New History

In 1960, the British Conference of the Methodist Church purchased 63.5 acres of the Estate from the Antigua Syndicate Estate Ltd. It was a gift to the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA) at their inauguration. The intended purpose of this site was to serve as the conference
headquarters but was later deemed unsuitable. The great Estate house was later converted into the Gilbert's Ecumenical Center, and on 18 May 1977 the facilities were blessed by Rev. Dr. Claude Caudogan of the Methodist Church and The Right Rev. Orland Lindsay of the Anglican Church.

The construction was sponsored by the Inter Church Coordinating Committee of Holland; Nottprogram and Kirchen, Helfen, Kirchen of Germany; Methodist Church Overseas Division of London; and Anglican Methodist local sources.