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SKNTimes Black History Month History-Maker

As Black History Month honours the architects of faith, education, and national consciousness, SKN Times recognises William M. Conner, affectionately known as Brother Connor—a spiritual pioneer whose life’s work reshaped religious life and civic identity in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Born June 21, 1921, Brother Connor emerged as the founding force of the Baptist Witness in the Federation. In an era when independent, locally rooted churches were still finding their footing, he established three enduring institutions: Antioch Baptist Church, Mount Carmel Baptist Church, and Calvary Baptist Church—each becoming a pillar of worship, education, and community upliftment.

Following the organisation of the Baptist Church, Connor was ordained on May 19, 1963, at Calvary Baptist Church, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, becoming the first pastor of Antioch Baptist Church. His ministry was marked by missionary zeal and disciplined institution-building. In 1964, Antioch launched a mission in Lodge Village, six miles from Basseterre; by 1976, that mission matured into Mount Carmel Baptist Church under his pastoral care.

Providence again guided expansion in August 1965, when Antioch began a second mission in St. Paul’s, later organised as Calvary Baptist Church. Antioch administered Calvary for fifteen years (1965–1980), before handing leadership to Pastor Calvin O. Hazel in 1981—a testament to Connor’s commitment to succession and sustainable church governance.

Connor’s leadership was not confined to pulpits. Under his guidance, Antioch’s place of worship was constructed in 1966, and a Pastor’s House followed in 1977, built in honour of a servant who “blazed a trail for God and country.” For 27 years, Brother Connor laboured with uncommon devotion—“robbing hell and exalting Jesus”—until his passing on November 11, 1990.

Nationally revered, Connor received local and international distinctions, including the singular honour of delivering the keynote address at Independence celebrations on September 19, 1983—a rare convergence of faith leadership and nationhood. In May 1988, his legacy in education was sealed when the St. Johnson Village School was renamed the Dr. William Connor Primary School, ensuring that future generations would learn beneath the banner of his name.

This Black History Month, SKN Times salutes Brother Connor—pastor, missionary, educator, and patriot—whose life proved that spiritual conviction, when married to disciplined action, can build institutions, shape communities, and strengthen a nation’s soul.