CARIBBEAN
David G. Roebuck
NOT SURPRISINGLY, the Church of God’s first international ministry was to the Caribbean Islands. These approximately 700 land masses scattered throughout the Caribbean Sea just southeast of the United States take their name from their original inhabitants known as the Carib. Although the only remaining Carib Indians living in the Caribbean reside on Dominica, the Church of God has a congregation among these indigenous people.
From the time of Christopher Columbus’s 1492 voyage, colonialism and conflict have shaped the culture and history of the Caribbean Islands. England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United States all have occupied various islands, many of which, until recently, were known as the West Indies. Consequently, the political situation of many islands has often depended on the economic and military fortunes of global empires. For example, seven European nations occupied the U.S. Virgin Islands before the United States purchased them in 1917. Most island nations are now independent, but some remain territories of other countries.
With these global influences, a variety of languages and cultures developed. The Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic occupies the eastern region of the island of Hispaniola, while Haiti on the western side speaks French and Creole. One island of 43 square miles has St. Martin on the North speaking French and Sint Maarten on the South speaking Dutch. Inhabitants of Aruba speak four languages: Papiamento, Dutch, English, and Spanish. This cacophony of heritage, languages, and cultures has challenged the evangelization of the region. A full history of ministry in the region would include many who planted seeds that did not immediately bear fruit. Despite the difficulties, the Church of God ministers in 27 countries and territories in the Caribbean.
From the time of Christopher Columbus’s 1492 voyage, colonialism and conflict have shaped the culture and history of the Caribbean Islands. England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United States all have occupied various islands, many of which, until recently, were known as the West Indies. Consequently, the political situation of many islands has often depended on the economic and military fortunes of global empires. For example, seven European nations occupied the U.S. Virgin Islands before the United States purchased them in 1917. Most island nations are now independent, but some remain territories of other countries.
With these global influences, a variety of languages and cultures developed. The Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic occupies the eastern region of the island of Hispaniola, while Haiti on the western side speaks French and Creole. One island of 43 square miles has St. Martin on the North speaking French and Sint Maarten on the South speaking Dutch. Inhabitants of Aruba speak four languages: Papiamento, Dutch, English, and Spanish. This cacophony of heritage, languages, and cultures has challenged the evangelization of the region. A full history of ministry in the region would include many who planted seeds that did not immediately bear fruit. Despite the difficulties, the Church of God ministers in 27 countries and territories in the Caribbean.
Beyond the United States
The first ministry of the Church of God beyond the borders of the United States was born in the hearts of a black Bahamian and his native-Georgia wife—Edmond and Rebecca Barr. Edmond had immigrated to Florida for work when he married Rebecca. Together they joined the Church of God at the Pleasant Grove Camp Meeting in Durant Florida, where General Overseer A.J. Tomlinson credentialed them as evangelists on May 31, 1909. The Barrs realized the importance of taking the Pentecostal message to his homeland. They were joined in that vision by a retired Methodist minister and his wife, Robert and Ida Evans, who also came into the Church of God at the Pleasant Grove meeting. In November of 1909, the Barrs arrived in Nassau and began preaching. The Evanses, along with Carl Padgett, joined them on January 4, 1910. This ministry team was multinational with citizens of the United States and the Bahamas; it was multiracial with persons of both European and African heritage; it was multigenerational with both mature and young participants; and it included male and female ministers. The First Converts
