BARBADOS: The new Barbados branch and adjoining Kingdom Hall are set in a landscape of lawns and flowering plants on an elevated two-and-a-half-acre [1 ha] site that offers a splendid view of the nearby Caribbean Sea. These beautiful facilities, constructed in 18 months, are situated in a quiet district in Prospect, St. James, about two and a half miles [4 km] from Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados.

The new branch building houses a Bethel family of ten. It contains eight residence rooms, offices, and a dining room. There is also a Kingdom Hall that seats 275. These facilities replace the former branch complex located about a ten-minute drive away in the heart of Bridgetown. When these former premises​—set in a relatively quiet inner suburb of the Barbados capital—​began to be used in 1969, the total number of publishers in the branch’s six major and several smaller islands was about 1,200. By the year 2000, that number had increased to 2,390 publishers in 25 congregations and one isolated group. By then that branch facility had become much too small to care for the increasing number of congregations, and its once quiet suburb location had become a noisy commercial area.

On Saturday, June 2, 2001, 676 invited guests from the islands of the Barbados branch and 15 other countries enjoyed the dedication program, which included a history of the work in Barbados. The highlight of the program was the talk “Making Jehovah’s Heart Rejoice,” delivered with infectious warmth by John E. Barr of the Governing Body. For the benefit of those who could not be accommodated at the dedication program itself, a special meeting was held on the following day. It was attended by 3,332.e

(2) Barbados

[Pictures on page 28, 29]

Newly dedicated branch facilities