BAPTIST YOUTH:
A STOMPING GOOD TIME IN THE CARIBBEAN
By Melissa Gayle

According to the Ministry of Tourism of the Bahamas, “It is better in the Bahamas,” and this certainly proved
true during the 8th Caribbean Baptist Fellowship (CBF) Youth Festival held July 22-26 in Nassau.
More than a year of planning, fasting and praying went into what has gone down in history as one of the
largest gatherings of Caribbean Baptist youth. Five-hundred delegates from across the Caribbean and North
America met at the Wyndham Nassau Resort for five days of worship, teaching, fun and fellowship. Gathered
under the theme, “Stomp pun de enemy,” delegates were led to recognize that as Christian youth they are
“under attack” and need to be “adequately armed” for the battle. They should also be“totally assured” of God’s
presence in battle, and therefore should be “fully activated” for service in God’s ministry.
At the opening celebration on Wednesday night, attendees were treated to the culture of the Bahamas
depicted through dance, singing, drama, mime and the comical but sobering performance of the outstanding
Dynamite Daisy, a Bahamian comedienne and actress. To set the tone for the festival, Karl Johnson
of Jamaica charged the delegates to “trust in the Lord with all their hearts and lean not on your own
understanding” – necessary if they are to “Stomp pun the enemy.”
The hundreds of persons gathered for the opening celebration were also greeted by Emmett Dunn, youth
director of the Baptist World Alliance; Peter Pinder, CBF executive secretary/treasurer; and William Thompson,
Bahamas National Baptist Missionary & Educational Convention president. If delegates were unsure of what to
expect at this Festival, by the end of the night they were fired up and ready to “Stomp pun de enemy.”
Each day, the youth joined in early morning intercessory prayer sessions which were rich and diverse
under the leadership of the different country delegations present. Family group meetings resulted in new
friendships and cross-cultural exchanges and it was a blessing each day to walk by the “friendship &
encouragement table” – a key feature of the family group experience – and find notes and trinkets left by a
secret pal.
In order to “Stomp pun de enemy,” delegates also confronted key issues affecting youth through workshops
such as “True Love Waits,” “Dare to be Different,” and “Toxic Relationships.” There were also workshops
focused on ministry such as “Act II: Scene III,” “Get your praise on,” and “Youth Ministry in the 21st Century.”
Attendees at the festival will also not soon forget the words of our Bible study presenter, Ulric Smith, who
reminded those gathered that in contending with the Enemy one will have to fight temptation, face persecution
and fight the good fight. But in all of this, one must stand firm in one’s convictions about God, in one’s
confidence in God and in one’s reliance on God.
An unforgettable moment was the Youth Ball, where one would have to say the Bahamians outdid
themselves. At the ball, six youth were declared and honored as Caribbean Youth Ambassadors. These
ambassadors were charged to represent their faith wherever they go and to be distinctive Caribbean Baptist
youth. Also specially honored were Donald Lawrence, a Jamaican pastor in Florida in the United States and a
former president of the Baptist World Alliance Youth Department, Larry Stubbs of the Bahamas and Michael
Taylor of Jamaica, the outgoing CBF Youth Department president, for their work in regional youth ministry.
The festival also offered opportunity for offsite ministry at a children’s camp and at a home for those
afflicted with HIV. There was also a Grand Assurance March through the streets of Nassau, the Bahamas
capital. For many this was the highlight of the festival, as delegates declared though song and posters, and
their presence on the streets of Nassau, that as Christians we have the victory through Christ our Lord.
The closing celebration saw the installation of a new CBF Youth Department executive headed by new
president, Clinton Minnis of the Bahamas.
All in all, the delegates left energized for service and ministry and definitely ready to “Stomp pun de
enemy.”
(Melissa Gayle is secretary for the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship Youth Department.)
PHOTO: Youth on a street parade through Nassau, Bahamas, during the 8th Caribbean Baptist Youth
Festival in July

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