Jamaica Baptist Union | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | JBU |
Classification | Evangelical Christianity |
Theology | Baptist |
President | Rev. Dr. Glenroy Lalor |
Headquarters | Kingston, Jamaica |
Origin | 1849 |
Congregations | 340 |
Members | 40,132 |
Official website | jbu.church |
The Jamaica Baptist Union is a Baptist Christian denomination, affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance, founded in 1849 in Jamaica. The headquarters is in Kingston, Jamaica. The president of the union is Rev. Dr. Glenroy Lalor.
The Baptist Union of Jamaica dates back to 1782 when George Liele, a formerly-enslaved man from Atlanta, Georgia, came to Jamaica and began preaching in Kingston. [1] In 1814, the Baptist Missionary Society, a British organization, sent its first missionary to the island to open a school in Falmouth in Trelawny Parish, for the children of slaves. [2] The ministry continued to grow and expand during British colonization.
Baptists are involved in the struggle for the abolition of slavery. [3] After abolition, Baptists contributed to the creation of "Free Villages" for the newly emancipated people. This included the purchase of large parcels of land cut into small holdings, which were sold to families. The villages also included a school and a Baptist church.
The Baptists also created, in 1843, the Calabar Theological College for training ministers for local preaching and missions in Africa and the Caribbean, which became part of the United Theological College of the West Indies in 1966. [4] [5]
In 1849, the Jamaica Baptist Union is officially founded. [6]
Three of Jamaica's National Heroes - Sam Sharpe, Paul Bogle, and George William Gordon - were also Baptist. [7]
In 2018, Karen Kirlew became the first female president of the union. [8]
According to a census published by the association in 2023, it claimed 340 churches and 40,132 members. [9]
Baptists form a major branch of evangelical Protestantism distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers, and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul competency, sola fide, sola scriptura and congregationalist church government. Baptists generally recognize two ordinances: baptism and communion.
In Christianity, evangelism or witnessing is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is sometimes associated with Christian missions.
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Protestantism is the dominant religion in Jamaica. Protestants make up about 65% percent of the population. The five largest denominations in Jamaica are: Church of God, Seventh-day Adventist, Baptist, Pentecostal and Anglican. The full list is below. Most of the Caribbean is Catholic; Jamaica's Protestantism is a legacy of missionaries that came to the island in the 18th and 19th centuries. Missionaries attempted to convert slaves to varying Protestant denominations of Moravians, Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians to name a few. As missionaries worked to convert slaves, African traditions mixed with the religion brought over by Europeans. Protestantism was associated with black nationalism in Jamaica, aiming to improve the lives of blacks who were governed by a white minority during colonial times. Today, Protestantism plays an important role in society by providing services to people in need.
Christianity was introduced by Spanish settlers who arrived in Jamaica in 1509. Thus, Roman Catholicism was the first Christian denomination to be established. Later, Protestant missions were very active, especially the Baptists, and played a key role in the abolition of slavery.
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