Showing posts with label Trinidad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trinidad. Show all posts
Monday, August 29, 2022
Spiritual Baptist Day in Trinidad and Tobago
Spiritual Baptist is a religion that developed from similar faiths in several Caribbean countries. It combines elements of Protestant Christianity with African customs and rituals.
The Baptist faith in Trinidad is a legacy of the Merikin community. The 'Merikins' were African-American refugees of the War of 1812 – freed slaves who fought for the British against the Americans during the war of 1812. Following the end of the war, the Merikins established a community in the south of Trinidad. They brought the Baptist faith, having been part of evangelical sects common in places such as Georgia and Virginia.
In 1917, practising the religion was prohibited under the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance by the British colonial government. The reason given was that the noise created their services was disturbing the peace. The ordinance was introduced by then-attorney general Sir Henry Gollam who described the way members of the faith worshipped as an "unmitigated nuisance." Another possible reason behind the ban is that the leaders of the other established religions saw the popularity of Spirtual Baptists as a threat.
For the next 34 years, it was against the law to take part in a Shouter Baptist service or use a property for that purpose and the penalty was a fine of $240. {read more}
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Baptist Beginnings in Trinidad
http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/bq/14-5_232.pdf
Baptist Beginnings in Trinidad.
JOHN BUNY AN in his preface to Grace A bounding writes:
"It is profitable for Christians to be often calling to mind
the very beginnings of grace with their souls." This statement
is also true of the beginning of Christian Missions and
what follows, therefore, is a short survey of the leading events
which led to the founding of the Baptist Church in Trinidad.
Mr. George Sherman Cowen, who was the pioneer Baptist
missionary, arrived in Trinidad in about 1836 as an agent of the
Lady Mico Charity. This Charity originated in 1666 when Lady
Mieo left the sum of £1,000 for redeeming" poore Christian
slaves" who had been captured by the Bey of Algiers. When
the Mediterranean had been cleared of pirates and there were no
more slaves to redeem, the Court of Chancery ordered that the
money should be invested in certain funds and conveyed to Lady
Mico's executors. By the middle of the ninetenth century the
amount had increased to £160,000. In 1834, Sir Thomas Fowell
Buxton suggested that this might be spent on the education of
the former slaves. A Charter was obtained and the British
Government added a grant of £17,000 for five years for the
same purpose. As a result, schools were established in several
West Indian Islands including Trinidad. Mr. Cowen, a British
Baptist, acted as inspector. In 1842, the funds of the Mico
Charity were nearly exhausted and Mr. Cowen, seeing the
spiritual needs of the people, made an urgent appeal to the
Baptist Missionary Society to appoint him as a missionary, but
owing to agreements Wlth the Wesleyan Missionary Society they
were unable to answer the call.
It so happened that in God's good Providence there was at
this time an English lady named Mrs. Revell residing in Tt'inidad,
who had for many years lived in Amherst, Nova Scotia. Mrs.
Revell had been baptised by the famous Dr. Rippon, minister of
Carter Lane Church in Southwark, and on being left a widow
she had entered business, which during the course of her life,
led her to cross the Atlantic some twenty-two times. She, too,
shared Mr. Cowen's desire for the establishment of a Baptist
Church in Trinidad and by her personal visits to the Mission
House, then in Moorgate Street, and her insistent appeals, she
persuaded the Society to appoint Mr. Cowen, who took up his
office in 1843. The newly-appointed missionary was alert to see
232
Baptist Beginnings in Trinidad 233
the importance of Port-of-Spain as a strategic centre, and so occupied
premises in Corbeau Town, now known as Sackville Street,
where he was able to witness to the fishennen who plied their
boats in the Gulf of Paria. Among the members of this infant
church was Maria Jones, an African slave and daughter of a chief
who had first come under the influence of John Thompson, a
Presbyterian, and had later been received into membership at
Greyfriars Presbyterian Chnrch. At the age of about sixty she
began to learn to read her New Testament and, being known to
Mr. Cowen, he enlisted her services in distributing tracts-a
service in which she delighted. One of these tracts dealt, with
believers' baptism and Maria became convinced that baptism was
clearly taught in the New Testament. Later she was baptised
in the sea by Mr. Cowen. Little is known of the other members,
but we may be sure that it was a mixed community consisting
of the freed slaves from Trinidad and other West Indian Islands
as well as some Negro-Americans who came here in about 1816.
