While the islands consist of more than 3,000 separate land masses, some only a few feet above the surface of the water, the islands cover an area of almost 14,000 sq km (5,300 sq miles). The population of the Bahamas is projected to rise to 306,000 by 2005. The Bahamas enjoy a higher than average economy among the island nations and that has attracted a number of illegal immigrants, especially from nearby Haiti. Fishing and agriculture are important sources of revenue however most income is derived from offshore banking, insurance, other financial services, an open registry fleet and tourism. In 1995 3,600,000 foreigners visited the islands accounting for 40% of the country’s economic base.
Among the religious population of the islands there is a large mix of Christian traditions with the largest being Baptist affiliated groups, accounting for nearly one-third of the population. Both Anglicans and Roman Catholics account for about twenty percent each with the rest being divided between Methodists, Church of God and other mostly Protestant traditions. It is said that the Bahamas is one of the world’s most religious countries thus religious freedom is treasured in the island nation.
Among the earliest advances of the Stone-Campbell Movement in the islands
were radio broadcasts and later Bible correspondence courses sponsored
by the American a cappella Churches of Christ. The first baptism of
the Stone-Campbell Movement was of U.S. born William Miller, in 1959,
who completed a correspondence course while living in the Bahamas. After
a time of study in the United States Miller returned to the Bahamas
and began a personal program of evangelization leading to the conversion
of a few and the formation of a congregation in Nassau.
Other Christians were known to be scattered throughout the islands but
sufficient numbers were not in place to form a second congregation until
1979 when Samuel and Whitney Hastie came to Freeport to work with an
oil refinery. Later Don Starks led a campaign in Freeport which resulted
in 32 baptisms. A second campaign in 1980 resulted in 19 additional
baptisms. From 1980 until 1986 the Freeport congregation was assisted
by Don Parker. Others working with the Freeport church have been Baptiste
Joseph of Granada, Ellison Delua, Trevor Coske and Oliver Ferguson,
Sr.
A third congregation was begun at Dead Man’s Cay (Long Island) with the Burrows family giving much leadership to that congregation. In 1981 Andrew Major began working with the Kemp Road congregation in Nassau. In about the same year David and Dinah Caskey moved to Marsh Harbor on Abaco Island and established a congregation. The Caskeys have been active in radio broadcasts, the distribution of Bibles, tracts and Bible studies and other work. With the help of a small airplane Caskey visits several island schools and speaks on drug and alcohol education, holds meetings, offers counseling, conducts education and hosts simple first aid clinics. The a cappella Churches of Christ began a thirty year effort in the Bahamas in 1981 with three established congregations. Presently there are twelve congregations with others planned for the future. More than two thousand people have been baptized in the last twenty-five years.
The American Christian Churches and Churches of Christ are also represented among the islands of the Bahamas by James and Sarah Redmon of the Bahama Christian Mission doing work in Nassau.
William Miller
P.O. Box 5001, Highbury Park, The Bahamas
Telephone: 393-2486; 393-8041
Oliver Ferguson
Box F-2493, Freeport, The Bahamas
Telephone: 373-1082
Christian Churches and Churches of Christ
Bahama Christian Mission, James and Sarah Redmon
Nassau, Bahamas
Telephone: 242-3460
Fax: 242-341-1731
Email: redmon@bahamas.net.bs
Or at Bahama Christian Mission
P.O. Box 1261
Lake Wales, FL 33859