Wilmore V. Eneas and his wife, Arabella, were among the first to come into the Church of God in the Bahamas. Suffering from a lengthy illness, Arabella was sitting on her porch when she heard preaching coming from the street corner. It was an unfamiliar message, so she invited the ministers to come to her home and talk. They accepted her invitation and offered to lay hands on her to pray for her healing. The Eneas family lived on Meadow Street in the Bain Town community of Nassau. Most of their neighbors were near the bottom of the social ladder. Although Wilmore’s formal education was limited, he had worked hard and gained some means and respect in the community. Unsure of Pentecostalism at first, he could not doubt the change in Arabella’s life. The Eneas’ home became a ministry center in Bain Town, until Wilmore was able to arrange a place for the emerging congregation to meet. By the time the Evanses and Barrs returned to Florida, W.V. Eneas had emerged as the local leader of the Church of God. In 1915, he led in building a thatch place of worship they called “The Camp.” About 1918, the congregation was able to build a more proper wooden church house. Ridiculing their enthusiastic worship, the townspeople called the Pentecostals “Jumpers,” and they called the location of the Church of God “Eneas Jumper Corner.” Wilmore became the first black Church of God bishop in the Bahamas and served as pastor of the local church until 1961, which is now called the East Street Cathedral. He was also overseer of the Bahamas. The Eneas legacy continues to bless the Bain Town community. The home of Wilmore and Arabella is now the W.V. Eneas Clinic—a medical clinic operated by their granddaughter, Dr. Agreta Eneas-Carey. |
MIRACLE CHURCH OF GOD
Robert Evans and Edmond Barr reportedly visited Green Turtle Cay in 1911, when their street preaching resulted in the conversion of Mira Roberts and the establishment of a mission. Bahamian Overseer Carl M. Padgett returned to the tiny island in 1913 and set the congregation in order on July 24 with eight members. John A. Lowe became the first pastor, and Mildred Lowe served as clerk. From their beginning, both the village of New Plymouth and the Green Turtle Cay congregation have reflected the multiracial nature of the Bahamas.
The congregation worshiped in homes from 1914 to 1922 when they built their first church house near the harbor. They took the name Miracle Church of God as a testimony to the way in which their current facility was purchased, furnished, and expanded. The Bahamian government had placed a freeze on borrowing money, but after much prayer, that freeze lifted unexpectedly when property became available in 1991. Members and friends responded generously to the vision and provided many of the furnishings, as well as funds to retire the debt in less than five years. Since that time, the congregation completed two expansions. During Bishop Johnny T. Lowe’s pastorate, the congregation has grown significantly. Remarkably, the congregation has preserved its records since its founding in 1913, and has deposited these records for preservation at the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center on the campus of Lee University. |
|
IDENTIFYING OUR FELLOWSHIP The name “Church of God” has been used by many Christian groups who desire to follow New Testament patterns. This has required modifying our name in some nations where other “Church of God” groups preceded us. In many places such as Barbados and Jamaica, as well as some nations where West Indian immigrants have established congregations, we are known as the “New Testament Church of God.” In Puerto Rico, we are known as “Church of God ‘Mission Board.’” |
The Pentecostal World-wide Mission Band
Reports from the Bahamas encouraged the Church of God in the United States. On February 15, 1911, a group of ministers boarded the S.S. Miami bound for the islands. Convinced the Lord would have a musical band to reach the nations, they took a tent, their Bibles, and musical instruments purchased from the Sears Roebuck mail-order catalog. During their ten-week adventure, they faced hardship, danger, and exhausting ministry on what was the inaugural tour of the Pentecostal World-wide Mission Band. When the band arrived on New Providence Island, they connected with the Evanses and Barrs and began to locate places to conduct services. The band often divided into smaller groups to reach a larger number of people. On one Sunday, they conducted meetings in nine different locations. They held meetings in the streets, homes, the Market, the Sponge Exchange, and wherever else they could. Tomlinson would often play the drum as the band marched through the streets to attract a crowd. On more than one occasion, Tomlinson estimated 2,000 people attending services. Beginning with Ragged Island, the band visited Out Islands and cays from March 17 until April 22. They held services in borrowed churches, homes, community halls, and numerous outdoor accommodations. They commonly found worship locations along a street or outside a village. The band depended on offerings from home, offerings received in their worship services, and the goodness of those to whom they ministered. Tomlinson penned