Property was soon acquired in Pembroke Street which formerly
had been a part of the old Spanish Cabildo or City Council: the
lower part was used for worship while the upper portion accommodated
the missionary and his wife. In the first year, Mr. Cowen
baptised twenty and the number at the various stations were fiftyone.
In 1845 the Rev. John Law arrived to take charge of this
work in the city and, in the year 1854, the Church now known as
St. John's wao; opened on the site adjoining the manse; from this
time the work began to increase rapidly. In this brief survey
reference should be made to John Law's work as a printer. A
poem entitled, "The Baptism" was printed in 1845 on paper made
of plantain leaf and when the Portugese refugees came from
Madeira in 1846, the Rev. John Law held worship for them every
Sunday in Portuguese, and he used his printing press and plantain
leaf paper to provide hymn sheets for them.
Mr. Cowen, being released from the north, took up his
residence in the south at Princes Town then called "The
Mission," where he laboured until his death in 1852 at the age of
forty-two. The Baptist church in the south was located in rural
districts known then as "The American Villages" and it owed
its origin to the Negro-American families who first settled here
a short time after the Battle of New Orleans. These loyal slaves
who had fought with the British Armies in the American War
of Independence were granted sixteen acre portions of land as
compensation for their services and they named their districts
after their old regimental companies. There is no indication that
the second company ever settled here, but the remaining five still
retain their names. These loyal soldiers who came from Virginia
and South Carolina brought with them their Baptist faith, but
234 The Baptist Quarterly
it was not until Mr. Cowen commenced work that the church
became properly organised. Many difficulties were encountered
in the early days, due to the fact that for many years these
settlers had lived in very isolated districts, and as a result, African
customs and superstitions became incorporated in their religious
belief. Camp meetings were occasions of much disorder and
drunkeness, the all-night shouting meetings had also become a
common feature. The nature of these meetings consisted in
singing and clapping, while many would work themselves up in
excitement, and begin to jump up violently and shout until they
passed into a kind of epileptic fit and at length fall exhausted
to the ground. In this state they were regarded as being under
conviction of sin and upon coming out of the stupor were expected
to make profeSSion of faith.
Mr. Cowen was assisted in his work by Mr. Augustus Inniss,
a schoolmaster and catechist. Property in a number of villages
was acquired and schools were started. Preaching stations were
established at Mount Elvin, Woodlands, Sherringville, Indian
Walk and Mount Hopeful. In 1852 Fourth Company Church
was built and became the real centre of the southern district.
In addition to preaching, Mr. Cowen was able to minister to the
sick, having made some study of medicine. He met with much
hostility from the village people on account of his efforts to put
down heathen practices. .
Mr. Cowen was succeeded in 1856 by the Rev. W. H. Gamble.
The name of the Rev. George Cowen thus deserves an honoured
place in the roll of Baptist pioneers. His resting place has
recently been discovered in Princes Town and we hope at some
future date to mark this place with a more permanent memorial;
at St. John's a marble plaque has been placed above the pulpit
to his memory. This valiant warrior truly fought the good fight
and today we thank God for his noble life.
SIDNEY G. POUPARD.
Jubilee Souvenir of London Road Baptist Church, Porismouth
1902-1952. Prepared by Mr. J. Rawlinson, this illustrated
booklet outlines the story of the church which began as an offshoot
of Lake Road and owes much to the ministry (1915-39) of
the late Rev. John Edmonds. The chapel was erected in 1902,
but the church was not formally constituted until 1904
Baptist Beginnings in Trinidad.
