Minister of Tourism and Aviation Neko Grant welcomed bishops attending the Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship International Bishops Council meeting on Tuesday at the Atlantis resort, Paradise Island. Pictured from left are host Neil C Ellis, Senior Pastor of Mount Tabor Full Gospel Baptist Church; Bishop Paul S Morton and Permanent Secretary Archie Nairn. (Photo: Ministry of Tourism)
By: Gladstone Thurston
NASSAU, Bahamas – Minister of Tourism and Aviation Neko Grant welcomed forty-five bishops from as far as India to the Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship International Bishops Council meeting at the Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island on Tuesday.
The event is hosted by Bishop Neil C Ellis, Senior Pastor of Mount Tabor Full Gospel Baptist Church, New Providence. Bishop Paul S. Morton is the presiding bishop.
That such a “distinguished group…has chosen our islands is of singular importance to us,” Minister Grant said. “It is rare, even for us, to host at a single sitting, close to fifty of the most senior members of the Christian clergy from around the world.
“We are indeed delighted and honoured that you have chosen to hold your (meeting here),” Mr. Grant told them.
The Bahamas is “working hard to improve its tourism product…and to protect our environment even as we seek to increase our visitor arrival figures,” he said.
“The Bahamas has been able to attract Christian groups over the years by virtue of its own multi-denominational groups whose congregations extended invitations to their counterparts and colleagues abroad to visit The Bahamas.”
The Bahamas is a leader in pursuit religious tourism.
The Ministry of Tourism recently established a Religious Market Department whose objectives include providing a more structured approach to target and provide religious planners with information to make decisions.
“We believe that The Bahamas provides an excellent location and has all the necessary amenities for the hosting of faith-based conferences and meetings such as yours. We therefore encourage you to spread the word.”
