After over 100 years of ministry in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the TCI Mission was officially declared the Turks and Caicos Islands Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, on December 2, 2018
President of the Inter-America Division, Pastor Elie Henry made the declaration at the 1st Quadrennial Session held at the Blue Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church on Providenciales. Officials from the Atlantic Caribbean Union, along with IAD Executive Secretary Dr. Leonard Johnson were present to witness this historic event which heralded a new wave of administration within the archipelago.
A new team of executive members were voted in, with former TCI Mission Executive Secretary, Pastor Steve Cornwall being elected President of the newly formed conference. Pastor Terry Tanis of the Bahamas was voted as the Executive Secretary and Simone Gilkes who previously served as Treasurer for the Mission was re-elected to the same post within the new Conference. A bevy of new directors were also elected to serve over the next four years.
President of the Atlantic Caribbean Union Pastor Peter Kerr said that he was impressed with the level of professionalism and the spirit of the session. “Little Turks and Caicos is setting the standard within our Union!” He said. He expressed his confidence in the new team of executives to continue the work of spreading the gospel across the islands. He praised the former administration for the hard work and commitment that led to achieving this milestone.
The Advent message arrived in the Turks and Caicos Islands in 1906, when the first group of Sabbath Keepers were discovered in Grand Turk by a Colporteur from Jamaica named Phillip Porter. However it was not until four years after that a church would be organized. This congregation was organized by Pastor Gordon Prenier in Grand Turk in a warehouse that was purchased on Front Street.
Today the Turks and Caicos Islands Conference consists of over 2000 members in eight (8) churches and two (2) companies, one high school, and a camp site.