JOHN BUNY AN in his preface to Grace A bounding writes:
"It is profitable for Christians to be often calling to mind
the very beginnings of grace with their souls." This statement
is also true of the beginning of Christian Missions and
what follows, therefore, is a short survey of the leading events
which led to the founding of the Baptist Church in Trinidad.
Mr. George Sherman Cowen, who was the pioneer Baptist
missionary, arrived in Trinidad in about 1836 as an agent of the
Lady Mico Charity. This Charity originated in 1666 when Lady
Mieo left the sum of £1,000 for redeeming" poore Christian
slaves" who had been captured by the Bey of Algiers. When
the Mediterranean had been cleared of pirates and there were no
more slaves to redeem, the Court of Chancery ordered that the
money should be invested in certain funds and conveyed to Lady
Mico's executors. By the middle of the ninetenth century the
amount had increased to £160,000. In 1834, Sir Thomas Fowell
Buxton suggested that this might be spent on the education of
the former slaves. A Charter was obtained and the British
Government added a grant of £17,000 for five years for the
same purpose. As a result, schools were established in several
West Indian Islands including Trinidad. Mr. Cowen, a British
Baptist, acted as inspector. In 1842, the funds of the Mico
Charity were nearly exhausted and Mr. Cowen, seeing the
spiritual needs of the people, made an urgent appeal to the
Baptist Missionary Society to appoint him as a missionary, but
owing to agreements Wlth the Wesleyan Missionary Society they
were unable to answer the call.
It so happened that in God's good Providence there was at
this time an English lady named Mrs. Revell residing in Tt'inidad,
who had for many years lived in Amherst, Nova Scotia. Mrs.
Revell had been baptised by the famous Dr. Rippon, minister of
Carter Lane Church in Southwark, and on being left a widow
she had entered business, which during the course of her life,
led her to cross the Atlantic some twenty-two times. She, too,
shared Mr. Cowen's desire for the establishment of a Baptist
Church in Trinidad and by her personal visits to the Mission
House, then in Moorgate Street, and her insistent appeals, she
persuaded the Society to appoint Mr. Cowen, who took up his
office in 1843. The newly-appointed missionary was alert to see
232
Baptist Beginnings in Trinidad 233
the importance of Port-of-Spain as a strategic centre, and so occupied
premises in Corbeau Town, now known as Sackville Street,
where he was able to witness to the fishennen who plied their
boats in the Gulf of Paria. Among the members of this infant
church was Maria Jones, an African slave and daughter of a chief
who had first come under the influence of John Thompson, a
Presbyterian, and had later been received into membership at
Greyfriars Presbyterian Chnrch. At the age of about sixty she
began to learn to read her New Testament and, being known to
Mr. Cowen, he enlisted her services in distributing tracts-a
service in which she delighted. One of these tracts dealt, with
believers' baptism and Maria became convinced that baptism was
clearly taught in the New Testament. Later she was baptised
in the sea by Mr. Cowen. Little is known of the other members,
but we may be sure that it was a mixed community consisting
of the freed slaves from Trinidad and other West Indian Islands
as well as some Negro-Americans who came here in about 1816.
Property was soon acquired in Pembroke Street which formerly
had been a part of the old Spanish Cabildo or City Council: the
lower part was used for worship while the upper portion accommodated
the missionary and his wife. In the first year, Mr. Cowen
baptised twenty and the number at the various stations were fiftyone.
In 1845 the Rev. John Law arrived to take charge of this
work in the city and, in the year 1854, the Church now known as
St. John's wao; opened on the site adjoining the manse; from this
time the work began to increase rapidly. In this brief survey
reference should be made to John Law's work as a printer. A
poem entitled, "The Baptism" was printed in 1845 on paper made
of plantain leaf and when the Portugese refugees came from
Madeira in 1846, the Rev. John Law held worship for them every
Sunday in Portuguese, and he used his printing press and plantain
leaf paper to provide hymn sheets for them.
