The Spiritual Baptist faith is a Christian religion created by enslaved Africans in the plantations they came to in the former British West Indies countries predominantly in the islands of a

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pet ...

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines () is an island country in the Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Se ...

Tobago Tobago () is an island and ward within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger island of Trinidad and about off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. It also lies to the southeast of Grenada. The offic ...

and the

Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Cro ...

. It is syncretic

Afro-Caribbean religion Afro-Caribbean people or African Caribbean are Caribbean people who trace their full or partial ancestry to Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of the modern African-Caribbeans descend from Africans taken as slaves to colonial Caribbean via the t ...

that combines elements of the many varied

traditional African religions The traditional beliefs and practices of African people are highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptura ...

brought by the enslaved populations combined with

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

. Spiritual Baptists consider themselves to be Christians. The

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...

faith has a different beginning in the nation of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

, as unlike the spiritual baptist tradition in the other countries where the religion developed in the plantations where the enslaved were sent, the religion in Trinidad was brought into the country by the

Merikins The Merikins or Merikens were African-American Marines of the War of 1812 – former African slaves who fought for the British against the US in the Corps of Colonial Marines and then, after post-war service in Bermuda, were established as a co ...

, former American slaves who were recruited by the British to fight, as the Corps of Colonial Marines, against the Americans during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

. After the end of the war, these ex-slaves were settled in Trinidad, to the east of the Mission of Savannah Grande (now known as

Princes Town Princes Town is a town within the Princes Town Regional Corporation, located on southern Trinidad island in Trinidad and Tobago. The population of the town is 28,335. History Founded as the Amerindian '' Mission of Savana Grande'', the town ...

) in six villages, since then called the Company Villages.Hackshaw, John M. n.d. (c. 1991). ''The Baptist Denomination: A Concise History Commemorating One Hundred and Seventy-Five Years (1816–1991) of the Establishment of the ‘Company Villages’ and the BAPTIST FAITH in Trinidad and Tobago''. Amphy and Bashana Jackson Memorial Society. These American settlers brought with them the Baptist faith of the

Second Great Awakening The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival during the early 19th century in the United States. The Second Great Awakening, which spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching, sparked a number of reform movements. R ...

combined with, in the case of those from Georgia, the

Gullah The Gullah () are an African American ethnic group who predominantly live in the Lowcountry region of the U.S. states of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, within the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. Their language and cultu ...

culture. With the coming of missionaries of the

Baptist Missionary Society BMS World Mission is a Christian missionary society founded by Baptists from England in 1792. It was originally called the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen, but for most of its life was known as th ...

from Great Britain, the Baptist faith in the Company Villages was much affected, but despite the ensuing schism between the so-called London Baptists and the rest, the Baptist congregations of the Company Villages, even including those with Gullah origins, retained so little visible African influence in their practice that John Hackshaw was able to give a different view of the Baptists in the north of the country: The faith expanded to

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...

in 1957 as the Sons of God Apostolic Spiritual Baptists movement. It now ranks as one of two indigenous religions in the country, the other being the

Rastafari Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control o ...

religion. Archbishop Granville Williams, who was born in Barbados, lived for 16 years in Trinidad and Tobago, where he witnessed the local Spiritual Baptists. Becoming enthusiastic about the Trinidadian movement, he asserted that he had seen a vision and heard the voice of God. Upon returning to Barbados he held the first open-air meeting in

Oistins Oistins (Pronounced /'ȯis-tins/ -- UN/LOCODE: BB OST), is a coastal area located in the country of Barbados. It is situated centrally along the coastline of the parish of Christ Church. The area includes a fishing village as well as a tourist are ...

, Christ Church. Due to a well received response in Barbados, he quickly established the Jerusalem Apostolic Spiritual Baptist Church in Ealing Grove. This church was quickly followed by Zion at Richmond Gap. As of 1999 the following in Barbados had reached around 1,900 and the Jerusalem church had been rebuilt to seat 3,000.

Name

The local name of the Spiritual Baptist in Trinidad are called the ''Shouters'' which derives from the characteristic practice of the religion. Followers are very vocal in singing, praying, and preaching. However, ''shouter'' is seen as a derogatory term and the term ''spiritual'' is preferred due to the practice of invoking the Holy Spirit during worship. The local name of the Spiritual Baptist in St Vincent are called the shakers due to their practice of invoking the Holy Spirit during their praise and worship.

Religious focus

The activities of the Spiritual Baptists in

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

were prohibited in 1917 by the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance, which was eventually repealed in 1951. The late opposition parliamentarian Ashford Sinanan moved to repeal the ordinance under the PNM government and was successful. Today Spiritual Baptists can practise their religion freely. The

United National Congress The United National Congress ( UNC or UNCTT) is one of two major political parties in Trinidad and Tobago and the current parliamentary opposition. The UNC is a centre-left party. It was founded in 1989 by Basdeo Panday, a Trinidadian lawyer, ...

granted them a national holiday and also gave them land on which to establish their headquarters.

Typical attire

The colours of the headdress or clothes vary and represent the 'spiritual cities', the saints with which the individual most relates, or various qualities of belief.

