NEWS FROM THE BAHAMAS/TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS CONFERENCE (BTCIC)
METHODIST CHURCH IN THE CARIBBEAN AND AMERICAS (MCCA)
Eddie Sykes, Mission Partner, Nassau, Bahamas. October 2006
Greetings from Nassau, Bahamas.
Please forgive the lateness of this newsletter. It is symptomatic of the busyness of our lives that it has been put to one side for a while.
TROPICAL STORMS
So far this ‘hurricane’ season has been quiet. Ernesto passed by the west of us and brought with it a lot of rain. Florence veered to the east and the north and hit Bermuda. As I type this letter, Gordon is forming in the Atlantic, so we will wait and see what he does. If it is not raining, then the weather is HOT. And when it is hot , the BEC (Bahamas Electric Company) always puts the prices up.
METHODISM
On Pentecost Sunday, an ecumenical service was held at the Cousin McPhee AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Cathedral in Nassau. All those churches with Wesleyan or Holiness roots were invited to join together. It was well attended, with the biggest contingent coming from the MCCA. Ecumenism still has a along way to go here, so this was a step in the right direction.
At the World Methodist Council (WMC) held in July in South Korea, the Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church (BCMC) was admitted as a member. Because of the controversial way the BCMC came into being - through a group breaking away from the MCCA - they had not been admitted until now. When the vote came for their admittance, the MCCA voted against and the British Methodist Church abstained.
For those of you unfamiliar with WMC – it is a fellowship of the Wesleyan churches around the world which meets every five years. It has no legislative or jurisdictional powers over member conferences, and exists as a network for Methodism and its sister churches/denominations. The fact that the BCMC is now a member will not really make any difference to things as they stand in the Bahamas.
The property issue is still up in the air and unresolved. Most people would like to see reconciliation take place. Realistically I believe there would not be any benefit for all the property to be returned to the MCCA. However there does need to be a fair and equitable redistribution of the assets, and I would also say that there should be some kind of compensation for the MCCA. Anyway, the matter still hangs with the Privy Council ruling and its implementation. The sad thing is that those who were forced to leave their churches by the BCMC do not feel that they can trust the BCMC.
As I looked back to the time of the ‘Methodist Crisis’ in the early 1990s I noticed that only four Bahamian MCCA ministers moved to be part of the BCMC. The remaining twelve ministers, including 4 Bahamians plus 4 who had Bahamian citizenship, remained with the MCCA. It is thus strange how the BCMC gained such a following.
Now the BCMC has just three active former MCCA ministers active in its conference. They have a lay president and conference secretary and a ministerial vice-president. Its ministers are either Bahamian, trained in the USA, or Americans.
WORLD PERSPECTIVE
In recent months we have noticed a sticky problem which the Bahamas finds itself faced with quite often. Geographically the Bahamas is the ‘bridge’ between Cuba and the USA. Today more and more Bahamians travel to Cuba for affordable medical treatment. A new Bahamas Embassy has recently opened in Cuba. There have been a couple of controversial episodes where Cubans en-route to the USA have been detained in the Bahamas resulting in some interesting diplomatic dilemmas for the Bahamas Government.
In the news, and sadly from some of the pulpits, we read or hear persons speaking irresponsibly about ‘foreign nationals’ being the cause of what they see as the growing number of social ills in the country. One preacher even said that it was these foreign teachers in ‘our schools’ who are teaching foreign ideologies to our students. The reason that there are a large number of foreign teachers is because of the vast shortage of teachers in the country. In terms of immigration, it has to be said that the growing Haitian population (legal and illegal) is indeed bringing with it many challenges to the Bahamas. I heard recently that statistics show that there are as many Haitian babies born in the public hospital as there are Bahamian.
CONFERENCES
There are many church persons in the Bahamas who are influenced by the prosperity gospel of the US based televangelists. Whereas most people in the USA would ignore these persons, because of satellite TV stations they have a celebrity status in the Bahamas. There has thus been a growth of conferences and the like in this country promoting this heretical theology and practice. One Roman Catholic priest friend of mine says he can’t understand why they aren’t struck down!
There are also those who seem to get stuck in the Bible on the books of Daniel and Revelation giving all kinds of interpretations for the end times that are upon us.
For example, in the newspaper recently was the following advertisement:
Theme: Exposing the political, economic and religious spirit of mystery in Babylon the great. “Exposure Time”
The conference will unveil how Satan is deceiving this nation and manifesting wickedness through the political, economical and religious system in the nations of the world. Most of this based on a variety of interpretations from Revelation. Minister Seymour said the aim of the conference is to educate and enlighten people in stirring the greatest righteous revolution that the nation has ever seen.
I thought I was reasonably intelligent and well read – but to be honest, I am not sure what I would learn by attending such a conference. I don’t think I even understand the title!
At the end of the road where I live, there are three conferences advertised. One is entitled: “Blessing, Favour, Increase”. Another is entitled “Hot in Pursuit” – something to do with prophecy and our destiny. Beats me.
A speaker on a radio programme the other day was encouraging people to give more to the ministry, “plant a $100 seed”. When you give God will give to you. I always thought that Christian giving was because we were thankful for what God has already given us. Mind you, I don’t think it would hurt for our Methodist family to review their financial giving.
