Bahamas

Bahamas Factbook

The Bahamas is a beautiful place, and it is strongly Christian. However, a wealth of corruption lies underneath the attractive exterior. Although large numbers profess Christianity, widespread ungodliness casts doubt on the genuineness of many of these people.

The Bahamas consists of 700 islands, 40 of which are populated. The northernmost islands are located east of southern Florida. The chain extends to the south and southeast to near the eastern edge of Cuba. The climate is subtropical, and the Bahamas is one of the most popular tourist spots in the Western Hemisphere.

The population of the Bahamas is approximately 300,000. Although 40 islands are populated, more than half of the population lives on a single island, New Providence, which is also the location of the capital, Nassau. The people are primarily of Afro-Caribbean origin with a large community of Haitian refugees.

The economy of the Bahamas is quite prosperous compared with other Caribbeannations. Tourism plays a large role with over 50% of the GDP linked to the tourist industry. Unfortunately, drug trafficking is also a significant source of revenue for the economy.

The Bahamas gained independence from Great Britain in 1973 and has since operated as a parliamentary commonwealth with ties to the UK. The government has remained fairly stable since independence.

The people of the Bahamas are quite religious. There is no state religion, yet over 90% are classified as Christian. Nearly one third of the population is evangelical. Unfortunately, the general lack of morality in society casts doubt on the profession of many. The drug trade and the ungodliness associated with it is deeply rooted in the Bahamas. The country has perhaps the highest per capita rate of drug addiction in the world. It also has a very high rate of illegitimate births.

Relative to the number of professing Christians, full time workers are few. Many congregations lack pastors. Pray that the Lord would raise up men called to the ministry and that adequate training would be available to them.

Pray that the gospel would be clearly preached in the churches. Pray that the Spirit would convict and turn back those caught up in the sins of the society around them. Pray that believers would be a godly influence in this land through love and obedience.

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