United States Caribbean Immigrants Struggle to Find Church Home in the US Caribbean Baptist immigrants have
diffi culty fi tting into Baptist churches in the United States. This was discussed at a recent conference of Caribbean immigrants in New York City. The
April National Gathering of
Caribbean Diaspora Baptist clergy, leaders and churches was billed as “a missional event
to acknowledge and initiate
discussion on the emergence, contribution and role of Baptists in the continuum of the Caribbean Diaspora.” A common theme expressed by
Caribbean immigrants at the conference was the diffi culty to fi nd a “church home” upon migrating into the US. Raymond Anglin, a general secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU) during the 1980s and the son of a Baptist pastor, stated that he “experienced a kind of culture shock upon moving to the United States.” The Baptist churches he encountered in Florida and Georgia were “different from my experience in Jamaica in terms of authority, leadership,
the attitude to and role of
women, and in understanding of training.” Anglin, who says he now “has a fulfi lling ministry as a Presbyterian pastor,”
indicated that his background in Jamaica prepared him for his current situation, as it “gave him an ecumenical dimension of ministry.”
Delroy Murdock, pastor of a United
Methodist Church in New York and a former Baptist pastor from Jamaica, said that, upon coming to the US, he “could not fi nd a Baptist church that looked anything like those in Jamaica.” Edward Jenkins, another Methodist pastor in New York who was a Baptist pastor in the Caribbean, said that he sees himself “as a Baptist in a Methodist church.” Banmattie Ram, a Baptist pastor from Guyana, said most of the Baptist churches she encountered in the US “were different from my experience in the Caribbean,” but stated that “one must do ministry wherever one is.”
Karl Johnson, general secretary of
the JBU, said that the JBU is currently exploring ways of engaging in mission with Baptists in the Diaspora. He acknowledged that “the JBU has not grasped the opportunity presented by Caribbean people in the Diaspora.” He said that the JBU had “dropped the ball and needed to repent and
Moldova Moldova National Baptist Women’s Conference By Patsy Davis
ministry of the Republic of Moldova celebrated its 20th
From April 27-28, 2012, the women’s anniversary as the
Women’s Department of the Baptist Union of Moldova. They came together under the theme, “The King has come to serve! What will you do, daughter of the King?” The day before the conference the
Women’s Department National Committee met with the leadership of the Baptist union. The Bishop, Ion Miron, and other leaders were present. A year ago Sister Eugenia Podoleanu was elected the new president of the Women’s Department, and during the year there were other new members added to the committee. This meeting was a time of unifying the committee, as well as getting to know the invited guests for the conference.
BWA Women’s Department Director Patsy Davis, 4th right, and other speakers at the women’s conference in Moldova
6 BAPTIST WORLD MAGAZINE
return to a mission consciousness.” Everton Jackson, Baptist World Alliance secretary
regional for the Caribbean
and executive secretary/treasurer of the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship (CBF), said that “there are tremendous possibilities for cooperation between CBF and the
BWA Regional Secretary for the Caribbean and Executive Secretary/Treasurer for the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship, Everton Jackson, addresses the National Gathering of Caribbean Diaspora Baptist clergy, leaders and churches in New York City
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