In the newspaper recently there was an article about one popular ‘Bishop’ whose colleagues were raising money to buy him a yacht.
It is because of these influences that I believe the rational voice and witness of Methodism and other main line denominations so badly needs to be heard.
JOHN WESLEY METHODIST COLLEGE (JWMC)
The New Year for the school began at the beginning of September with 21 students on the roll. At the beginning of last year, there were just 6 – so it’s growing. We are currently in the process of trying to purchase neighbouring land/property so that we can expand. Money and volunteer teachers are both welcome.
SUMMER YOUTH ACTIVITIES
This summer was busy with a variety of children’s and youth activities.
At Rhodes, Heritage and Croix des Missions – Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) were held under the theme “Treasure Hunters”. At Heritage a team from St John UMC, Maryville, TN, USA came to lead a VBS, which by the need of the week was attended by over 70 children from the neighbourhood. This was also a time of fellowship for the churches as Heritage provided evening meals for the team. An excellent time was had by everyone.
Youth Encuentro – a gathering for MCCA youth and young adults was held in Jamaica, with representatives coming from throughout the region. Some 40 persons went from the BTCIC.
I took a group of youth to the UMC Camp Wesley Woods in TN for a week of outdoor pursuits.
All these experiences were very positive and greatly widened and enriched our young people in their Christian experience.
DISCIPLE
The first Disciple study course to be held in the Nassau Circuit came to an end in June with 73 persons attending the celebration and commitment day. This event was greatly enhanced by my good friend, Herbert Coleman from the Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington DC being our guest facilitator for the day.
By the way, if you wish to know more about Disciple go to the Cokesbury.com website. Disciple is an invaluable resource for enabling people to understand the Bible and how it applies to the life of discipleship. One of the participants from Wesley, Annva Burrows, gave an excellent account of what Disciple did for her. If you would like a copy I can send it to you by email.
This autumn I am traveling to Grand Bahama and Andros to encourage the implementation of this programme. In Nassau we are now beginning Christian Believer, which follows the Disciple style and format, as we examine Christian Doctrine. We believe that the more our Methodist members, and others, know about our doctrines and Scripture the better able they will be in discerning and living their Christian faith.
We will also be introducing some short-term (8 weeks) Disciple Bible studies as well.
IN MEMORIUM
Please remember in your prayers the family of the late Rev. Ronel Joulesaint. Ronel did a student placement in our District in the summer of 2005. This September (2006) he was due to begin his first appointment out of seminary in the Haiti District. Sadly, at the end of July he was involved in road accident, was airlifted to Cuba and then died some 7 weeks later. He was also due to get married in August. We remember his family, fiancé and the Haiti Methodist District in our prayers.
During the year I have been involved in several funerals of members and their families. Some funerals can really go on a long time – 2 to 3 hours is not unusual. These lengthy services are due to the number of persons giving their remembrances of the deceased as well as numerous musical items. In September I conducted and preached at a service for a deceased member at Wesley, which lasted just 1 hour 5 minutes. I am happy to say that the response from everyone was positive, no negative remarks at all. What made me smile is that they referred to this as a ‘short’ service!
ALL SAINTS
I continue to visit this community on a regular basis. Many of the residents are HIV positive and some have AIDS. Others are there because they have nowhere else to go. I am always amazed at the warmth of the welcome I receive, and thoroughly enjoy the conversations and fellowship. One resident who is HIV positive and was also involved in a road accident, and has mobility problems always greets me with a hug and says something like: “Praise God, I am so glad to see you.” Then at the end, following a prayer, she will give me a couple of dollars for the church. The first time she did this I said she needed the money so she could keep it. With indignation she said to me that she wanted to give because there are other people who need it!
I often think of the All Saints Community as a parable of the kingdom. Life there is simple and rustic, and at times very tough. But there is a sense of community that really does bring wholeness and healing. Morris West in his novel ‘Clowns of God’ shows how a community of people living with disability, not too dissimilar from those at All Saints, show Christ to the world in the upside-down perspective of the kingdom.
As I drive away from All Saints, I always have a sense of blessing, because through these persons, God has taught me something of his kingdom. So pray for Patrick, James Monica, Galvin, Jackie, Stephanie, Arthur, Joanna, Trevor, Karen and the rest. Currently, I am trying to find ways for members of Heritage and Wesley, the two churches I pastor, to be further involved in this ministry.
Anyway, to conclude this newsletter, the Sykes are all well; Susan is teaching Grade 2 at St Andrew’s School. Jonathan and Thomas are now in years 12 and 9 respectively. Jonathan, having successfully completed his Bahamas GCSEs, is now studying for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. He is a School Prefect and High School House Captain of ‘Arawak’, and is still football daft. Thomas is Middle School ‘Arawak’ house captain and enjoys being a member of the school swim club.
We wish you all well, and thank you for your interest in the life we are living here in this part of the world. Next year for the months of June and July we shall be on Furlough so will be available for deputation engagements during that time.
With all good wishes,
God bless,
Eddie, Susan, Jonathan and Thomas
1
The Sykes Family
E.mail: or