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A time for fellowship By THEA RUTHERFORD ~ Guardian National Correspondent ~ thea@nasguard.com: A time for fellowship and spiritual growth, the 49th Annual West Indies Baptist Fellowship Conference (W.I.B.F.) has brought pastors and church members from around the region to Nassau for the third time in its history. Delegates packed the sanctuary of the host church, New Testament Baptist, for daily sessions at a conference that attracts both young and old. "It was pretty good," said 93-year-old Claris McPherson of the first morning of teaching sessions on Tuesday. McPherson traveled from Jamaica with her pastor and church members for the conference. A regular conference attendee, it is her first time in The Bahamas. "I enjoy the island. It's almost like Jamaica," she said. In McPherson and the roughly 200 other delegates from 22 countries, New Testament Baptist Church and the group of local Fundamentalist Baptist pastors who helped to organize the event, have achieved their goal. The group had hoped that this week's fellowship conference would enhance the spiritual lives of its guests as well as showcase The Bahamas. In addition to a full schedule of daily morning and evening sessions to be hosted by a variety of local and international pastors, the conference includes a colorful informational booklet about the country for each delegate. The booklet, as well as new features like the photo ID badges that include which country each delegate is from, have not gone without notice by attendees. "I've noticed additions to the conference from past conferences," said Pastor Fred Brathwaite of Bible Baptist Church in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Brathwaite highlighted the name badges and the honors ceremony planned for pastors who had been in ministry for a number of years. He also commended organizers on the ease with which delegates are being housed and transported to and from the conference. "The conditions have improved a lot," he said. New Testament Senior Pastor Dr. David Adams expressed excitement about the progress of the event on Tuesday. The conference began on Monday with an official opening at the B.C.P.O.U. Hall. Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Charles Maynard, represented the government at the ceremony, "The first speaker was from Grand Cayman, the last speaker [Monday] night was from America," said Adams. "You have various people from St. Maarten, Anguilla, Nevis, St. Kitts — all those will be speaking this morning on a variety of topics. We're excited." Delegates look forward to an event that gives them an opportunity to share their trials and triumphs in ministry. "It's a time where we get to meet so many other pastors from the Caribbean, especially that we don't see over the years," said Pastor Carl Naitram of Grace Bible Church, Barbados. "It allows us to be able to share one another's burdens . . . and to exhort one another, encourage one another to continue in the ministry that God has led them into in the different islands," he said. "It was great just to be a part of them and seeing the old friends," said Brother Kwame Selver, assistant pastor at New Testament. Selver preached on the conference theme of "Raising the Standard High" on Tuesday morning. An event with an almost 50- year history, this year's conference included among its delegates the daughter of Rev. Jim Cooper, the missionary who established the host church, another ministry and Nassau Christian Academy. Tammy Titus, Cooper's daughter, traveled to the country for the conference from Jamaica where she and her husband work as missionaries. Titus lived in The Bahamas with her family from the age of six to 13, until her father was diagnosed with a rare blood disease in 1973. Cooper died eight months after being diagnosed that same year. "It's a blessing to be here and see that the vision has gone on by Pastor Adams, Pastor Mills and Brother Isaacs, who runs the Christian school," said Titus. "They have continued the vision that my dad started all those years ago." Thursday, January 22, 2010