Religious Beliefs In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a Caribbean island nation, hosts a population of around 102,089 individuals. According to the CIA World Factbook, Protestant Christianity is the religion of the majority in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. 70.6% of the population adhere to this religion. Various denominations of Protestantism are active in the country. Anglicans, Pentecostals, Methodists, Seventh Day Adventists, and Baptists comprise 17.8%, 10.78%, 10.2%, and 10% of the country’s population, respectively. Other Protestant denominations with a smaller representation include the followers of the Church of God (2.5%), Brethren (1.3%), Salvation Army (0.3%), and Presbyterians (1%).

Adherents of the Roman Catholic Church, Evangelicals, Rastafarians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and followers of other religions (Hinduism, Islam, etc.) account for 7.5%, 2.8%, 1.5%, 0.6%, and 6.7% of the population of the island country, respectively. 8.8% of the population claims not to adhere to any religion.

History Of Religion In The Country

The islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were originally home to the naive Island Caribs who aggressively resisted the invasion of the islands by the Europeans. They were successful in doing so until 1719. The natives practice their indigenous faiths which usually involved polytheistic beliefs and nature worship. The islands in the region were also home to formerly enslaved Africans who had escaped from the neighboring islands and settled here. The French were the first Europeans to settle there while the British were the first to lay claim to Saint Vincent. With the arrival of the Europeans, the demographics of the islands started to change and so did the religion of the Islanders. Many of the native islanders perished while African slaves were brought to the islands in large numbers. The European Christian missionaries started converting the remaining Island Caribs and the Africans to Christianity.

Religious Beliefs And Practices In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Although the people of the country are predominantly Christians, many continue to observe the rituals and customs of their traditional religions. For example, a large section of the islanders pays great importance to dreams which are viewed as real spiritual events. They believe in the existence of supernatural powers. They often perform rituals to keep evil spirits at bay. The elders in the society are highly revered as wise individuals with great spiritual knowledge. The people also revere the teachings of Christianity and incorporate it into their daily lives. Christmas, Good Friday, Easter Monday, etc., are celebrated as national holidays.