The Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) is spreading its wings in an effort to ensure that the organization is not a New Providence-centric body, but an organization that speaks for every populated island in The Bahamas. With this in mind, the council, led by president Reverend Ranford Patterson recently installed new members to its San Salvador branch and started for the first time, a branch in Cat Island.
"When we say BCC, we want to ensure that we're covering every island in our archipelago, and at the end of the day, we want the same message, goals and objectives of the council in the Family Islands," says BCC vice-president, Reverend Victor Cooper.
"At the [Family] Island level we want the Christian voice to be heard. There are issues ... for example, in Cat Island, persons in authority say to us that they deal with a number of domestic problems and need help, and now that we have a branch of the BCC on the island, he now has an organized group to help him that he can rely on," he said.
The San Salvador branch of the Christian Council was established for some time, and Rev. Cooper, along with other members of the council traveled to the island to install the new officers, which was done in a ceremony at the Church of God of Prophecy in Cockburn Town, San Salvador. Installed to office were Pastor Nathaniel Walker, president; Pastor Mavis Major, vice-president; Pastor Allan Fernander, secretary; Deaconess Judith Gibson, assistant secretary; Sister Faith Jones, Sister Brendalee Strachan and Sister Cathy Storr, assistant treasurer.
It was during that installation that Rev. Patterson told the officers the branch would only work if the officers worked together. At the same time he told them that there is simply too much division in homes, churches and society at large, the result of which, he says, are the various ills that are prevalent today -- out-of-hand crime problem, dysfunctional families, and an alarming murder rate.
He told the newest branch members that they can make a difference on San Salvador even in the face of criticisms and backlash. Rev. Patterson told them that they must be a people of prayer, and never allow their politics to divide them. The BCC chief reminded them that the church has the answer to social ills of today, and must rise up and make a difference.
In the new Cat Island branch that has been opened, he said the installed officers are eager to be a part of the organization and be put to work. The service took place at the Church of God in Steventon, Cat Island. Installed to the Cat Island branch were Rev. Birthlon Newbold, president; Rev. Kermit Rolle, vice-president; Rev. Madlyn Campbell, secretary; Rev. Vernis Storr, assistant secretary; Rev. Jason Russell, treasurer; Rev. Carroll Johnson, assistant treasurer and Rev. Bradley Russell, administrative assistant. The new officers were encouraged to work together to effect change.
The BCC chief challenged them to unite, and take responsibility for what takes place on the island and stressed to them to be gatekeepers as it demanded unity and hardwork.
"At the island level we want the Christian voice to be heard," said Rev. Cooper. "This year we're talking about empowering the church and making a difference in people's lives, and the church is making a difference in their communities from government to local people. We want to make sure the Christian Council is not Nassau-centric, so that when we say BCC, we're covering every island in our archipelago, and at the end of the day we want the same message, goals and objectives of the council in the Family Islands as well.
With the installation of officers in San Salvador and the opening of the new branch in Cat Island, Rev. Cooper says branches in Grand Bahama and Exuma are in the forseeable future, as they look to open branches in all the islands. The BCC was started in New Providence in 1948. It started out being called the Christian Alliance with only five denominations as members. The Baptists and Pentecostal were not afforded any representation.
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