Dwight Armbrister of Director of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s Religious Department; Calvin Watkins, Seventh Day Adventist Regional Director for Pastoral Services; Denise Harrod, Friend of The Bahamas; and Randy E. Rolle, Bahamas Consul General to Atlanta and surrounding states.
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Atlanta, Georgia - The Bahamas is seeking to forge a greater
alliance with the Atlanta gospel community, one that is considered a leader in
the North American region. With major music award events, singers and studios,
as well as being home to many internationally syndicated televangelists, the
city has truly the buckle on the metaphorical ‘Bible Belt’ of the south.
Bahamas Consul General Randy E. Rolle, who is responsible for
Georgia and surrounding states recently met with Dwight Armbrister of Director
of the The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s Religious Department and Calvin
Watkins, Seventh Day Adventist Regional Director for Pastoral Services to
discuss some possibilities between the two jurisdictions.
“There are very promising opportunities,” said Rolle. “I am
very optimistic that it will be mutually beneficial as there are many Bahamians
who are very familiar with the Atlanta gospel scene, and likewise, Atlantans
who are familiar with what we offer in terms of gospel events and even follow
some of our Bahamian gospel leaders.”
Within the past month, the island nation was unintentionally
thrust into the gospel spotlight when Atlanta’s own Creflo Dollar of World
Changers’ Ministries in College Park flew down to pay tribute to Dr. Myles
Munroe, an internationally known Bahamian icon who was killed in a plane crash
along with his wife, assistant pastors, youth pastors and others. Other well
known names representing the Trinity Broadcasting Network, the Word Network and
Oral Roberts University were also in attendance.
“Dr. Munroe often said in his broadcasts, ‘Welcome to The
Bahamas, the place where God lives’,” noted Rolle. “His mark on the gospel
community is truly indelible as an author, speaker, and global leader. Another
person lost in that crash was Lavard Parks, a youth minister who made his mark
in the hip hop gospel arena under the name Manifest, winning numerous music
awards. When you consider the amount of persons who attended the celebrations
honoring their lives, and you consider the amount of international delegates
who were in The Bahamas to attend the event they were flying to, it shows that
Dr. Munroe was truly a visionary in showing that the Bahamas is so much more
than sun, sand and sea.”
Rolle says that while representatives from the Ministry of
Tourism’s Religious Tourism Department were surveying Atlanta and his
jurisdiction prior to the tragedy of November 9, the mission and vision must
continue.