Pastor writes history of Baptists in Cayman
Pastor Randy Von Kanel with his book
(CNS Local Life): Randy Von Kanel, senior pastor of the Cayman Islands Baptist Church, has written a book chronicling the origin and history of the Baptists in the Cayman Islands. Titled “Our Baptist Story: From England to the Cayman Islands”, the publication records the more than 130-year history of Baptists here.
The book also includes the origin of Baptists – who were originally called Anabaptists – the beginning years in England and the paths through the US, Jamaica, the Sister Islands and Grand Cayman, stated a church press release. Pastor Von Kanel researched the book for five years and it is now available on island.
Pastor Randy, as he is known, has lived and preached in Cayman on and off since the 1970s, and been the pastor at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church for the past nine years.
He explained he wrote the book for two main reasons. “First, so many in our Baptist congregations here in the Cayman Islands are unfamiliar with our larger history as Baptists, and I felt a need to try to capture what is truly a rich legacy of faith and freedom and share it in a readable format,” he said.
“Secondly, I wrote to convey what it means to be a Baptist in our contemporary setting. As an example, just in the one area of our distinctive stance on liberty and social justice, it is so important today that we live out our heritage of standing for liberty of conscience and protecting the God-given rights of all persons. Freedom in our world, both religious and civil, owes much to the Baptist movement of the past 400 years.”
Proceeds for the book over the cost of printing will go toward the new Northwestern Caribbean Baptist Theological Seminary in Grand Cayman, as well as support for the Little Cayman Baptist Church.
In the foreword to the book, Malcolm B. Yarnell III, research professor of systematic heology in Fort Worth, Texas, wrote, “What Randy Von Kanel has put together in this major text before you is the first major religious history of Baptists of the Cayman Islands, a history that necessarily includes a journey through Jamaica, the United States, England, Switzerland and beyond.
“It has cost the author a great deal of time and effort in both dusty archives at various libraries and in personal interviews with important contemporary figures in the Cayman Islands. This book’s historical method is sound, and its author must be commended for his original contribution to both academic and popular scholarship. However, as we have already indicated this text is more than good history for it is also inspirational.”
Pastor Von Kanel will hold book-signings at the Cayman Brac Beach Resort on 7 July from 2pm to 4pm and at the George Town Public Library on 21 July at 11am. A signing will also be held at Cayman Islands Baptist Church on 8 July after the church service.
For more information about the book email Pastor Von Kanel or call 926.2422
Does pastor Von Kanel support the contention of that well known Southern Baptist Scott Pruitt, just resigned from Trump’s government because of multiple ethical and fraudulent scandals, that Trump was ordained by God to be the President? Read his resignation letter, Randy.
Does it explain the schism with the one opposite the Lions Center which resulted in the setting up of the one at Pedro?