The Baptist Union of Jamaica dates back to 1782 whenGeorge Liele, a formerly-enslaved man fromAtlanta,Georgia, came toJamaica and began preaching inKingston.[1] In 1814, theBaptist Missionary Society, a British organization, sent its first missionary to the island to open a school inFalmouth inTrelawny Parish, for the children of slaves.[2] The ministry continued to grow and expand during British colonization.
Baptists are involved in the struggle for theabolition 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 theUnited Theological College of the West Indies in 1966.[4][5]
In 1849, the Jamaica Baptist Union is officially founded.[6]
^William H. Brackney, "Historical Dictionary of the Baptists", Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 310.
^Robert E. Johnson,A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2010, p. 220
^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.
^George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, Encyclopedia of Christian Education, Volume 3, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2015, p. 1323.
^Ennis B. Edmonds, Michelle A. Gonzalez,Caribbean Religious History: An Introduction, NYU Press, USA, 2010, p. 209
^Robert E. Johnson,A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2010, p. 220
