Training the Bahamas Royal Defence Forces

In November 2021, FCI / I.F.O.C. instructors traveled to Nassau, Bahamas, to train Chaplaincy to church leaders.

One of the students from that class credentialed as an FCI Commissioned Chaplain and approached the Bahamas military (the Royal Bahamas Defence Forces, or RBDF) to serve them as a Chaplain. Together with two assistants, Commissioned Chaplain Raymond Wells began to serve his nation’s military service men and women.
Chaplain Wells invited FCI / I.F.O.C. instructors back to Nassau in August of this year to train an additional 33 marines and officers in Chaplaincy at the RBDF Coral Harbor military base.

These individuals will be invited to join the Chaplain department under Chaplain Wells to increase the RBDF’s ability to serve the spiritual and crisis intervention needs.

Deputy Commander, Captain Shondel Pinder of the RBDF, said it best in the graduating ceremony for the class when he was speaking about the vital work that the Chaplains department was doing. He encouraged the team that no matter how well they trained physically and mentally for their duty ahead. If their defense forces neglected the spiritual part of who they were, then their mission would fail.

The team had the honor of exchanging challenge coins with Deputy Commander Pinder during that ceremony.  We are planning return trips in 2024 to equip the military Chaplains with Crisis Intervention classes and facilitate training and a retreat for their national police force.

Click here to view the Bahama Media story about the event.