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REVEREND CLAIRE ROBINSON OF BAHAMAS TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

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August 28, 2025

 

For the first time in its 213-year history, the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA) will induct a female president/bishop for The Bahamas Turks and Caicos Islands Conference.

Reverend Claire Robinson of Bahamas Turks and Caicos Islands (BTCI) will be installed as the conference’s spiritual leader on Sunday, September 7, during a service at Wesley Methodist Church, Malcolm Road, New Providence.

Robinson’s induction service will be led by Reverend Ron Juan Simson, connectional president, who is stationed at MCCA headquarters in Antigua and Barbuda, the first island where Methodism commenced in the Caribbean.

The induction service will also see the installation of Esther Joy Sargent as vice president, and reverends Kelli Jolly as conference secretary, Emily Demeritte as assistant secretary and Jerry Rolle as conference treasurer.

Robinson was elected to the position during the recent annual session of the BTCI which was held at Rhodes Memorial Church, New Providence.

Robinson assumes the office following previous leadership which included the Reverends R. P. Dyer, W.T. Makepeace, Charles C. Curry, Edwin Taylor, J. Emmet Weir, Raymond Neilly and Theophilus Rolle.

Robinson serves as an itinerant presbyter in the MCCA and held the distinction of being the first female itinerant presbyter and first woman superintendent minister for both North and South Turks and Caicos Islands circuits.

Coming under Robinson will be The Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church, which has 37 churches, throughout the country.

The Methodist Church of The Bahamas was formed in July 1993 by an act of The Bahamas Parliament.

According to BCMC history, since 1800, the church was a part of the British Methodist Mission. In 1968, one year later than the rest of the Caribbean districts, The BCMC joined the Methodist church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA). In 1967 the Methodist churches in the Caribbean and some countries in Central America had been granted autonomy by the British Methodist Conference. And in 1990, The Bahamas District of the Methodist Church passed a resolution in its January district synod to move for self-governance and autonomy.

According to MCCA history, it is generally accepted that Methodism came to the Caribbean in 1760 through a planter from Antigua, named Nathaniel Gilbert. And that it was sometime in 1755, that Gilbert read a treatise of John Wesley, “An Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion” and that he was never the same man after reading the pamphlet.

As a result of reading the pamphlet, Gilbert traveled to England with three of his slaves. A drawing room meeting was arranged in Wandsworth on January 15, 1759, with Wesley as the preacher. Gilbert and two of his slaves – one of whom was called Bessie, were converted. He returned to the West Indies in 1759. With his return, Gilbert began to preach to his slaves in Antigua.

Upon his death in 1774 the work was continued for a year by his brother, Francis Gilbert, who later had to return to England owing to ill health. At that time, the history shows there were approximately 200 Methodists in Antigua. The work was carried on by a “negress and a mulatto” — Sophia Campbell and Mary Alley who kept the “flock together” by continuing with class meetings and prayer meetings, as best they could.

John Baxter, a Methodist preacher from Chatham, England, arrived in Antigua on April 2, 1778, after hearing about the works of the Gilberts, and of the “flock” that awaiting a “new shepherd.” Within a year, church history said the Methodist community had grown to 2,000 people and by 1783, the first Methodist chapel was built in St. John’s, Antigua, with Baxter as the local preacher.

Reverend Dr. Thomas Coke arrived in Antigua on December 25, 1786, by chance. He had been traveling to Nova Scotia, but his ship was blown off course. Coke was made superintendent of the church in America by Wesley in 1784. It was in 1786 that the missionary endeavor to the Caribbean was officially recognized by the conference in England.

Between 1786 and 1794, Joseph Paul, who was of African descent, came to Abaco from North America. He later moved to New Providence, and gathered a class of five to begin the work of Methodism in The Bahamas.

In 1884, an attempt was made at autonomy with the formation of two West Indian Conferences. By 1903, the history shows the venture had failed. And that it was not until the 1960s that another attempt was made at autonomy.

The second attempt resulted in the formation of the MCCA in May 1967.

MCCA has eight districts – Bahamas/Turks and Caicos Islands; Belize/Honduras; Guyana; Haiti; Jamaica; Leeward Islands; Panama/Costa Rica; and South Caribbean.

Since its early beginnings, the Methodist church has made significant civic, social and educational contributions in The Bahamas – significantly, Queen’s College opened in 1890 to educate Bahamians and other students.

Robinson serves as an itinerant presbyter in the MCCA and held the distinction of being the first female itinerant presbyter and first woman superintendent minister for both North and South Turks and Caicos Islands circuits.

Robinson’s induction service will broadcast on ZNS on Sunday, September 7 at 10 a.m.

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Twist To Win Ends in a Grand Style with Four $5,000 Mall at Marathon Shopping Sprees  

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Twist To Win grand finale winners (l-r) Brian Bethel, Taraceta Neely, Ashia Demeritte and Merlin Adams posing along with their winnings from the shopping spree.

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.

The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.

With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.

Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.

Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.

Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!

After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.

The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.

At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.

Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.

Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.

The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.

Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.

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 The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival  

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NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival.                                                                                                                                                                              Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.

As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.

Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole, with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.

Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.

Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the listening booth.

Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.

For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!

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Bahamas News

CWS Brings a Galore of Bubbles at Annual Jollification Festival  

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Caribbean Wines & Spirits team members smiling behind one of the company’s two bars at Jollification

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.

Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.

The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members.  Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.

Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine.  To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.

On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking in the comfort of the chic lounge.  In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.

The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.

Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.

To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.

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