Religion is at the centre of Barbados' culture. Even our Cropover Festival, though you wouldn't tell by looking at it sometimes, is derived from a religious celebration. There are various denominations of Christianity and non-Christian religions practiced on the island, therefore we have given you a list of denominations, the history behind these churches or religions and how long they have been practicing on the island, along with the parishes in which you will find these places of worship and a list of what times to attend services.
Cropover was originally a way of thanking God, Gods, Jah, or Ala, for the success of another year's sugar crop.
The first English settlers, who arrived on the island in 1627, were sternly Anglican, and from the moment they landed started work on a church in which to worship.
Even though Anglican is officially our national religion, to this day Barbados is home to over one hundred known religions including, Anglican, Apostolic, Evangelical, Hindu, Jehovah's Witness, Judaism, Methodist, Moravian, Mormon, Muslim, Pentecostal, Quaker, Rastafarian, Roman Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist and Spiritual Baptists amongst others.
As a direct result of these first settlers, each parish in Barbados has an Anglican parish church, some of which are said to be haunted. Anglican is the most popular denomination in Barbados. All of the churches are beautiful and many of them provide the best scenic views of the island.
ANGLICAN CHURCHES BY PARISH:
CHRIST CHURCH
* Christ Church Parish Church, Church Rd, Christ Church - holds Sunday services at 6.0am, 7.45am and 9.15am.
* St. David's Church, Christ Church - holds Sunday services at 6.15am and 7.30am.
* St. Lawrence Church, St. Lawrence Gap, Christ Church - holds Sunday services at 7.30am, 9.30am and 6.30pm.
* St. Mathias Church, Hastings, Christ Church - holds Sunday services at 7.0am and 8.30am.
ST. JAMES
* St. James Parish Church, Holetown, St. James - holds Sunday services at 7.30am and 9.00am.
ST. MICHAEL
* St. Cyprian's Church, George St, St. Michael - holds a Sunday service at 8.00am.
* St. Leonard's Anglican Church, St. Leonard's, St. Michael - hold Sunday services at 7.30am, 9.30am and 6.30pm.
* St. Mary's Church, Bridgetown, St. Michael - holds Sunday services at 7.0am, 8.30am and 6.0pm.
* St. Michael's Cathedral, Bridgetown, St. Michael - holds Sunday services at 6.30am, 7.45am, 9.0am, 11.0am, and 6.00pm.
* St. Paul's Anglican Church, Bay Street, St. Michael - holds a Sunday service at 8.30am.
* St. Stephen's Church, Black Rock, St. Michael - holds Sunday services at 7.0am, 8.30am, 6.30pm.
The slaves also brought their own religions with them even though they were forced to practice Christianity by their masters. Through the years many other religions have moved and grown in our small island. The places of worship of all these various religions vary from meeting halls, large limestone churches, chattel houses, to natural settings like the beaches.
The second most popular religion in Barbados is Seventh Day Adventist, with around 16,000 Seventh Day Adventists on the island. The first Adventist missionary arrived in 1891, and the denomination has grown rapidly since incorporation in 1933.
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCHES BY PARISH:
ST. MICHAEL
* King Street Seventh Day Adventist Church, King's Street, St. Michael - holds it Sabbath service on Saturday at 11.00am.
The Roman Catholic Church has been present in Barbados since 1839. There are about 11,000 Roman Catholics. In the early and mid-twentieth century, the Catholic Church was bolstered by immigration from Guyana, Dominica, St. Lucia, and by Syrian and Lebanese Christians from Trinidad. It is expanding slowly through natural growth and a small number of converts.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES BY PARISH:
CHRIST CHURCH
* St. Dominic's Roman Catholic Church, Maxwell Main Rd, Christ Church - holds a mass Monday to Friday at 6:30 am; 7 am on Saturdays and Holidays; the Saturday Vigil mass is at 6:30 pm and mass on Sunday is at 7 am and 10 am.
ST. JAMES
* St. Francis of Assisi, Mount Steadfast, St. James - holds a mass at 5.00pm on Saturday and at 8.00am and 10.30am on Sundays.
ST. MICHAEL
* Our Lady Queen of the Universe, Black Rock, St. Michael - holds a mass at 6.30am and 8.30am on Sundays.
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Bay Street, St. Michael - holds a mass at 6.00pm on Saturday and 7.00am, 8.45am and 6.00pm on Sunday.
ST. PETER
* Our Lady of Sorrows, Ashton Hall, St. Peter - Sunday Mass 9.00 a.m.
ST. JOHN
* Our Lady of the Rosary, Verdun, St. John - Sunday Mass 9.00 a.m.
ST. PHILIP
Sacred Heart (Services presently held in Beulah Methodist Church, St. Philip) Sunday Mass 7.00 a.m.
Pentecostals number about 7,000; membership is growing and over 50 percent are active.
* Pentecostal Church of the Living God, Parish Land, Christ Church can be contacted on (246) 420-4838 for service times.
Methodists number an estimated 5,000, according to church officials, although many more claimed Methodist affiliation in the last official census; about 60 percent of members are active.
METHODIST CHURCHES BY PARISH:
CHRIST CHURCH
* Hawthorne Methodist Church, Hawthorne, Christ Church - holds services at 9.00am and 5pm on Sundays.
ST. MICHAEL
* James Street Methodist Church, James St, Bridgetown, St. Michael - holds services at 9.00am and 5.00pm on Sundays.
There are approximately 2,500 Jehovah's Witnesses, and over 95 percent are active; membership grew by 3 percent between 2002 and 2003.
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES CHURCHES BY PARISH:
CHRIST CHURCH
* Rendezvous Congregation, Rendezvous, Christ Church - meets on Tuesdays at 7.00pm, Thursdays at 7.00pm and Sunday at 9.00am.
ST. JAMES
* Weston Congregation, Weston, St. James - meets on Tuesdays at 7.00pm, Thursdays at 7.00pm and Sunday at 9.00am.
Baptists, Moravians, and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are also present in small numbers.
MORMON CHURCHES BY PARISH:
CHRIST CHURCH
* Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, Rendezvous, Christ Church - holds a Sunday service at 10am.
* Mount Carmel Pentecostal, St. Patrick's, Christ Church - holds Sunday services at 10.30am and 6.30pm.
MORAVIAN CHURCHES BY PARISH:
CHRIST CHURCH
* Bethlehem Moravian Church, Maxwell, Christ Church - holds Sunday services at 10am and 5pm.
* Calvary Moravian Church, Roebuck Street, Bridgetown - holds Sunday services at 9am and 6pm.
The number of non-Christians is small. There are an estimated 2,700 Muslims. The first mosque was erected in 1950, and there are currently three mosques and an Islamic Centre.
MUSLIM MOSQUES BY PARISH:
CHRIST CHURCH
* Islamic Teaching Centre, Harts Gap, Hastings, Christ Church - holds a service at 12.30pm on Fridays.
ST. MICHAEL
* Juma Mosque, Kensington New Road, Bridgetown, St. Michael - holds 5 services daily and a special service at 12.30pm on Fridays.
Other minority religions include Rastafarianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Baha'i Faith.
Most Bajan families remain very religious even in this day and age, and most families still gather together once a week for prayer - generally at a meal. Religious holidays and milestones are observed and celebrated. As a result, most businesses are closed on Sunday as it is considered a day of prayer, rest and family relaxation.
Businesses generally operate from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
It is always best to phone the church to confirm the times of their services, as schedules do tend to change slightly throughout the year.
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