Shiloh Baptist new sanctuary will be venue for over 350 regional delegates 
 New Sanctuary official opening is October 19
 
RAMSBURY, Nevis-Shiloh Baptist Church’s new sanctuary that will be officially opened and dedicated on October 19, 2008, will be the venue where over 350 delegates from the Caribbean region will gather for the annual West Indies Baptist Fellowship Conference (WIBFC) scheduled to be held in the third week of January, 2009.
 
The church’s Pastor, Eric Maynard who pastors the Shiloh congregation said the official opening coincides with the church’s 34th anniversary celebrations.
 
Shiloh is a multi-racial church and a cross-section of non-nationals who live and work on the island join Nevisians who worship at the Church.  The church initiated the Non-National Appreciation Day that is held annually in the month of February.
 
The new sanctuary, the Pastor said will host delegates from various Caribbean countries among them the Bahamas,  Barbados, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Guadeloupe, most of the English speaking Caribbean, the Virgin Islands and the United states.

“We are expecting over 350 persons to attend from the different island of the Caribbean.” The 48th annual conference will be held in Nevis and is expected to bring a host of vibrant Baptist pastors to Nevisian shores, as well as hordes of church members from the various Baptist churches in and around the Caribbean who Pastor Maynard said were all eager to participate in the upcoming conference. The WIBFC is being organized by the heads of the churches of the host island.   ~~Adz:Right~~

Asked what challenges he had faced while building the sanctuary, he singled out high cost of materials as one of the major challenges. The Pastor thanked members of his congregation for their fund raising efforts.  “Members of the church have helped out immensely, in terms of fund raising by finding creative ways of raising money, such as holding luncheons among church members  hosting concerts and having bake sales.”

This year's conference is expected to be a unique experience. Baptist church leaders and members of their congregations from different islands and backgrounds will have a week of fellowship.

One highlight of this year’s conference is the increased amount of split sessions where the female and male delegates would be split up to discuss gender specific topics. Pastor Maynard said Nevisians and Kittitians are welcome to attend both the day and night sessions as well as the crusades that will be part of the conference. 
 
Further information on the new sanctuary official opening and the regional  WIBFC can obtained by calling the Conference Committee at 4695680 or 4695508 or email:ericnard@hotmail.com