1. Baptists have existed in various islands/territories of the Caribbean since the 1780's. For reasons deeply-rooted in Caribbean history and geography, which contributed to insularity rather that unity, there was very limited opportunity for meeting each other and working together.
2. At the eleventh Congress of the Baptist World Alliance held in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. in June 1965, and at the instance of the Reverend Dr. Ruben Lopes of Brazil, a proposal to launch a five-year programme of evangelism in the Americas and the Caribbean was accepted.
3. The "Crusade of the Americas" served to bring Baptists of the Caribbean region closer together and revealed the need as well as the opportunity and possibility for a closer working relationship.
4. At the invitation of the Jamaica Baptist Union, a meeting of Caribbean Baptist leaders was held at the Baptist Conference Centre in Duncans, Trelawny, Jamaica, June 1-3, 1969, where thirty-seven representatives of fourteen islands/territories voted to recommend the formation of an organization to be known as the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship.
5. The organization was formally constituted at a meeting held at the Conference Centre of the Florida Baptist Convention, Lake Yale, Florida, U.S.A., on April 13, 1970, comprised of the following thirteen member-bodies: Bermuda Baptist Mission, Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, Jamaica Baptist Union, Puerto Rican Baptist Association, St. Kitts Baptist work, Guadeloupe Baptist Mission, the Guyana Baptist Mission, Haitian Baptist Convention, Cayman Island Baptist Mission, St. Thomas (U.S.V.I.) Baptist Association, St. Johns (U.S.V.I.) Baptist Association, the Baptist Union of Trinidad & Tobago and the Trinidad Baptist Mission.
6. Application sent to the Baptist World Alliance Executive Committee for recognition of the Caribbean Baptist Fellowship as a regional entity in that body was formally approved at the BWA meeting held in Tokyo, Japan in July 1970.
Rev. Reuben Cooper
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Bahamas
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Mr. Ernest Foster
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Cayman Islands
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Rev. Azariah McKenzie
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Jamaica
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Rev. Dottson Mills
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Jamaica
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Pastor Renaud Balzoora
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Haiti
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Pastor Milton Leach
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Puerto Rico
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Rev. Clarence Hedrington
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St. Thomas
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Mr. Kilner Worrell
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St. John
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Pastor Clifford Babar
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St. Croix
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Rev. William Connor
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St. Kitts
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Pastor Bod Teems
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Guadeloupe
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Rev. Allan Parkes
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Trinidad
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Rev. Otis Brady
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Guyana
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Mrs. Eric Maderios
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Bermuda
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Chairman
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Rev. Azariah McKenzie (Jamaica)
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Vice Chairman
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Rev. Reuben Cooper (Bahamas)
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Secretary/Treasurer
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Rev. Dottson Mills (Jamaica)
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Literature & Publication
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Rev. Sam Vernon (Trinidad)
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Personnel
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Rev. Milton Leach (Puerto Rico)
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Training
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Rev. Allan Parkes (Trinidad)
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Mass Communications
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Rev. Ernest Brown (Bahamas)
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Lay-Involvement
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Mr. Roderick James (Jamaica)
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The following persons were in attendance at the meeting:
The first set of officers elected were:
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