in the Bahamas

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The Ebenezer Methodist Church in the Bahamas

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Two slaves, Joseph Paul and Anthony Wallace, migrated from America to the Bahamas in 1786, and gathered Methodists in New Providence for worship.

"They built a small wooden chapel/classroom and worshipped it there

 

"Ebenezer Methodist Church has been a beacon in the Nassau community since 1802. Known as the church of singing, Ebenezer prides itself on its strong, vibrant musical program and energetic singing. Our outreach programs help serve meals to about 150 homeless people in our community each week. Join us for worship every Sunday at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary or at 9:30 a.m. in Sunday School at Epworth Hall in the Sir Durward Knowles Auditorium."[28]

The story

Two slaves, Joseph Paul and Anthony Wallace, migrated from America to the Bahamas in 1786, and gathered Methodists in New Providence for worship.

"They built a small wooden chapel/classroom and worshipped there before going to Christchurch Anglican Church to receive Holy Communion."[29]
In the late 1790s, Anthony Wallace, the administrator of the first Methodists in the Bahamas, petitioned Dr. Thomas Coke to appoint a minister to the Bahamas.

In 1799, the meeting of the British Methodist Conference in Manchester decided to station William Turton (1761-1818), a white, in the Bahamas.

He landed in Nassau on October 22, 1800, and continued the emphasis on education that Joseph Paul and Anthony Wallace had begun.

Rev. Turton worked diligently at the work God had called him to. [30]

But it was ordered by the authorities that Rev. Turton not hold services during worship hours in the Anglican Church. The same prohibition made by the local authorities was that he not administer the Lord's Supper.[31]

Although there was no violence against the Methodists with mobs, as in Wesley's time, "petty persecutions and impertinent officials did their utmost to obstruct, irritate, and harass the missionary—thus making the task before him anything but easy.

In time, his ministry in the eastern part of Nassau came to be appreciated by the inhabitants of Nassau. Due to a lack of financial support, Rev. Turton, with his private funds ($240,000), built a wooden "meeting place" in the eastern part of the city of Nassau where his followers could gather. The wooden structure was known as the 'East Chapel' and was built in 1802.

The wooden East Chapel was partially destroyed by a hurricane in 1813, but was rebuilt under the leadership of the Rev. William Dowson. As converts to Methodism grew, the rebuilt East Chapel was not able to accommodate all who wished to attend services, and consequently the cornerstone of the present Ebenezer Methodist Church was laid on March 29, 1839, when Rev. John Corlett was minister of the church."
[32]

In 1841, the Church opened its doors for worship and by 1851 it had about 336 members.

The 'beautiful eighteenth-century Meeting House' weathered the storm of 1866, which severely damaged many churches in New Providence. However, Ebenezer was all but destroyed by a hurricane in 1929, but with the benefit of insurance coverage along with the generous gifts and hard work of its members and friends, Ebenezer was restored to its former glory."[33]

Education 

The early 1870s was the period of establishment of the first educational institution in Bahamian Methodism that eventually evolved into Queen's College. 

"Around the same time, members of the Ebenezer Methodist Church in a spirit of evangelism began Sunday School in Sandilands Village, a freed slave settlement in the eastern part of New Providence. Around 1872, the work evolved into the establishment of a church to be known as Coke Methodist church. A 'little chapel by the wayside' was built on the property donated by Brother Dundee Johnson."[34] 

And the Church developed...

One Church

"Ebenezer, along with 34 other churches in the Bahamas, signed the Deed of Union to form the Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church in April 1992."[35]

Who we are


"The doctrinal standards of the Bahamas Methodist Church are as follows:

The Bahamas Methodist Church claims and values its place in the universal Church, which is the Body of Christ. It rejoices in the heritage of the apostolic faith and loyally accepts the fundamental principles of the historic creeds and the Protestant Reformation.

He always remembers that in God's providence, Methodism was raised up by God to spread biblical holiness throughout the earth by the proclamation of the evangelical faith, and he declares his unwavering determination to be faithful to his divinely appointed mission.

The doctrines of the evangelical faith that Methodism has held from the beginning and still holds are based on divine revelation recorded in the Holy Scriptures. The Bahamas Methodist Church recognizes this revelation as the supreme rule of faith and practice. These evangelical doctrines, to which the preachers of the Bahamas Methodist Church, both ministers and laymen, are committed, are contained in Wesley's Notes on the New Testament and in the first four volumes of his sermons.

Wesley's "Notes on the New Testament" and "The 44 Sermons" are not intended to impose a system of formal or speculative theology on Methodist preachers, but to establish standards of preaching and belief that should ensure loyalty to the fundamental truths of the gospel of redemption and ensure the Church's continued witness to the realities of the Christian experience of salvation. Christ's ministers in the church are stewards in the house of God and shepherds of His flock. Some are called and ordained to this one occupation, and have a principal and directing part in these great duties, but they have no ministry different in kind from that which is common to all the Lord's people, and have no exclusive title to the preaching of the gospel or the care of souls. These ministries are shared with them by others, to whom the Spirit also divides the gifts separately, according to the will of the Spirit. It is the universal conviction of the Methodist people that the office of Christian ministry depends on the calling of God, who bestows the gifts of the Spirit, the grace, and the fruit which indicates those whom He has chosen.

Those whom the Bahamas Methodist Church recognizes as called from God, and therefore receives into their ministry, shall be ordained by the laying on of hands as an expression of the Church's recognition of the minister's personal calling.

