Barbados
The most eastern Caribbean island, located in the southern Caribbean, is
the beautiful island of Barbados. Today, tourists from around the world flock
to its shores. The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British
in 1627. Its economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses
production through most of the 20th century. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing
surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.
The Church of the Nazarene
This small island nation is the oldest Nazarene work in the English-speaking
West Indies. In the mid-1920s Rev. J.D. Scott recruited J.I. Hill, then
superintendent of the Southern California District, to come and begin
the official work of the Church of the Nazarene in Barbados. When they
arrived they were greeted by a woman named Carlotta Graham who had migrated
to the U.S. 13 years earlier and had in 1925 at the time of her mother’s
death returned to Barbados and decided to stay. It was, however, during
her time in New York that she was exposed to the Church of the Nazarene.
She even graduated from Eastern Nazarene College, located near Boston,
MA. Immediately Rev. Hill asked her to be a part of the missionary team.
She proved throughout the years to be an invaluable tool in God’s
hands.
In 1927, General Superintendent Dr. Reynolds held the first District Assembly.
It is recorded that there were 8 churches and 289 members. It was also during
this time that Barbados and the infant work in Trinidad were combined in
one district. Therefore, the missionary team was responsible for two separate
islands under one district (West Indies). Through the years the church steadily
grew.
During the 1950s and
1960s, the church reported 31 churches and 1,217 members. In 1965, tent
evangelism was begun on the island. It proved to be
a fruitful
enterprise. In 1966, Barbados received its independence from Great Britain
and this heightened national awareness was evident in the church as well.
It was at this time that the national leaders came to the forefront in
an intentional effort to lead and grow their church. In 1976, Barbados
achieved
mission district status. This marked the continuing work of Barbados as
a self-supporting entity branching from the original union with the Trinidad
and Tobago district. This status allowed them to be fully represented at
the General Assembly. This proved to be a great accomplishment, since it
was at that General Assembly that one of their own was elected to the General
Board to represent the Intercontinental Zone II (Mexico, Central and S.
America,
and the Caribbean).
In 1985, the phenomenal
growth of the early years plateaued. They reported 32 churches, the same
as reported in 1956, with a membership
of 1,828.
Since then, the Barbados District Church of the Nazarene (Phase 3) has
accepted
the challenge to engage in aggressive evangelism for the salvation of
their island. Currently Barbados reports 3,200+ members.
Sources:
Parker, J. Fred. Mission to the World: A History of Missions in the Church
of the Nazarene through 1985.
Nazarene Publishing House, Kansas City,
MO, 1988.
Dr. John Smee
http://www.cia.gov/