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The Most Decorated Clergy in Bahamian History

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Anglican Church is mourning the death of Archbishop Drexel Gomez tonight. He is the undisputedly most decorated clergy in Bahamian history.

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4 months ago

October 14, 2025

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Anglican Church is mourning the death of Archbishop Drexel Gomez. He is the undisputedly most decorated clergy in Bahamian history.

Throughout his career in the Anglican Communion, he was also one of the most outspoken voices of the Church, taking controversial positions on local and global issues.

As we pause to remember his life, we take a look at some of the highlights of his decorated career.

Born in the Berry Islands in 1937, he grew up in St. Agnes Anglican Church in the Grants Town community. Groomed from an early age to enter the priesthood, he was ordained in the late 1950s.

Although he began the priesthood in Barbados, his entry into the Church marked a significant milestone for Bahamians.

In late 2008, as he was entering retirement, he and Sawyer sat down for a wide-ranging interview. At the time, they spoke about what he described as the indigenization of the priesthood.

In the 1980s, he gained national prominence when he was charged with overseeing the Royal Commission of Inquiry. The 1985 commission focused on allegations of corruption and drug smuggling in The Bahamas, entangling many serving ministers of government and senior government officials, including police, defense force, and customs officers. The hearings dominated the news for months.

Bishop Gomez returned to the spotlight in 1996 when he was elected Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the West Indies, along with his title as Bishop of the Diocese of The Bahamas.

In 2003, Gomez was at the center of a global controversy as a leading opponent of the ordination of an openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The controversy led to an open split between the U.S. and the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Archbishop Gomez was appointed to the Lambeth Commission, which produced a report on the divisive issue. In 2007, at a service of Anglican archbishops, he accused the American Church of “aggressive revisionist theology” and teaching lies.

Gomez retired as bishop in 2009, although he continued to serve on the altar, especially within the St. Agnes clergy. Always concerned about social and moral decay, he was never shy to speak about the decline of the country’s values.

Archbishop Gomez spent the last few months at home with stomach cancer. He was 88.