by Ray Thompson, Executive Director

The Caribbean Island ministry began early in our history. Veneta Hancock, one of the missionaries who was evacuated from the Belgium Congo, was assigned to work with Ray and Jean Thompson in the Virgin Islands. The Thompsons, who later became affiliated with BIMI in 1964, were at that time serving under the auspices of Highland Park Baptist Church and World-Wide Faith Missions of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Miss Hancock was a vital part of Camp Fortuna, Bluewater Bible College, and Calvary Elementary School. Before her graduation to Heaven, she ministered to the deaf through sign language.

In 1961 Clifford and Mavis Huskey went to the Cayman Islands, and Freeman and Martha Goodge moved further south to the island of Anguilla. Later that year, Bob and Colleen Faile went to the island of Nevis.

Jerry and Scharmel Johnson joined the island family of missionaries in 1964 and were used of God to establish churches and schools on the island of Antigua. This is also the location of the Caribbean Radio Lighthouse where our faithful missionaries broadcast the Gospel of Christ throughout many islands of the sea.

As these missionaries established churches on their respective islands, God called other American missionaries to serve Him throughout the island chain. The Lord also called young men and women out of these newly established churches to proclaim the Gospel as preachers and teachers. Most of them attended the Bluewater Bible Institute or College and were trained to start other churches in the Caribbean.

While the work of BIMI in the lower Caribbean islands prospered, God was calling out workers to serve in the upper islands. Jim and Betty Cooper had been serving in the Caicos Islands from 1961 to 1964 under the auspices of Calvary Baptist Church and Caicos Baptist Mission of Lakeland, Florida. They joined BIMI in 1965 to help establish new ministries throughout the Caicos Islands and later on in the Bahamas. That same year, Jack and Marguerite Harvey started their ministry in the Turks Islands.

These missionaries were joined by many others who pioneered new works on other islands to make the Caribbean ministry the largest arm of BIMI in the ’60s and ’70s. Missionaries were serving the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad in the south. They were challenged to reach a population of over 30 million people.

The key to the success of the work in the Caribbean has been the training of national workers. There are now over 125 churches on 40 islands, and most of these have national pastors. Their schools are staffed by national teachers. The largest church is the Bible Baptist Church in Nassau which celebrated its 25th anniversary with over 2,500 in attendance. Nassau Christian Schools has had an enrollment of over 1,000 students.

For 34 years, the West Indies Baptist Fellowship Conference has been held on a different island each January. Pastors, missionaries, and delegates come together to hear the preaching of God’s Word and to renew friendships. There have been as many as 350 delegates from 32 islands attend one of these conferences. Dr. and Mrs. Lee Roberson were special guests this year on St. Croix. Pastors from Trinidad have requested the conference for 1996.

Our Caribbean Director, Dr. Pat Creed, reports that the fastest growing area of ministry at this time is in the Dominican Republic. The missionaries there are following the same method of establishing churches and training workers that has proven to be so effective on other islands during these past 35 years. This method of ministry is distinctive of BIMI.

The Caribbean Baptist Mission was established to assist churches as they send out national missionaries to reach more islands with the Gospel of Christ. Each church has been taught that it is to carry out the Great Commission and to reproduce itself. Many of the churches have annual mission conferences and are involved in Faith-Promise Giving. Calvary Baptist Church on the island of St. Thomas gave over $110,000 to missions this past year. This did not include their support of the pastor, radio ministry, bus ministry, or Bible camp ministry. This church has been an example for many others throughout the Caribbean.

The successful ministry of the churches, schools, camps, and mission can be seen and appreciated; but only eternity will reveal the results of the Caribbean Radio Lighthouse on Antigua. The daily preaching and teaching of God’s Word has had a tremendous impact on the lives of thousands of people. The Bible Correspondence School has had as many as 8,000 students enrolled to receive the Source of Light graded materials. Hundreds have been saved and thousands have been discipled through this radio outreach.

We thank God for the balanced ministry of missions in the Caribbean. People have not only received the Gospel but also have been taught to send this same glorious Gospel throughout the Caribbean and around the world.

To God be the glory; great things He hath done.

[Only a few names have been given for the sake of space, but many other missionaries have served well. It is not intended that those mentioned should receive recognition while others be left out. Each has contributed much in building lives and local churches.]

Monday, March 15, 2010

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

KEITH & MARLA HERNDON -  MOLDOVA
ANTHONY R & DAWN HESS -  UKRAINE
KEVIN & MARY BETH HICKOK -  BRAZIL