Jamaica Baptist Union

Jamaica Baptist Union is a Baptist Christian denomination, affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance, in Jamaica. The headquarters is in Kingston, Jamaica. The president of the union is Karen Kirlew.

Jamaica Baptist Union
AbbreviationJBU
ClassificationEvangelical Christianity
TheologyBaptism
PresidentKaren Kirlew
HeadquartersKingston, Jamaica
Origin1849
Congregations337
Members40,000
Official websitejbu.org.jm

History

The Baptist Union of Jamaica dates back to 1782 when George Liele, a former freed slave from Atlanta in Georgia, came to Jamaica and began preaching in Kingston. [1] In 1814, the BMS World Mission, a British organization, sent its first missionary to the island to open a school in Falmouth in the 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 emancipation of slavery. [3] After emancipation, Baptists contributed to the creation of "free villages" for the new 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 the United Theological College of the West Indies in 1966. [4] [5]

In 1849, the Jamaica Baptist Union is officially founded. [6]

In 2016, it has 337 churches and 40,000 members. [7]

In 2018, Karen Kirlew becomes the first female president of the union. [8]

References
  1. William H. Brackney, "Historical Dictionary of the Baptists", Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 310
  2. Robert E. Johnson, A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2010, p. 220
  3. Patrick Taylor, Frederick I. Case, The Encyclopedia of Caribbean Religions: Volume 1: A - L; Volume 2: M - Z, University of Illinois Press, USA, 2013, p. 104-106
  4. George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christian Education, Volume 3, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2015, p. 1323
  5. Ennis B. Edmonds, Michelle A. Gonzalez, Caribbean Religious History: An Introduction, NYU Press, USA, 2010, p. 209
  6. Robert E. Johnson, A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2010, p. 220
  7. Baptist World Alliance, Statistics, bwanet.org, USA, Retrieved July 23, 2018
  8. Jason Cross, Electrifying Welcome For Ja's First Female Baptist Union President, jamaica-gleaner.com, Jamaica, February 26, 2018
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