The Anglican Diocese of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands has recorded with sadness and thanksgiving the passing of Archbishop Drexel Wellington Gomez, the former Bishop of the diocese and former Archbishop of the Church in the Province of the West Indies (CPWI).
In a statement, the diocese shared that he passed away peacefully on Tuesday, 14th October, surrounded by his family.
Archbishop Gomez was ordained a deacon on 21st December, 1959 and a priest on 1st February, 1961. He was made Bishop of Barbados on 24th June, 1972 and Bishop of the diocese of the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands on 1st September, 1996.
He became Archbishop of the Church of the Province of the West Indies on 20th October, 1998. He retired on 31st December, 2008, and remained active and involved in the Diocese and in St. Agnes Parish until his illness earlier this year.
The diocese statement shared that: 'His contribution spans the diocese, the community of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Province of the West Indies, and the worldwide Anglican Communion. He made great contributions in each of these areas. It would be fair to say that the impact of this Bahamian son from Bullocks Harbour, the Berry Islands, to the world stage has been nothing short of tremendous.
'The diocese offers love, heartfelt condolences, and assurance of prayers to his wife, Carroll, his children, Damien, Dennis, Dominique, and Debbie and their families, to his siblings and their families, and to the family of St. Agnes Parish, N.P., and to all of the bereaved.'
The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Right Revd Anthony Poggo said: 'We express our condolences and assurances of prayers for the family of Archbishop Drexel Wellington Gomez and also for the Diocese and province. We give thanks for the rich contribution the archbishop made to the life of the Anglican Communion, including his work on The Windsor Report.'
An obituary in Barbados Today, commemorated Gomez as 'a dynamic and reform-minded leader who helped modernise the Anglican Church and strengthen its role in national life'.
'His tenure spanned an era of significant religious and social change, and he often spoke about moral renewal, education, and community upliftment'.
Under his leadership, the See of Barbados deepened its intra-regional relations within the Church in the Province of the West Indies (CPWI) and strengthened lay participation in parish governance.
During his ministry, the report shared that 'He called on the church to embody Christlike values and act as a vehicle for faith formation' and referred to a quote by the former Archbishop: “Each diocese must therefore ensure that at every stage of personal development, from infancy to adulthood, adequate provision is to be made for the promotion of growth in the knowledge and understanding of Christian faith and practice".
In the wider life of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Gomez is reported to have attended four Lambeth Conferences and played a key role in the Inter-Anglican and ecumenical work. In 2003 he was appointed to the Lambeth Commission on Communion, contributing to The Windsor Report that sought to address tensions within the worldwide church.
The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, shared her condolences, saying: “[He] was a special person — from his voice, which you could easily identify in any audience, to his ever-pleasant personality and smiling face. Looking back on my days as a girl at the St Mary’s Anglican Church and St Michael’s Cathedral, observing and interacting with a Bishop, whose dignity, warmth and ease of communication drew young and old alike to him.”
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