The Bahamas Methodist Church holds to the doctrine of the ministry of all Christians, and consequently believes that there is no ministry which belongs exclusively to a particular order or group of persons, but in the exercise of its corporate life and worship special qualifications are required for the discharge of special duties, and therefore the principle of representative selection is recognized.

The Bahamas Methodist Church recognizes two sacraments, namely, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, as of divine appointment and perpetual obligation, which it is the privilege and duty of the members of the Bahamas Methodist Church to avail themselves of."[36]

 

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Awarded as a Nurse in Bahamas

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She has received several national awards in recognition of her work. He received the Silver Jubilee Independence Medal and Certificate. 

In November 2003, Bahamian Prime Minister Pierry Christie opened the home for the elderly in his honor named Nurse Naomi Christie, who initially provided 24-a-day care to 13 seniors   

Nurse Naomi Anna Christie (1920-2001) was born in TarpumBay, Eleuthera, Bahamas. In 1937, Bahamas began working as a midwife. In 1941, she graduated as a nurse.  

She was a nurse and midwife for more than 50 years. 

In 1942, Naomi married Gladstone Livingstone Christie and they had five children. As a dedicated Methodist he served regularly at Wesley Methodist Church in Grants Town, Bahamas. 

She has received several national awards in recognition of her work. He received the Silver Jubilee Independence Medal and Certificate. 

In November 2003, Bahamian Prime Minister Pierry Christie opened the home for the elderly in his honor named Nurse Naomi Christie, who initially provided 24-hour care to 13 elderly people. 

The opening and operation was a source of pride for the Bahamas Methodist Church Conference that joined with the Government to ensure treatment with care, dignity and respect in the nursing home, which bears the name of a Methodist who was respected in the Bahamas.[37]

 

 

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Bahamas Olympian

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Shonel Laverne Ferguson "is a three-time Olympian (1976, 1984 and 1988). Ferguson was inducted into the Bahamas Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1993

 

Shonel Laverne Ferguson was born on November 6, 1957, in Nassau, Bahamas.

She is a former track and field athlete  from the Bahamas who competed in  women's sprint and long jump.

The Rev. Dr. Joseph Emmette A. Weir wrote that he has known "Ferguson since she was a Sunday school student at Coke Methodist Church, Fox Hill, Sandilands Village."[38]

Shonel Laverne Ferguson "is a three-time Olympian (1976, 1984 and 1988). Ferguson was inducted into the Bahamas Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993.

Ferguson competed for the Florida Gators track and field team, finishing 6th in the long jump at the 1980 AIAW Indoor Track and Field Championships

She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year's Honours 1986 for services to sport.[39]

Shonel Laverne Ferguson was elected MP for Fox Hill in  the 2017 general election in the Bahamas for the Free National Movement. [40]

She did not run for the 2021 elections.

The Methodist pastor, Rev. Dr. Joseph Emmette A. Weir, wrote of Shonel Laverne Ferguson: "Ferguson managed to excel, though still relatively young, in three of the most competitive areas of human endeavors—athletics, business, and politics. As such, she is a role model, encouraging all young Bahamian girls (whatever their social background, race, political affiliation or religious convictions) who struggle to make their mark on any of them." [41]

 

 

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[1] https://barbados.org/churches/methodists.htm#google_vignette

[2] Plutocracy is the government exercised or influenced by the wealthiest class of the population. Definition. The word plutocracy comes from Greek and is the junction of "plouto" – wealth and "kratos" – government. This is how the "government of the rich" would be, just as democracy is the "government of the people". https://www.todamateria.com.br/plutocracia 

[3] https://www.barbadospocketguide.com/.../religion/methodist.html

[4] https://barbados.org/churches/methodists.htm

[5] https://openlibrary.org/books/OL22807238M

[6] https://barbados.org/churches/methodists.htm#google_vignette

[7] https://abuse.wikia.org/wiki/Sarah_Ann_Gill

[9] https://barbados.org/churches/methodists.htm

[10] https://www.findyello.com/barbados/bethel-diana-j/profile

[11] https://barbados.org/churches/methodists.htm#google_vignette

[12] http://pt.wikipedia.org/

[13]https://jamesstreetspeightstown.tripod.com

[15] http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=local&NewsID=24666

www.caricom.org/jsp/.../dame_nita_barrow.jsp?men

http://www.niherst.gov.tt/icons/women-in-science/nita-barrow.html

http://www.5wwc.org/conference_background/1985_WCW.html

http://www.iisd.org/women.nairobi.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=YWCA

[19] https://www.itzcaribbean.com/uk/history/walter-tull-biography

[20] https://www.itzcaribbean.com/uk/history/walter-tull-biography

[28]https://www.ebenezermethodist.org

[29] https://worldmethodistcouncil.org/member-churches/name/bahamas-conference-of-the-methodist-church-bcmc/

[30] https://www.ebenezermethodist.org/ history.html

[31]https://www.ebenezermethodist.org/ history.html

[32]https://www.ebenezermethodist.org/ history.html

[33]https://www.ebenezermethodist.org/ history.html

[34]https://bahamasmethodist.org/ nassau.htm

[35] https://www.ebenezermethodist.org/history.htm

[36] https://www.ebenezermethodist.org/about-us.html

[38] https://www.thenassauguardian.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/shonel-ferguson-rising-star-on-the-bahamian-horizon/article_5d7ab429-da3d-5617-8538-a079e7904b56.html

[39] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shonel_Ferguson#References

[40] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shonel_Ferguson#References

[41] https://www.thenassauguardian.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/shonel-ferguson-rising-star-on-the-bahamian-horizon/article_5d7ab429-da3d-5617-8538-a079e7904b56.html

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