Historical Account
The development of Methodism in the Bahamas, Turks, and Caicos Islands Conference is closely connected with the British Methodist Church and missionary work. These territories were the colonies of Great Britain in the 18th century when religious views started to develop actively. The Methodist mission was part of the African and American initiatives of preachers to spread their faith, and it is critical to discuss its history in the context of the missionary work of the 18th century (Bundy, 2015). According to the documents, Joseph Paul was the first evangelist of the Methodist Church who came to the Bahamas in 1783 after he preached in the Methodist colonies of Great Britain in North America (Bundy, 2015). After his arrival on the islands, Joseph Paul received an order from the Anglican Society that asked him to establish the Methodist Church and to spread the Christian faith among the local population (Bundy, 2015). Therefore, the history of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean started in the 18th century under the supervision of British missionaries and their desire to spread the Christian religion on the islands.
The number of missionaries serving in the Methodist Church in the Bahamas was not numerous for many years, which shows that popularizing the new faith was a long process. Evangelism in the Caribbean at the end of the 18th century was the first overseas mission of the Methodist Church (Abraham, 2019). It was consistent with the plan that the Church published by Thomas Coke, the right hand of John Wesley, who were the ideologists of the religious movement at that time. The peculiar detail was that Wesley was against the beginning of the overseas mission because he considered the resources of the Methodist Church to be limited, while Coke was an active supporter of this idea (Abraham, 2019). This information shows that the personal enthusiasm of the first missionaries of the Methodist Church was an essential part of spreading the Christian faith in the Caribbean region, where there was no basis for the popularization of this religion.
The Methodist Church in the Caribbean region provided the local population with the opportunity to receive education, which was essential at the beginning of the 19th century when it started to develop actively. Turton, one of the first missionaries of the Methodist Church in the Bahamas, established the school to educate the local young people, attempting to improve their level of life significantly (Bundy, 2015). All students in this school were colored, and foregrounding the need to preach among them was difficult in the 19th-century racist culture (Bundy, 2015). Another peculiar detail was connected with the necessity of asking for money to support the school from London due to the centralization of the Methodist Church of that time (Bundy, 2015). These historical facts reflect the Methodist Church’s significant problems in the overseas mission in the 19th century. These issues were financial and cultural due to the stereotypical perception of the local population on the islands by white people from Europe.
At the same time, the Methodist Church managed to improve the lives of the local population on the islands, give them primary education, teach them the wisdom of God, and give them hope that allowed them to support themselves in critical situations. It allows us to hypothesize that the spread of Christianity and the Methodist Church contributed to the cultural development of the Bahamas, Turks, and Caicos Islands Conference. Even though the results of the missionary work were not evident instantly, it led to positive changes in the long-term perspective. End of slavery, building the supporting community, and preserving the region’s autonomy are positive changes that are indirectly connected with the work of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean.
Throughout history, the Methodist Church addressed the topics critical for the local Caribbean population, which has become the reason for its popularization. For instance, hope for liberation from slavery was the main topic of the Methodists in this region (Abraham, 2019). All islands of the Caribbean, including the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands Conference, were inhabited by formerly enslaved people and current enslaved people. When the preachers read these people the Act of Emancipation in 1834, the authority of the Methodists among the locals increased significantly (Abraham, 2019). Until 1967, when the Methodist Church became a self-governing institution, the Methodist Church and freedom from slavery were closely interconnected in public perception (Abraham, 2019). Thus, it is impossible to separate the history of the development of the Methodist Church from the history of the Caribbean region in general and the history of the Bahamas, Turks, and Caicos Islands Conference in particular.
Personal Reflection
The development of Methodism in the Bahamas, Turks, and Caicos Islands Conference significantly influenced my witness because it shows how the Church successfully integrates into society regardless of possible difficulties or challenges. It is challenging for modern believers to find ways of integrating their religious views into the life of the contemporary community, but the Methodist Church gives a positive example of this faith integration. The episodes from its history show that the missionaries understood the needs of the local population and used the Christian faith to help these people. Nowadays, the Methodist Church tries to develop together with the community on the islands, meeting the concerns that the believers might have.
After the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA) gained complete autonomy in 1967, it created an independent religious institution. Even though the essence of faith and religious order remained the same, it acquired control over the finances of the Church, its property, and freedom to regulate its actions (The Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA), 2022). It is possible to make parallels between the historical path for freedom that was critical in the spread of the Methodist Church in the region and the existing autonomy of the Church. This example shows that the region has its unique historical background that affects all spheres of life, even when people do not try to follow this way deliberately.
Methodism in the Bahamas, Turks, and Caicos Islands Conference participates in the life of the society, as it was already mentioned. For instance, the Church representatives work with the survivors of natural disasters, providing spiritual support and humanitarian aid from the religious community (Bloom, 2019). The members of the Methodist Church are members of such organizations like the National Emergency Management Agency of the Bahamas, and they assist people both as professionals and as Christians (Bloom, 2019). This example from the Church’s activity is inspiring because it shows how a religious worldview improves human lives and allows people to realize their potential altruistically.
References
Abraham, W. J. (2019). Methodism: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press.
Bloom, L. (2019).Methodists in Bahamas cope with Dorian’s trauma. UM News.
Bundy, D. (2015). The African and Caribbean origins of Methodism in the Bahamas. Methodist History 53(3), 173-183.
The Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA). (2022). History. Web.