The Barbados Defence Force

CHAPLAINCY

CHAPLAINCY

The Barbados Defence Force (BDF) Chaplaincy Team is made up of a number of ordained ministers who provide spiritual, moral and ethical guidance to all members of the Force, irrespective of their religion or beliefs.

Throughout the years the members of the BDF Chaplaincy Team has been unwavering in their quest to bolster the morale of the Force by providing spiritual comfort and advice to soldiers and their families.

Led by the Force Senior Chaplain, Reverend Hugh Sandiford, the BDF Chaplaincy Team’s main duties include:

  • Conducting worship services.
  • Performing religious rites and ceremonies, such as weddings and funeral services.
  • Visiting and providing spiritual guidance to personnel and their families when ill or admitted to hospital.
  • Provide counseling to individuals seeking guidance on moral, spiritual and ethical matters.

Force Senior Chaplain

Reverend Hugh Sandiford

Reverend Hugh Orison Frank Gordon Sandiford was ordained to the Order of Deacon on 16 November 2000 being the Feast of St. Margaret, and to the Order of Priest on 11 November 2001 being the Feast of St. Martin. Rev Sandiford has been in parish ministry since September 1, 2002. He is currently the Rector of the St. Matthias Church in the parish of Christ Church after spending 12 years in the double cure of St. Matthew and the Church of the Resurrection. Rev Sandiford received his Bachelor of Arts in Theology from the University of the West Indies after completing my studies at Codrington College. Rev Sandiford is currently pursuing the Master of Arts programme in Christian Formation from the Virginia Theological Seminary. He has also completed certificate courses in HIV/AIDS counselling and four units of Clinical Pastoral…

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Reverend Hugh Sandiford

Reverend Hugh Orison Frank Gordon Sandiford was ordained to the Order of Deacon on 16 November 2000 being the Feast of St. Margaret, and to the Order of Priest on 11 November 2001 being the Feast of St. Martin. Rev Sandiford has been in parish ministry since September 1, 2002. He is currently the Rector of the St. Matthias Church in the parish of Christ Church after spending 12 years in the double cure of St. Matthew and the Church of the Resurrection.

Rev Sandiford received his Bachelor of Arts in Theology from the University of the West Indies after completing my studies at Codrington College. Rev Sandiford is currently pursuing the Master of Arts programme in Christian Formation from the Virginia Theological Seminary. He has also completed certificate courses in HIV/AIDS counselling and four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).

In the Diocese of Barbados, Rev Sandiford has served as the St. Michael Deanery Youth Chaplain from 2005 -2009. He also served on the diocesan Commission on Ministry from 2013 -2015, the Christian Formation Committee and the Church Mission Committee from 2013-2016.

Rev Sandiford is currently fulfilling two Chaplaincies, the Senior Chaplain of the Barbados Defence Force and as a Chaplain of the Royal Barbados Police Force since 2006. He has also been a part-time lecturer of introductory courses and summer courses at Codrington College from 2013-2017.

Rev Sandiford has served on the boards of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation and the Prison Aftercare Committee. He is also a member of the Kolij Lions Basketball team which mentors the current team at Harrison College.

Rev Sandiford is married to Toni Sandiford and they have two children, a daughter, Destiny aged 12 and a son Justin, aged 7. Rev Sandiford hobbies are basketball, cricket, travelling and reading.

Reverend Esther Willoughby

Rev. Esther Willoughby is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Holiness Church. She took up the post of Senior Pastor in March 2016, where she served as Assistant Pastor for fifteen years. She worked in many departments of the church including the Local Board of Administration and was president of the Wesleyan Women Society for eight years. She was a teacher for forty-two years of which thirty-seven were spent at the Garrison Secondary School now called the Graydon Sealy Secondary School. She taught Religious Education and Food and Nutrition to CXC level as well as Religious and Moral Education and Family Life Education. She was responsible for the Gen-Link programme (Elderly and Youth) and the Prefects’ Body. Rev. Willoughby devoted much of her time to Community work. Some of these activities include…

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Reverend Esther Willoughby

Rev. Esther Willoughby is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Holiness Church. She took up the post of Senior Pastor in March 2016, where she served as Assistant Pastor for fifteen years. She worked in many departments of the church including the Local Board of Administration and was president of the Wesleyan Women Society for eight years.

She was a teacher for forty-two years of which thirty-seven were spent at the Garrison Secondary School now called the Graydon Sealy Secondary School. She taught Religious Education and Food and Nutrition to CXC level as well as Religious and Moral Education and Family Life Education. She was responsible for the Gen-Link programme (Elderly and Youth) and the Prefects’ Body.

