Aruba (Netherlands)

Aruba

The World Convention is currently building a global reference for the nearly 180 countries and territories where we know there are Christian – Churches of Christ – Disciples of Christ congregations. Rather than wait for comprehensive, complete information we are putting up details that we readily have available. If you can correct or add to this information, please contact us with details at office@worldconvention.org Reference for further information will be in the form of web sites and mailing addresses.

Aruba is an island in the Caribbean lying off the Venezuelan coast at the mouth of the Gulf of Venezuela. Once a part of the Netherlands Antilles it is now a separate but autonomous and self-governing, part of the Dutch kingdom. Major industries are oil and tourism which means Aruba enjoys a high standard of living with low unemployment and a high gross domestic product. The population is mainly of African, European and Asian descent.

The Stone-Campbell Movement had its beginnings in Aruba when three families associated with Exxon’s Lago Refinery began meeting in homes in 1955. Several missionaries of the American a cappella Churches of Christ influenced the work here, including Marshall Flowers (1959), Claude Brown (1959-1962), Dewayne Shappley (1962-?), Joel Brown, Larry Waymire (?-1985), and Danny Swafford (1988- ). Antonio Semeleer made the good confession and then began teaching others on the north end of the island and soon had a congregation of about 15. By 1982 Frank Thornton became this congregation’s first fulltime minister, followed by Gary Roeder in 1984. In 1988 a congregation was begun in Orangestaad by Rob Andrews. Today there are at least three congregations in Aruba. Larry and Carol Waymire currently serve in Aruba and publish a monthly newsletter detailing their activities. The congregations in Aruba also participate in the Caribbean Lectureship. In 2003 the Lectureship was in Nassau; in 2004 it is planned for Saint Thomas and in Cuba in 2005.

Clinton J. Holloway
National Profiles Editor
October 2003

For further historical reference:
Churches of Christ Around the World, Lynn, Mac, 21st Century Christian Publications, Nashville, TN, 2003.

Contact Information

Email: lwaymire@setarnet.aw
Web site: http://www.arubachurchofchrist.aw

Study links are provided through the Aruba Church of Christ website shown above.

The Waymire Newsletter of missionaries Larry and Carol Waymire shares information on the congregations in Aruba. See: http://www.arubachurchofchrist.aw/waymire_newsletter.htm

The Caribbean Lectureship:
http://www.arubachurchofchrist.aw/carribbean_lecturship_2003.htm