History A.M.E – Bahamas Lay Organization

HISTORY OF A.M.E CHURCH

Richard Allen our Founder and first Bishop was born a slave in 1760. His slave master was Benjamin Chew. He bought his freedom for 2000 continental dollars. He was married to Sarah Allen in 1787. Richard Allen made a gigantic step in his life, which began a movement that would leave a rich heritage and legacy behind.

In 1787. Rev. Richard Allen, Absalom Jones and a band of followers withdraw from St. George.

The AME Church is composed of over 5 million members and 8,000 Ministers, 7,000 Congregations, 21 Episcopal Districts, 21 Active Bishops and 127 Annual Conferences.

Since women have been given the privilege to serve in the Church, we have 19 female Presiding Elders and the latest report reveals that there are 3,211 women in Ministry. Since our last two General Conferences, three females were consecrated as Bishops of our Church.

The Bahamas Conference is also a part of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The African Methodist Church was established in the Bahamas in 1907. Rev. Richard Henry Dames, a Bahamian born on the island of Abaco, was charged with starting the church. At the time of his charge, he was a member of the South Florida Conference. Bishop Benjamin T. Tanner was responsible for sending Rev. Dames to the Bahamas to begin this new work.

The first Worship Service was held on a "porch" in Savannah Sound, Eleuthera. In 1908, the corner stone was laid for Bethel AME Church.

In Nassau the first AME Church was established in 1938 named Mt. Sinai with Rev. R.H. Johnson serving as pastor. Later in 1956 the name was changed to the Minister Wives Centre. The corner stone for the Minister Wives Centre was laid in 1964, shortly thereafter the name was changed to the H.N. Robinson Chapel A.M.E. Robinson Chapel was built in 1975.

The Bahamas Conference, at that time, was a part of the West Indies Conference (which was the Fifteenth Episcopal District). The first Presiding Elder Rev. C.B. James followed by Presiding Elder E.E. Benjamin were instrumental in the Bahamas Conference becoming a part of the Eleventh Episcopal District. According to the 1960 A.M.E. book of Discipline (General Conference held in May 1960 in Los Angeles, California), the Bahamas Conference was moved into the Eleventh Episcopal District where S.L. Greene was the Bishop.

BISHOPS WHO SERVED IN THE BAHAMAS CONFERENCE
BENJAMIN T. TANNER
SHERMAN L. GREENE
WILLIAM F. BALL, SR.
EUGENE C. HA TCHER
GEORGE N. COLLINS
HUBERT N. ROBINSON
SAMUEL S. MORRIS
PHILIP R.COUSIN
FRANK C. CUMMINGS
JOHN H. ADAMS McKINLEY YOUNG
ADAM J. RICHARDSON, JR. (PRESENTLY)

PRESIDING ELDERS WHO SERVED THE BAHAMAS CONFERENCE
REV. C.B. JAMES
REV. E.E. BENJAMIN
REV. LEAMON O. MOSS
REV. THOMAS W. CULMER
REV. JAMES ASKIEW
REV. DR. DANIEL N.L. SCOTT
REV. JAMES M. SANDS assisted by C.E. ST ANDIFER
REV. DR. LEEOMI KELLY
REV. HOWARD WILLIAMSON (PRESENTLY)
REV. DR. RANFORD PATTERSON (PRESENTLY)

CHURCHES AND PASTORS OF THE BAHAMAS CONFERENCE NASSAU DISTRICT

ROBINSON MORRIS CHAPEL A.M.E. CHURCH
REV. JAMES M. SANDS
REV. HOWARD WILLIAMSON (PRESENTLY)

COUSIN McPHEE CATHEDRAL
REV. FREEMAN McPHEE
REV. JAMES M. SANDS
REV. DR. DANIEL N. L. SCOTT
REV. DR. RANFORD PATTERSON (PRESENTLY)

ADAMS CHAPEL (NO LONGER EXISTS)
REV. CLINTON JOSEY,SR. (BYCHARGE)
REV. HERMAN THOMPSON

MT. OLIVE A.M.E. CHURCH (NO LONGER EXISTS)
REV. E. FARRINGTON

ST. MARK A.M.E. CHURCH
Founder and Pastor REV. LEAMON O. MOSS
REV. WILFRED SIMMS
REV. VERNAL HANNA
REV. G. WALPOLE GIBSON
REV. NEWTON WILLIAMSON, SR.

NEW BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH
REV. GEOFFREY THOMPSON
REV. J. M. SANDS
REV. WINIFRED WILLIAMS
REV. FAITH MAYCOCK
BRO. MORCELIN MELORIN (PRESENTLY)

ST. MATTHEW A.M.E. CHURCH
REV. WILFRED SIMMS (BYCHARGE)

ELEUTHERA DISTRICT

MOTHER BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH
Savannah Sound, Eleuthera
REV. HENRY RICHARD DAMES
REV. T.W. CULMER
REV. DAVID GIBSON
REV. JOHN W. GIBSON
REV. G. WALPOLE GIBSON
REV. DANIEL N. L. SCOTT
REV. CARMETTA ST. FLEUR
REV. DR. RANFORD PATTERSON
REV. DR. JAMES M. SANDS
REV. CHARLIE COOPER
REV. FAITH MAYCOCK
REV. GEORGE CLARKE
REV. WINIFRED WILLIAMS
REV. CLINTON JOSEY, SR. (PRESENTLY)

ST. LUKE A.M.E. CHURCH
Deep Creek, Eleuthera
REV. THOMAS CULMER
REV. NATHANIEL THOMPSON
REV. JAMES M. SANDS
REV. ALEXANDER GIBSON
REV. DANIEL N. L. SCOTT
REV. NEWTON WILLIAMSON
REV. G. WALPOLE GIBSON
REV. ALEXANDER BETHEL
REV. HOWARD WILLIAMSON
REV. ANDREA CAREY (PRESENTLY)

ALLEN CHAPEL A.M.E. CHURCH
Rock Sound, Eleuthera
REV. JOSIAH GIBSON, SR.
REV. JOSIAH GIBSON, JR.
REV. CECIL BENSON
REV.SAMUEL WARDEL MILLER
REV. VINCENT CHUNG
REV. ELLISON GREENSLADE
REV. FAITH MAYCOCK
REV. THELMA WILLIAMSON
REV. HOWARD WILLIAMSON
REV. CLIFFORD McKINNEY
REV. JEFFREY DARLING (PRESENTLY)

ST. THOMAS A.M.E. CHURCH (PULL OUT)
Palmetto Point, Eleuthera
REV. T. E. CULMER
REV. T. W. CULMER
REV. CHARLIE COOPER
REV. GEOFFREY THOMPSON
REV. ALEXANDER BETHEL
REV. SYLVANIS PETTY

FREEPORT DISTRICT
Freeport, Grand Bahama

CUMMINGS YOUNG TEMPLE
Formerly Cummings Temple, Freeport
REV. HERMAN THOMPSON
REV. CLIFFORD McKINNEY
REV. FAITH MAYCOCK
REV CLINTON JOSEY
REV.HUDSON WILLIAMSON (PRESENTLY)

ST. PHILIPS A.M.E. CHURCH
REV. LUCAS ANDERSON (BYCHARGE)

CURRENT PASTORS