Christianity in Barbados

The features story for this issue of the magazine is Christianity in Barbados. The country is an island situated in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the West Indies. It has a population of 287,000 people, with Bridgetown as the capital, while the official languages are English and Bajan Creole. The ethnic composition is Black (92.4%), Multiracial (3.1%), White (2.7%), Indian (1.3%) and others (0.3%). The religious configuration is Christianity (75.6%), Atheism (20.6%), others (3.8%).

Modern History

The island was inhabited by its indigenous Arawaks and Caribs prior to the European colonisation of the Americas in the 16^th Century. It was a British colony from 1625 until 1966. From 1966 to 2021, it was a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, modelled on the Westminster system, with Elizabeth II, Queen of England as Head of State. The country became a Republic on November 30, 2021.

God’s Canvass in Barbados

 The countrygenerally experiences two seasons, one of which includes noticeably higher rainfall. Known as the wet season, this period runs from June to December. By contrast, the dry season runs from December to May. The island is sometimes plagued by natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslips and hurricanes.

Fauna

Barbados is home to several species of wild animals such as green turtles, hawksbill turtles, loggerheads, green monkeys and crocodiles. Some of the animals are shown below.

Flora

There are about 650 species of flowering plants growing wild in the country. These include pride of Barbados, hibiscus, desert rose, heliconia, blue lotus, ixora and India red water lily. Some of them presented in the pictures below.

Beaches in Barbados

Culture

The culture of Barbados is a blend of West African and British influences. The love of sport of cricket is an essential part of the island’s culture, along with music.

Traditional Attire

The people of Barbados wear modern Western-style clothing. Because of the 300 years of conservative British heritage, formal attire is worn at weddings and funerals. However, colourful costumes are mostly adorned at festivals, especially the Crop Over celebration. Some of the colourful attires are shown below.

Cuisine

Barbadian cuisine, also called Bajan cuisine, is a mixture of African, Portuguese, Indian, Irish, Creole, indigenous and British background. A typical meal consists of a main dish of fish, normally marinated with a mixture of herbs and spices, hot side dishes, and one or more salads. The national dish is cou-cou and fried fish with spicy gravy. Some of the dishes are shown below.

Status of Christianity in Barbados

          Although Barbados is officially a Christian nation, the fact that 20.6% of its population identifies as atheists is concerning. And we are not even sure of the spiritual state of the 75.6% who are publicly Christians. It is therefore important that we intercede for the nation as a whole and pray that God would pour out His Spirit on its people to lead them to genuine repentance.

Prayer Points

1. Pray that God would destroy every faulty spiritual foundation in the lives of the people of Barbados.
2. Ask Him to destroy all spiritual platforms that are being used to deceive the people.
3. Pray that God would open the eyes of the people of the island nation to the truth of the Gospel.
4. Pray that their minds and hearts be freed from demonic influence.
5. Ask the Father to remove the veil of darkness from their hearts and minds.
6. Pray that God would send labourers into His vineyard in Barbados for a great harvest of souls.
7. Pray that God would judge and dethrone all principalities and powers holding the people of Barbados in captivity.
8. Ask the Father to sanctify believers by His word and purge them of worldliness.
9. Pray that He would empower them to preach the gospel in season and out of season.
10.  Ask Him to open doors for believers to minister the truth to unbelievers across the country.

Intercession Checklist

1. Select a town, city or region from the political map of Barbados provided for focused prayer.
2. Present the chosen area to God and tell Him that you are claiming the souls in them for Yeshua as His ambassador. Remember that we are charged to make supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks for all men (1 Timothy 2:1-3).