Church and congregation at Black Point

Sunday May 26

I believe there are three churches in Black Point. I attended the church to the NE of the gov't dock, just up the hill, the Bible Mission church. I was glad I did. If you really want to get to experience a part of Bahamian culture and community, visit a church.







The congregation acted a little surprised to see a visitor from the harbour. It made me wonder how many folks from the boats ever attend church there. I attended morning and evening services, and by the evening, the folks had become friendly, with nearly everyone either talking to me before or after service. If you attend one service, and the folks seem reserved and unsure of you, go back. What a nice group of people. I was individually invited to every event they have coming up.



BTW, in the family islands, the churches frequently read announcements from the community, often in letters written to the pastor from community leaders. So, for example, in Eleuthera last year, that is how I learned about a fireworks celebration time and location for Independence Day. I learned yesterday about some public meetings coming up at the local school. It is an easy way to spread the word.


The church was still reeling from the unexpected death of their pastor two weeks earlier. He was 46. I believe he was also the town's police officer. In spite of the fact that he was air lifted to Nassau, he didn't recover from a sudden collapse. It was his widow's first service after her husband's death, and my heart went out to this beautiful lady. A couple of ladies, friends/family came back to Black Point with her from Nassau, and one of those ladies, a pastor in Nassau spoke Sunday night.

Sunday morning a young man who had been assisting the pastor for awhile taught the adult SS class, and spoke for the morning worship. After service he told me that his wife, Ida, who I'd met the year before, has the laundry.



Black Point has the easiest, boat accessible laundry, complete with dinghy dock!  They have a large, clean laundromat, with a dock you can tie your dinghy up, to eliminate carrying your bags of laundry through town. (Closed on Sundays, of course!)