The Church of God Chapel at West Bay was started in May of 1938. The leaders of the church were Bro. Calvin Ebanks (who had a little Sunday School that met in various places), Sis. Chrissie Banker, Sis. Enna Ebanks and Sis. Elsie Rivers all of whom were going from place to place praying for and ministering to people.
Rev. Harold Andrews, the pastor of the George Town Church of God Chapel, along with some of his members, came to Boatswain Bay in response to a Macedonian call and became the first pastor. Meetings were then being held at the lighthouse in Boatswain Bay, and the group was allowed to use the benches from the nearby government school.
With some assistance from the George Town Church, a plot of ground was purchased at “Goat Yard” where a booth was then constructed and the group was able to hold meetings inside, protected from the weather. The booth was destroyed in 1941 by heavy winds and the church then moved first to the second floor of the home of Mr. William Banker and his wife, Sister Chrissie, one of the founders of the church then to Dennis Parson’s store.
It was later decided to locate a site near the Town Hall adjacent to the new road to be built. Mr. J. Prentice Powell was approached, and he agreed very reluctantly to sell just enough to build on and only because it was for a church. The property at Boatswain Bay was sold and the present site was purchased. Work was started immediately and with financing help from Bro. Orren Merren, Jr., the church was built and dedicated to the service of God in May 1948. A parsonage was later built onto the back of the church.
The congregation grew and prospered and 22 years later a new church was built on the same property and dedicated to the service of God on June 7, 1970. A new mission home was also built and dedicated in Mount Pleasant. About 21 years after that, the original church building and mission home were knocked down, and the new, hall called the Christian Life Center, was constructed and dedicated to the glory of God. This building is where the present congregation meets, as the sanctuary was severely damaged by Hurricane Ivan and had to be razed. The Church is presently constructing a new worship center on the same site as the last building, and it is projected to be completed in the near future.
Our Pastors
Rev. Harold Andrews
Rev. & Mrs. Leslie Ratzlaff
Rev. & Mrs. Norman Atkins
Rev. & Mrs. Charles Carlman
Rev. & Mrs. Melvon Carder
Rev. & Mrs. James Chapman
Rev. Calvin Ebanks
Rev. & Mrs. Gerald Erickson
Rev. & Mrs. Ray Hastings
Rev. & Mrs. Wilbur Hunter
Rev. & Mrs. Dewey Johnson
Rev. & Mrs. Albert Kempin
Rev. & Mrs. Arthur Kluge
Rev. & Mrs. Ellis Smith
Rev. & Mrs. William Todd
Rev. & Mrs. Paul Whalen
Rev. & Mrs. P. Edgar Williams
Rev. & Mrs. Stanwyck Myles