BRIEF HISTORY OF BETHEL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

The Bethel Missionary Baptist Church was started in 1963 by (13) thirteen people, several of whom are still members of the said Church. Shortly after we got started we relocated to Hospital Ground #330, St. Thomas, V.I. Bethel was started out of a prevailing need to reach out to the communities of St. Thomas, particularly to the young people who were left without direction in the wake of the then, economic boom that preoccupied many families’ attention, while their children were left unattended. After much prayer we finally began worship services in August of 1963 in the Hospital Ground area where we stayed for the past forty three years (43yrs). In 2006 we moved to Smith Bay about five miles, to the eastern part of St. Thomas, where the Lord gave us five acres of land. We are presently worshiping in the ground floor, while we await finances from the Lord to build the main sanctuary.

Bethel’s aim was to build Baptist Churches throughout the Virgin Islands and other Caribbean islands where there were no Baptist Churches as we conducted our outreach ministries. We also endeavored to start parochial schools to provide education for many children who were left outside of the educational opportunities of the U.S. Virgin Islands public schools, and also to provide seminary training for Bible students who desired training for ministry. God has helped us to do the above by allowing us to establish and to help support a total of (33) thirty three Churches ranging from Haiti to Suriname.

We have also established a Christian Day School and Bible School on St. Thomas. We also have three weekly radio broadcasts reaching the Caribbean islands with the Gospel. We have been conducting ministries each week to the long term mental patients, short term mental patients, Nursing Homes, Senior Citizens, and prisons. We also conduct weekly meetings for young people. In addition to all the above, we also conduct street meetings each month in different areas of St. Thomas. We conduct after school programs, Computer Literacy Programs, and provide GED Programs for those who did not finish High School.

We look forward with great anticipation to the further development of our new location where enough parking will be available along with enough space for recreational activities. We are presently located at #8 Estate Mahaagabet, in the Smith Bay area of St. Thomas. We are worshiping in the first phase of the building, and praying much, that our Sovereign Lord would show us favor by providing us with means to finish the main sanctuary. Unlike our previous location, we now have sufficient parking for all who attend the worship services.