on April 1: “They bring us food of all kinds….chickens, eggs, sweet potatoes, crabs, onions, beans, peas, watermelons, papayas, grits, sugar, etc. I have learned to eat crab and lobster.” Along with blessings came the challenges of travel in an underdeveloped country. The band often experienced rough waters and sea sickness. In addition to the larger boats, they traveled by sailboat and packhorse, as well as frequently walking. They slept in rented houses, donated rooms, sometimes on the floor, and outdoors on the decks of the boats when mosquitoes and sandflies did not make sleeping too difficult. On April 22, band members boarded a “sailboat bound for Nassau.” Exhausted, Tomlinson recorded, “I feel now that we are about done for the present on the Bahamas. We all feel drawn back to America.” A storm delayed their departure until April 27, and even then the waves were high. Padgett recalled, “We find the sea rolling high, more than I had ever been in before…and before we got over it, I had lost my breakfast in good shape, then felt better and enjoyed the rest of the trip.” |
Division and Outreach
General Overseer A.J. Tomlinson made several trips to the Caribbean where he was well liked. When the tragic division occurred between Tomlinson and the Elders Council in 1923, many members and ministers did not immediately understand the break. For most, Tomlinson had been their pastor or general overseer as long as they had been Church of God, and they could not imagine a church without him. Among the Caribbean Islands, communication was unreliable and many congregations continued to report to “A.J. Tomlinson, Cleveland, Tennessee, USA” as they always had. As a result, some congregations appraised their allegiance over time.
One of the most striking examples is Barbados. The first Church of God congregation was planted there in 1917, but when the island’s congregations continued to report to Tomlinson, they were effectively “lost” to our movement. Those same congregations reconnected to the Church of God in 1936.
Because of the close proximity of the islands to each other, as well as cultural similarities, evangelism and leadership has often flowed from one island to another. Although Guadeloupe belongs to France, it has a large Haitian immigrant population and a Haitian introduced the Church of God there. The people of Barbados have been especially involved in missions. In addition to supporting missionary projects in many places of the world, Church of God members in the small island nation have been involved in outreach ministry to Bermuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Martin.
General Overseer A.J. Tomlinson made several trips to the Caribbean where he was well liked. When the tragic division occurred between Tomlinson and the Elders Council in 1923, many members and ministers did not immediately understand the break. For most, Tomlinson had been their pastor or general overseer as long as they had been Church of God, and they could not imagine a church without him. Among the Caribbean Islands, communication was unreliable and many congregations continued to report to “A.J. Tomlinson, Cleveland, Tennessee, USA” as they always had. As a result, some congregations appraised their allegiance over time.
One of the most striking examples is Barbados. The first Church of God congregation was planted there in 1917, but when the island’s congregations continued to report to Tomlinson, they were effectively “lost” to our movement. Those same congregations reconnected to the Church of God in 1936.
Because of the close proximity of the islands to each other, as well as cultural similarities, evangelism and leadership has often flowed from one island to another. Although Guadeloupe belongs to France, it has a large Haitian immigrant population and a Haitian introduced the Church of God there. The people of Barbados have been especially involved in missions. In addition to supporting missionary projects in many places of the world, Church of God members in the small island nation have been involved in outreach ministry to Bermuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Martin.
CARIBBEAN These dates represent the first permanent Church of God ministry in a country or territory. Country/Territory Date Entered Bahama Islands 1910 Barbados 1917 Jamaica 1925 Turks Island 1932 Haiti 1933 Bermuda 1939 Dominican Republic 1940 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1940 St. Lucia 1940 Cuba 1942 St. Kitts and Nevis 1943 Puerto Rico 1944 St. Martin/Sint Maarten 1946 |
David G. Roebuck, Ph.D. is director of the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center, Church of God Historian,
and Assistant Professor of the History of Christianity at Lee University.
and Assistant Professor of the History of Christianity at Lee University.