 

Rev. Willoughby devoted much of her time to Community work. Some of these activities include:

  • Co-host and Host of the Church’ Radio Ministry
  • Prison Ministry for over thirty years
  • President of the Black Rock Hostel Residents’ Council
  • Hospitality Coordinator of Hospital Christian Fellowship Conferences held in Barbados
  • Hospitality Coordinator 250th Anniversary Codrington College 1995
  • Tutor in Culinary Arts
  • YWCA – 17 years
  • Whitepark Wesleyan Holiness Church – 5 years
  • Member of Codrington College Chorale
  • Appointed Justice of the Peace 1997
  • Marriage Officer 2013
  • Appointed as a member of the St. Michael West Constituency 2013
  • Assistant Chaplain to Barbados Defence Force – specially assigned to the Barbados Cadet Corps – from 2010 to current

 

Academic Qualifications

  • a Masters of Arts in Theology – Codrington College – University of the West Indies (UWI)
  • Bachelor of Arts in Theology, History, and Sociology – UWI
  • Diploma in Theological Studies – Codrington College
  • Certificates in Home Management and Cookery – City Guilds of London Institute (1972)
  • Certificate in Marriage and Family – Caribbean Wesleyan College
  • Counselling – Wesleyan Holiness Church (Barbados District)

 

Achievements

  • Awarded The Teacher Of The Year by the Garrison Secondary School (Graydon Sealy Secondary School) in 1994
  • Awarded letter of appreciation for a concert staged in 1993 – “Changing the Tempo”.
  • Awarded by the Barbados National Council of Parents Teachers Association (PTA) for the contribution to the PTA on the occasion of National PTA in 1993
  • Bible Society in the East Caribbean Students of Heroes Gallery Project- Semi-Finals Honour Roll – Manager / Coach Barbados November 2008

 

Father Clement Paul

 

Reverend Joel Cumberbatch

The Reverend Joel Cumberbatch was born in the parish of St. Andrew, Barbados.  He received a sound primary and secondary education at the Chalky Mount Mixed School and the Alleyne School also located in the same parish.

Reverend Cumberbatch received his early spiritual nurture at the Chalky Mount Pentecostal Church and the Chalky Mount Wesleyan Holiness Church respectively.  Other significant influences included the St. Andrew Parish Church whose former priest for over fifty years – Rev. Edward Gather – actually baptized him and gave him the names Joel Decourcey.
In preparation for his ministerial vocation, Reverend Cumberbatch entered Caribbean Wesleyan College in 1977 and graduated four years later with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion.
In 1982, he attended Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky, USA and graduated in 1984 with…
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Reverend Joel Cumberbatch

The Reverend Joel Cumberbatch was born in the parish of St. Andrew, Barbados.  He received a sound primary and secondary education at the Chalky Mount Mixed School and the Alleyne School also located in the same parish.

Reverend Cumberbatch received his early spiritual nurture at the Chalky Mount Pentecostal Church and the Chalky Mount Wesleyan Holiness Church respectively.  Other significant influences included the St. Andrew Parish Church whose former priest for over fifty years – Rev. Edward Gather – actually baptized him and gave him the names Joel Decourcey.
In preparation for his ministerial vocation, Reverend Cumberbatch entered Caribbean Wesleyan College in 1977 and graduated four years later with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion.  In 1982, he attended Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky, USA and graduated in 1984 with a Master of Arts in Religion with a major in Theology and minor in Philosophy. Subsequently Reverend Cumberbatch pursued several specialized courses of study at the University of the West Indies, the Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity and the Barbados Community College.  He has also completed all the course work towards a second Master’s degree at the University of the West Indies.
This year Reverend Cumberbatch celebrated thirty-two years of Pastoral ministry with twenty-four of those years being at the Whitepark Wesleyan Holiness Church.  He has served the Barbados District of the Wesleyan Holiness Church and the Wesleyan Holiness Church in the Caribbean with distinction in a wide range of capacities including his current post as Assistant General Superintendent.
Reverend Cumberbatch is also a teacher at Harrison College where he currently teaches Caribbean Studies at the Sixth form level and Religious Education in the Junior School. Over the past twenty-four years he has also been attached to the Barbados Defence Force as an Assistant Chaplain.
Reverend Cumberbatch has been married for the past twenty-seven years to his wife Beverley and they have one son – Adriel Cumberbatch. Overall he is very happy and privileged for the opportunity to serve his church, his community, his country and his God, and to be able to make a difference in the lives of people.

 

Achievements

  • Awarded The Teacher Of The Year by the Garrison Secondary School (Graydon Sealy Secondary School) in 1994
  • Awarded letter of appreciation for a concert staged in 1993 – “Changing the Tempo”.
  • Awarded by the Barbados National Council of Parents Teachers Association (PTA) for the contribution to the PTA on the occasion of National PTA in 1993
  • Bible Society in the East Caribbean Students of Heroes Gallery Project- Semi-Finals Honour Roll – Manager / Coach Barbados November 2008

 

Reverend Mylon Springer