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It has been such a blessing to serve the church again in the Bahamas in Spanish Wells. We received many thanks for returning and routinely requests for us to stay longer – which we would love to do. I made a point in offering my thanks to the church that any accolade offered for our ministry is really due God and not owed to me. We are simply so thankful to have been given the privilege to return again to the island and people that we love.
Along with the meetings, counseling, and teaching, the primary ministry here was delivering the Word on Sunday morning and Sunday evening and at the Tuesday night service. The theme throughout these meetings was “A New Kind of People” in reference to the church as we systematically walked through the book of Ephesians each night.
For many Christians today, “church” is a building or a service to attend. But the Biblical teaching is that the “Church” is a people – a community. The Apostle Paul was given the task of preaching to the Gentiles and unpacking the nature and order of this new community that includes all peoples. And this community and its implications will impact every aspect of how we live, both externally and internally.
I was also privileged to meet with the church elders during our visit to thank them personally for allowing us to share in ministry with them. I also had it on my heart to encourage them towards cross-denominational partnerships with the other congregations on the island. The nature of church traditions is implicitly divisive, and so it takes intentional time and effort to build the trust that will lead to cooperative ministry endeavors.
My prayers continue for our Spanish Well Methodist Chruch family as well as the other brothers and sisters on the island. While the world looks on, I’m confident that God’s people will come together to reveal a new family of believers who give generously and selflessly to the fame and glory of God’s name.