The Anglican Church is the dominant religion on the island of Barbados. Barbadians also enjoy a variety of other religions and churches they regularly attend. The Seventh-Day Adventist Church is also one of the prominent Protestant religions on the island. The Jehovah Witnesses organization is also an other noteworthy church on Barbados. At times, members of the Jehovah’s Witness and members of the Seventh Day Adventist could be seen going from door-to-door canvassing neighborhoods to help increase their memberships.

Frequently, a member of the Jehovah Witness Church might knock on an Adventist’s home, and similarly Adventist might knock on a Jehovah’s Witness’ door. Encounters by members of these two groups were usually tense but entertaining. The Jehovah’s Witnesses came with their Watchtower Bibles and the Adventists relied on their King James Version of the Bible as they each traded verse for verse, argument for argument, while using their separate sources. Usually, the encounters lasted forhours of passionate discussions with neither side conceding any ground on their theologies.

Chimborazo had two well-known Bible adversaries. The first was nicked named Proffit because he always traveled with his Watchtower Bible and was ever willing to lecture or teach others about his understanding of his doctrine. Proffit rode a Raleigh bicycle and carried his Watchtower Bible in a leather bag snapped over the bicycle bar. Everyone in the village knew profit and his unusual bicycle.

The other spiritual leader was and Elder in the Adventist Church and he was well educated in the Adventist doctrines. He could recite and explain the 2300 days prophecy, the prophecies from Daniel and Revelations, and quoted regularly from his favorite prophetess to further cement his prominence as an Adventist. As an Elder, he was required to preach regularly, hence he was affectionately called De Preecha by members of the local community.

Proffit and the Preecha knew each other well. Often they engaged each other in the street across from the Branch residence. The young people loved to listen and learn from the two men as they each quoted scriptures from their separate Bibles to validate their theological leanings. The two men usually debated for hours without neither one conceding any ground. The conversations were tense, passionate, but educational.

It was an unusually pleasant evening in Chimborazo. The sun was starting to recede behind Todd Hill. Towards the East, theevening light cast long shadows across the landscape of beautiful green hills and valleys. Down, down, the evening sun cascaded across Frizers Plantation, back up to Bissex’s Hill to the left, stretched across the blue Atlantic Ocean with soft white caps, and terminated abruptly at the jagged slopes of Hackleton’s Cliff on the right. A gentle, cooling, evening breeze,with wisps of saltiness from the ocean, complimented thisglorious evening. The children, while enjoying the beautiful scenery, talking and laughing, suddenly became distracted by loud voices nearby.

One of the boys recognized the voices. “Hey, it’s Proffit an DePreecha. Dey gine at it again. Leh we go en see wha gine on!” The boys ran from enjoying the scenery across from the Mr. Branch house and ran to the corner of Cadogan Road where Proffit and De Preecha were yelling at each other. The boys were accustomed to passionate discussions, but never had they witnessed either man out of control. “Ya tink dey gine fight?”,one of the boys asked. “No, dem does get into it regulah, dem en gine fight.”, the other boy responded. 

Then without warning, De Preecha ball up he King James in a hard roll, grabbed Proffit in he chest and started throwing some righteous licks upside the Proffit head. Proffit not to be deterred, also rolled up he Watchtower Bible and started pelting some licks in De Preecha head. Some of the boys started screaming for them to stop while some of the others were yelling, “hit he, hit he, beat some Jesus in he!”. 

The noises reached Mr. Branch at his house and he came running out. “Wha you two grown men fighting fuh. Wha kind a example wunna gine set fuh dese young boys. Wunna meking wunna face shame and dishonoring God!”, Mr. Branch scolded them. Mr. Branch jumped between the two men to stop the holy war. Mr. Branch told them, “ why dohn de two a wunna come to me house an talk this over.” Mr. Branch called to his wife, “Eva!, Eva! mek some corned beef with onions and mustard fuh Proffit and De Preecha , and pass de hotsauce.

Story by: Stan Brooks

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