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OUR JOURNEY

Every nation has it heroes, its visionaries, its champions.

Pastor William Connor must be categorised as one of the champions of the Federation of

St. Kitts and Nevis.

In an era of reverse colonisation when Caribbean people were 'colonising' the domain of the colonisers. Pastor Connor could have left his native land and taken on the nationality of some distant country as many did during the 1950's and 60's, the emerging postcolonisation period in the Caribbean and the period immediately after World War ii. Instead, he remained at home and established a Sunday school for what he described as "underprivileged, unwanted, despised, neglected and down trodden children of the village" where he was raised. This Sunday School would gain a solid footing and evolve giving birth to the Baptist Movement in the Federation and a beacon known as the Antioch Baptist Church, first established Baptist Church, in the federation 

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The Birth of the Baptist Movement

At a time when the missionary zeal of United States of America was at its peak, when the churches of the United States were sending their people to pastor and pioneer West Indian Mission Houses, and when men like President John F. Kennedy of the United States of America were posting Peace Corps around the world, Pastor Connor was among the first of a handful of native Kittitians to take the initiative to throw out a home grown life line to his own people.

On Monday, 04 March, 1963, Bro. Connor along with Pastor Ray Thompson of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Island held discussions with the converts in the Inner Temple. Twenty-one Converts including Susanna O' Garro, Josephine Nias, Claris Williams, Ismay Francis, Rosalie Kelly, Urban Penny, Kelvin Jones, Mary Tuitt, Ida Vanlow, Louisa Frazer, Mary Simmonds, Spencer Walwyn, Laura Pemberton, Merleise Allen along with bro Connor decided that they were ready for the waters of baptism. The following day, Tuesday 5th March, at 5:00 a.m. , the converts were baptised at Lime Kiln Beach.