Mr. Cowen, being released from the north, took up his
residence in the south at Princes Town then called "The
Mission," where he laboured until his death in 1852 at the age of
forty-two. The Baptist church in the south was located in rural
districts known then as "The American Villages" and it owed
its origin to the Negro-American families who first settled here
a short time after the Battle of New Orleans. These loyal slaves
who had fought with the British Armies in the American War
of Independence were granted sixteen acre portions of land as
compensation for their services and they named their districts
after their old regimental companies. There is no indication that
the second company ever settled here, but the remaining five still
retain their names. These loyal soldiers who came from Virginia
and South Carolina brought with them their Baptist faith, but
234 The Baptist Quarterly
it was not until Mr. Cowen commenced work that the church
became properly organised. Many difficulties were encountered
in the early days, due to the fact that for many years these
settlers had lived in very isolated districts, and as a result, African
customs and superstitions became incorporated in their religious
belief. Camp meetings were occasions of much disorder and
drunkeness, the all-night shouting meetings had also become a
common feature. The nature of these meetings consisted in
singing and clapping, while many would work themselves up in
excitement, and begin to jump up violently and shout until they
passed into a kind of epileptic fit and at length fall exhausted
to the ground. In this state they were regarded as being under
conviction of sin and upon coming out of the stupor were expected
to make profeSSion of faith.
Mr. Cowen was assisted in his work by Mr. Augustus Inniss,
a schoolmaster and catechist. Property in a number of villages
was acquired and schools were started. Preaching stations were
established at Mount Elvin, Woodlands, Sherringville, Indian
Walk and Mount Hopeful. In 1852 Fourth Company Church
was built and became the real centre of the southern district.
In addition to preaching, Mr. Cowen was able to minister to the
sick, having made some study of medicine. He met with much
hostility from the village people on account of his efforts to put
down heathen practices. .
Mr. Cowen was succeeded in 1856 by the Rev. W. H. Gamble.
The name of the Rev. George Cowen thus deserves an honoured
place in the roll of Baptist pioneers. His resting place has
recently been discovered in Princes Town and we hope at some
future date to mark this place with a more permanent memorial;
at St. John's a marble plaque has been placed above the pulpit
to his memory. This valiant warrior truly fought the good fight
and today we thank God for his noble life.
SIDNEY G. POUPARD.
Jubilee Souvenir of London Road Baptist Church, Porismouth
1902-1952. Prepared by Mr. J. Rawlinson, this illustrated
booklet outlines the story of the church which began as an offshoot
of Lake Road and owes much to the ministry (1915-39) of
the late Rev. John Edmonds. The chapel was erected in 1902,
but the church was not formally constituted until 1904
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Rise of the Shouter Baptists
In
1929, two famous anthropologists landed in Trinidad. They had just
finished field work on the Bush Negroes of Dutch Guiana, and they were
waiting for a ship to take them back to the US. While in Trinidad,
Melville Herskovits and his wife Frances read a newspaper article about
the Shouter Baptists. Before they got on that ship, they vowed to return
to Trinidad. Almost 20 years later, they returned for research on what
was to become the first anthropological study of a Protestant Negro
culture in the English-speaking Caribbean. They recorded Baptist hymns
and, in 1949, they published their ethnography entitled Trinidad
Village. We have the Baptists to thank for that important
anthropological study.
When you think about it, the Baptists have inspired many people in many different fields. From anthropology to literature and music, the Baptists have captivated the imagination of creative people. Their religious struggle has been a mirror of Trinidad and Tobago’s struggle for independence. Their perseverance has been a model for all of us. Arguably, one of the best novels to come out of the Caribbean is Wine of Astonishment, Earl Lovelace’s moving story of the Baptists’ struggle to worship freely. It is impossible to read the canon of Caribbean literature and not include Wine of Astonishment as one of the most important books in West Indian literature.
