World Missions Gears up for Centennial
By Veryll Doorasamy-Bowe, World Missions Media Team
In the closing days of 1909, the first missionaries of the Church of God departed to take the message of the church outside the United States. When R.M. and Ida Evans and Carl Padgett set sail for the Bahamas, they left with little knowledge of the impact this journey would have on the world.
The Evanses had retired from ministry in the Methodist church. In 1907 they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at Florida’s Pleasant Grove Camp Meeting. They later befriended Edmond and Rebecca Barr, Bahamians who were living in Florida. While fellowshipping together, both couples decided to take the Pentecostal message to the Bahama Islands. The Evanses sold all their belongings and helped pay for the Barrs to return to the homeland. They, along with Carl Padgett, the Miami pastor’s son, joined the Barrs a few weeks later.
Once they arrived in Nassau, they immediately set to work. The Evanses spent three fruitful years conducting street meetings, cottage prayer meetings and services in tents. They also assisted in planting a church in Green Turtle Cay, far to the north of Nassau, which today is the oldest continually existing church outside of the United States.
The initial work by the Evanses began the wide spread of missions across the world. Churches were planted in Canada in 1919 and Romania in 1922. Today Church of God World Missions has a presence in 168 countries with over six million members. Our ministries have evolved from preaching and street evangelism to now include Bible schools, international learning centers, children’s homes and orphanages.
Those who served in prior years did so with much passion and fervor. We would be remiss if we did not honor the remarkable strides they made in bringing us to modern day missions.
On our 100-year anniversary, 2009-2010, we will commemorate these significant events in our history. Celebrations will be held throughout the world. The state of Florida is hosting a Centennial Celebration from August 27-29, 2009, at the Celebration of Praise Church in Clermont. The main event however will take place in Nassau, Bahamas, January 5-7, 2010. Pastors and laymen from throughout the world will be invited. Details will be announced later.
We encourage you to join us as we celebrate 100 years of Church of God advance through missions ministry.
© 2009 Church of God World Missions
