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Religion in Barbados

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  • Saint Dominic's

Religion remains at the center of culture in Barbados.

Anglican is the national religion of Barbados. However, various denominations of Christianity and non-Christian religions are practiced in Barbados.

Although you wouldn’t necessarily think it, even our Crop Over Festival has its roots in religious celebration. Crop Over was, in fact, initially a way of thanking God, the Gods, Jah, or Ala, for the success of another year’s sugar crop.

Anglican is officially the national religion of Barbados. However, various denominations of Christianity and non-Christian religions are practiced throughout the island. It stems from the first permanent English settlers, who arrived on the island in 1627 and were sternly Anglican when they landed and started building a church to worship.

According to the 2010 Population and Housing Census for Barbados, religion in Barbados is made up as follows:

From those identifying with a particular religion or faith in Barbados, the majority is Anglican.

  • Anglican
  • Pentecostal
  • Adventist
  • Methodist
  • Roman Catholic
  • Wesleyan
  • ‘other’ Christian
  • Nazarene
  • Church of God
  • Jehovah’s Witness
  • Baptist
  • Moravian
  • Rastafarian
  • Muslim
  • Brethren
  • Hindu
  • Salvation Army
  • ‘other non-Christian’
  • Mormon
  • Jewish
  • Baha’i

Where can I practice my faith in Barbados?

We’ve provided you with a list of denominations, the parishes where you will find these places of worship, and their contact details.

Note: It’s always best to phone the church or place of worship to confirm the times of services, as schedules can change slightly throughout the year.

ROMAN CATHOLIC

The Roman Catholic Church has been present in Barbados since 1839. In the early and mid-twentieth century, the Catholic Church was bolstered by immigration from Guyana, Dominica, St. Lucia, and Syrian and Lebanese Christians from Trinidad. It is expanding through natural growth and a small number of converts.

Christ Church

St. James

St. Michael

St. Peter

St. John

St. Philip

Anglican

The Anglican Diocese of Barbados – Anglican is the most popular denomination in Barbados. As a direct result of the first settlers, each parish in Barbados has an Anglican parish church, some of which are said to be haunted. All the churches are beautiful, and many provide the best scenic views of the island.

The enslaved people also brought their religions with them even though they were forced to practice Christianity by their masters. Many other religions have moved and grown on our small island. The places of worship of these religions vary from meeting halls, large limestone churches to chattel houses and natural settings like beaches.

Anglican Diocese of Barbados
+1 (246) 426-2762

Henry’s Lane, Collymore Rk, St. Michael
Bridgetown, Barbados
BB11156

Christ Church

St. James

St. John

St. Michael

St. Thomas

BAPTIST CHURCH

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST

The first Seventh-Day Adventist missionary arrived in 1891, and the denomination has multiplied since its incorporation in 1933.

St. Michael

  • King Street Seventh Day Adventist Church, King’s Street, St. Michael (246) 429-8639

PENTECOSTAL

  • Pentecostal Church of the Living God, Parish Land, Christ Church (246) 420-4838

METHODIST

Christ Church

  • Hawthorne Methodist Church, Hawthorne, Christ Church (246) 436-6859
  • Providence Methodist Church, Providence, Christ Church, BB17095, Barbados – +1-246-418-0891

St. Michael

  • James Street Methodist Church, James St, Bridgetown, St. Michael (246) 427-7452

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

Christ Church

  • Rendezvous Congregation, Rendezvous, Christ Church (246) 438-0655

St. James

  • Weston Congregation, Weston, St. James (246) 438-0655

Baptists, Moravians, and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are also on the island.

MORMON

Christ Church

  • Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, Rendezvous, Christ Church (246) 426-9731
  • Mount Carmel Pentecostal, St. Patrick’s, Christ Church (246) 420-7721

MORAVIAN

Christ Church

  • Bethlehem Moravian Church, Maxwell, Christ Church (246) 428-8284
  • Calvary Moravian Church, Roebuck Street, Bridgetown (246) 426-2337

MUSLIM

Christ Church

  • Islamic Teaching Centre, Harts Gap, Hastings, Christ Church (246) 427-0120

St. Michael

  • Juma Mosque, Kensington New Road, Bridgetown, St. Michael (246) 425-7854

GNOSTIC

  • Church of the Glorious Christ, River Road, Bridgetown (246) 429-7792

Wesleyan Holiness Church

Other alternatives

Other minority religions practiced on the island include the Rastafari Movement, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Baha’i Faith.

Bajan families remain religious, and most families still gather once a week for prayer – generally over a shared meal.

Religious holidays and milestones are strictly observed and celebrated in Barbados. As a result, regardless of faith, most businesses are closed on Sunday as it is considered a day of prayer, rest, and family relaxation.

Businesses generally operate from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, and Bridgetown remains a hive of activity on Saturdays.

Photos

See photos of Barbados churches and other places of religious interest within our Adobe Portfolio.

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Duration: 16 minutes and 42 seconds

By: Brett Callaghan
Last Updated: March 21st, 2023
Publisher: Totally Barbados

About Totally Barbados (Edit profile)

Brett Callaghan is the founder and managing director of Totally Barbados. I specialize in writing content for the tourism industry for my island home of Barbados. I help companies build strategies to grow their businesses online with SMART marketing, advertising, and social media goals.

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