St. Barnabas Church was founded in 1929 to meet
the spiritual needs of the increasing population of the south section
of Nassau, as more and more Bahamians migrated from the Family Islands
to New Providence and settled in what was sometimes referred to as "the deep south".
It was the first new Anglican Church to be set up on the island for
about 80 years, and it served a primarily black working-class constituency.
The first priest was Fr. Senior who stayed until 1932.
The depression years of the early 30s were a very difficult time in The Bahamas
as elsewhere, and the new parish of St. Barnabas was served by a succession
of English priests, none of whom stayed very long. Frs. John Marsden, Gerald
Brooks (later Bishop of Belize) and Arthur Stuffurth each came for short periods.
They were followed by Fr. John Calnan (1935-1936) and Fr. Herbert Dovall who
had been rector of St. Matthew's Parish, gave St. Barnabas some much-needed
stability during his eight years tenure.
In 1944 Fr. Calnan returned to St. Barnabas and begin a long, dynamic
and effective ministry. Canon Calnan combined an ability to see the spiritual
needs of the suburbs of Nassau with an administrative ability to set
up the structures and ministries to meet those needs. He was ably assisted
by a dedicated member of St. Peter's Convent, Sister Eanswythe, and a
member of capable assisting clergy including two who are now in Episcopal
orders (Archbishop Gomez and Bishop Gilbert Thompson) and another who
became an Archdeacon (Fr. Bonaby).
But Fr. Calnan also knew how to motivate and equip the laity for ministry
and many organizations for children, youth and adults were started or
encouraged during his incumbency. There was steady growth in all areas
of life of the church, as well as in the spiritual lives of the parishioners.
In 1968 Bishop Markham approved the election of Fr. Gilbert Thompson
to succeed Canon Calnan as Rector of St. Barnabas with oversight of the
new church of Christ the king, Ridgeland Park. This mission church soon
became a separate parish with Fr. Murillo Bonaby as its first Rector.
Meanwhile St. Barnabas continued to grow and expand its ministries under
the leadership of Fr. Thompson. The Vestry was reorganized and many of
the parish organizations were restructured to make them more effective
and more sensitive to the changing times.
By the late 1970s it was clear that the small church, which had been
built in 1929, was no longer adequate in spite of the various additions,
which had been made to it over the years. Fifty parishioners agreed to
guarantee the mortgage for a new church, and Bishop Eldon broke ground
in April 1980. The building was dedicated in November 1981 and the mortgage
retired in five years. Then in 1987 the rectory was renovated and refurbished,
and in 1989 the church was air-conditioned and the cemetery upgraded
and beautified.
The old Parish Hall constructed in 1945 was replaced by a new structure,
which was dedicated in June 1995. Meanwhile the various ministries and
outreaches of the parish continued to expand. In the year 2000 the Rector,
Archdeacon (as he now was) Gilbert Thompson, became the Suffragan Bishop
of New Providence, and he succeeded by the Rev'd Canon Basil Tynes, who
is continuing to fulfil the motto of the parish: "Exalting the Divine
since 1929.
