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Portraits Magazine
Scope of Islands Project expands
By Kay Harms
While Arizona Southern Baptists have been ministering to churches and people in both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands for a number of years now, the Islands Project is moving into new territory.
According to coordinator David Holmes, God has now opened wide the doors to minister on the island of Dominica. Pronounced DOM-i-NEE-ka, and officially known as the Commonwealth of Dominica, this island nation is located in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea and is just 290 square miles in size.
"We've been serving on St. Thomas for several years, but now the Ebenezer Baptist Church on St. Thomas has requested we partner with them in doing mission work in Dominica," Holmes said. "Some of the people at Ebenezer are originally from this small island near St. Lucia, and they want to return there to share the gospel with their relatives and friends."
Holmes insisted this is what missions is really all about: sharing the gospel, starting and strengthening churches and then assisting them as they then begin to reach out to others.
Recently returning from an initial exploratory trip to Dominica, Holmes reported that the missions opportunities on the island are varied and extensive. He said the five Southern Baptist-related churches and an equal number of independent churches on the island are receptive to and in need of medical missions, sports camps, agricultural missions, training and equipping seminars, Vacation Bible Schools and disaster relief training. He added that the schools and government are also receptive to the gospel being shared in and through the schools.
"The opportunities on this island are wide open," Holmes said. "We just see no resistance to the gospel in Dominica. The churches are inviting us, the schools are letting churches and pastors in, and the people want to hear the gospel."
Holmes is searching for churches, associations and individuals who would be willing to go to Dominica to do mission work. However, because travel to this isolated island is more costly, more involved and less convenient than travel involved with other recent Islands Project trips, Holmes said it is especially important to find individuals and teams who feel called as well as trained and highly qualified to meet specific needs in Dominica.
For more information about the needs in Dominica and how you or your church might get involved, contact David Holmes at davidholmes@charter.net.