Males

Men can wear a headwrap however the very top of the head is usually left uncovered. Men tend to wear a gown or short cassocks. Persons of higher rank (Shepherds, Reverends, Bishops, etc.) can wear a surplice over the gown.

Females

* Headtie – As mentioned in the Bible at , the dress, the apron, and cords, sashes, and or a belt as given in the Faith and are revealed as the individual increases knowledge along their spiritual journey.

Holiday

In 1996 the Government of Trinidad and Tobago granted a public holiday to the Spiritual Baptist faith, to be celebrated on 30 March, called Spiritual Baptist/Shouter Liberation Day, in memory of the struggle and in recognition of the repeal of the prohibition law. Trinidad and Tobago is the only country that celebrates a public holiday for the Spiritual Baptist faith.

Shango Baptists

Shango Baptists was created in Trinidad and only practiced in Trinidad. It has no relation to the spiritual baptist religion. Shango is the practice of the

Trinidad Orisha Trinidad Orisha, also known as Shango, is a syncretic religion in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean, originally from West Africa ( Yoruba religion). Trinidad Orisha incorporates elements of Spiritual Baptism, and the closeness between Orisha ...

religion. In Trinidad, Orisha is also called Shango, and the term "Shango Baptist" is sometimes used to describe worshipers who are involved with both Spiritual Baptism and Orisha/Shango. The term "Shango Baptist" has come to have negative connotations for some worshippers of both Spiritual Baptism and Orisha/Shango, who argue that those who say "Shango Baptist" conflate the two religions, when in fact they are completely separate religions. As some have said, "There is no thing as Shango Baptist. Shango is Shango. Baptist is Baptist". Others say that Shango Baptists simply "wear two hats"; their mixture of "Baptist and Orisha practices" is a result of similar oppression by colonial authorities in Trinidad. In practice, the Trinidad Orisha religion is not connected with the Spiritual Baptisms. Orisha worship services are not similar to and not held at the same locations as Spiritual Baptist churches.

Places of worship of Spiritual Baptist

Grenada

* Children Of The Light Spiritual Baptist International Archdiocese Inc. (La Sagesse St. David's) * Mt. Paran S.B. Church (Grand Anse Vally) * Faith Deliverance S.B. Church (Woodlands) * Mt. Calvary S.B. Church (River Road) * Mt. Olive S.B. Church (Prospect) * Mt. Zion S.B. Church (Mt. Rodney) * Rock In The Weary Land S.B. Church (Coals Gap) * St Ann's Mystical Healing Chapel (Marigot, St John)

Barbados

* The Cathedral Church of Jerusalem – Ealing Grove, Christ Church * Beulah Temple – Bishops, St. Lucy * Zion Apostolic Temple – Richmond Gap, St. Michael * Jeremiah Spiritual Baptist Church, Enterprise Main Road, Christ Church

Canada

* Sacred Heart Spiritual Baptist Church in Montreal, Quebec * The Shouters National Evangelical Spiritual Baptist Faith International Centre (NESBF) in Toronto, Ontario * St. Theresa's Well of Life Spiritual Baptist Tabernacle Inc * The Council of Spiritual Baptist Elders of Canada

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

* Mt. Olivet S.B. Church, (Layou) * St, Bethel S.B. Church, (Mt. Carmel) * St. Joseph S.B. Church * St. Mary's S.B. Church

Trinidad and Tobago

* Holy Faith Spiritual Baptist Tabernacle * Faith International Baptist Convention * St. Benedict Baptist Church, La Romaine * St. Peter's House of Prayer, Morvan

United States

* Ark of the Covenant Spiritual Baptist Church – Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts * Angels of the New Jerusalem S.B.C. – Baltimore, Maryland * Bethlehem Church – Brooklyn, New York City, New York * House of Esther Divine Ministries S.B.C; Brooklyn, New York City, New York *Spirit Divine House of Melchizedek International S.C.Inc. Brooklyn New York * Mt. Pisgah S.B.C – Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts * Pillar of Fire Church – Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts * Sacred Heart of Jesus International S.B.C. – Washington, D.C. * Scarlet Cord Cathedral – New Bedford, Massachusetts * St. John's S.B.C – Brooklyn, New York City, New York * St. Catherine #2 S.B.C. – Brooklyn, New York City, New York * United Congregation El Behel – Brooklyn, New York City, New York * Zion Apostolic S.B.C – Hyde Park, Boston, Massachusetts

United Kingdom

* Mt Moriah S.B.C. London (UK)

References

External links

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

West Indian United Spiritual Baptist Sacred Order

Spiritual Baptist Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago

Cult Music of Trinidad - a 1961 album of music by the Shango and Spiritual Baptist followers in Trinidad. Free downloadable liner notes and music clips

Spiritual Baptist Music of Trinidad 1981 - album and free downloadable liner notes and music clips
{{Religion in Trinidad and Tobago Afro-American religion Indigenous Christianity Christian new religious movements Religious groups in Trinidad and Tobago Christianity and religious syncretism Baptist denominations in North America