NASSAU, BAHAMAS – His Grace, the Most Reverend Drexel Wellington Gomez, former Archbishop and Primate of the Church in the Province of the West Indies and one of the Caribbean’s most respected Anglican leaders, died on Tuesday at the age of 88 after a period of illness.
Earlier this year, his family confirmed that he had been hospitalized with pneumonia following surgery and diagnosed with stomach cancer. In a statement at the time, they said he was lucid and without pain, asking for prayers “for his well-being and healing, for his continued life of service to God, and for his continued example of prayer and faithful devotion.” Prime Minister Philip Davis also paid tribute, calling Gomez “a guiding light in our lives, a steadfast shepherd to so many, and a true servant of God.”
Born on January 24, 1937, in the Berry Islands, Gomez moved to New Providence at age seven, growing up at St. Agnes Church on Baillou Hill Road. He attended Western Senior School before pursuing theological studies at Codrington College in Barbados and St. Chad’s College, Durham University, where he graduated in 1959. He was ordained a deacon later that year and a priest in 1961.
Gomez began ministry as a parish priest, later serving as diocesan secretary administrator in The Bahamas and as lecturer and principal at Codrington College.
On June 24, 1972, at just 36, he was consecrated and enthroned as Lord Bishop of Barbados at the Cathedral Church of St. Michael. In 1995, he was appointed Bishop Co-Adjutor of The Bahamas, assuming the diocesan post on September 1, 1996. Two years later, he was elevated to Archbishop and Primate of the West Indies, a role he held until his retirement on December 31, 2008.
Throughout his ministry, Archbishop Gomez played a central role in global Anglican affairs. He attended four Lambeth Conferences and served as chairman of the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations and the Covenant Design Group, which produced the Anglican Covenant. In 2003, he was appointed to the Lambeth Commission on Communion, contributing to the Windsor Report that sought to address deepening divisions in the church.
A leading conservative voice, he opposed the ordination of non-celibate gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex unions, describing such practices as “aggressive revisionist theology.” At the same time, he consistently called for unity, emphasizing the Anglican Covenant as a path to healing.
Even after retirement, Gomez remained active in church life. In 2022, the Diocese of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands honored his 50th anniversary as a bishop with a week of celebrations, where he presided as celebrant at a pontifical eucharist.
Archbishop Gomez leaves behind a legacy of faithful leadership, theological clarity, and pastoral devotion that shaped the Anglican Church in the Caribbean for more than half a century. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date. (Eyewitness News Bahamas)