The Baptists have had an undeniable, profound influence on our music. Calypsonians recorded Baptist hymns in the 1930s and sang calypsoes criticising the Baptists. Lion recorded Happy Land of Canaan, which was classified as a Calypso Shouter. He performed Where is Jonah Gone jointly with Atilla in 1934 and Caresser sang Do You Remember Me in 1940. There are many recordings from that era that relied heavily on Baptist hymns. Calypso expert Dr Gordon Rohlehr says an unconscious merger of calypso and Baptist music was beginning to take place already in the 1940s. This would be evident a decade later when Melody sang Jonah and the Bake and Sparrow delivered Don’t Touch Me. A calypsonian named Wonder sang Follow Me Children in the 50s, which had a Baptist-sounding chorus. All were highly dramatic extensions of Shouter Baptist preaching.
Independence dramatically changed everyone’s attitudes towards the Baptists. They became a symbol of successful protest against colonialism. As the people of T&T threw off the shackles of colonialism and found their own voice and their own sense of independence, they learned tolerance if not respect for the Baptists. Calypsonians like Rose helped to establish that voice of tolerance. When Blueboy compared soca to a Shouter Baptist prayer meeting he ushered in a new era in soca music defined by pulsing rhythms that evoked a sense of spirituality. The Baptists complained that Blueboy’s Soca Baptist was sacrilegious and asked for it to be banned. It won the Road March in 1980.
Other singers reached out to the Baptists for inspiration. Andre Tanker’s Baptist-like chants in Sayamanda and River Come Down made powerful statements with Baptist rhythms and chants. In 1986, David Rudder’s Bahia Gyul broke down the barriers between traditional calypsonians performing in calypso tents and lead singers from brass bands confined to fetes. Aided by his Bahia Gyul with her Baptist rhythms, Rudder, the lead singer for Charlie’s Roots, won every competition in sight that year.
The memory of the crowd roaring its approval as Rudder sang and danced like a Baptist on the Savannah stage proves how far our relationship with the Baptists has come. And then there was Get Something and Wave, SuperBlue’s Road March-winning song of 1991 that became the definitive soca after the 1990 coup attempt by Imam Yasin Abu Bakr.
In Get Something and Wave, it was Mother Muriel, a Baptist woman, who assured Trinidadians/Tobagonians living under a curfew not to worry. “Soon Trinidad and Tobago will rise again,” she promised. In one of our greatest times of grief, we reached out to a Baptist woman as a symbol of hope. On Wednesday, we celebrate one of our most important holidays in T&T: Spiritual/Shouter Baptist Liberation Day. Contrary to popular belief, this holiday is not merely a religious day dedicated to the Spiritual/Shouter Baptists. It is a holiday in which everyone in T&T recognises our extraordinary ability to respect and celebrate everyone’s religion.
This holiday really represents the freedom to worship how we please, and believe me, in this fractious world, that is not to be taken for granted. This holiday also represents perseverance. Spiritual/Shouter Baptist Liberation Day commemorates the repeal of the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance of 1917, a law in which the British banned the Shouter Baptist religion from being practised in the British West Indies.
For decades, Spiritual/Shouter Baptists secretly practised their religion under the threat of persecution. If caught, they could be jailed without a trial. On March 30, 1951, the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance of 1917 was finally repealed. There is no doubt about it, the Shouter Baptists have had a profound effect on Trinidad culture. They helped to teach us the true meaning of faith. Have a happy holiday filled with reflection.
When you think about it, the Baptists have inspired many people in many different fields. From anthropology to literature and music, the Baptists have captivated the imagination of creative people. Their religious struggle has been a mirror of Trinidad and Tobago’s struggle for independence. Their perseverance has been a model for all of us. Arguably, one of the best novels to come out of the Caribbean is Wine of Astonishment, Earl Lovelace’s moving story of the Baptists’ struggle to worship freely. It is impossible to read the canon of Caribbean literature and not include Wine of Astonishment as one of the most important books in West Indian literature.
The Baptists have had an undeniable, profound influence on our music. Calypsonians recorded Baptist hymns in the 1930s and sang calypsoes criticising the Baptists. Lion recorded Happy Land of Canaan, which was classified as a Calypso Shouter. He performed Where is Jonah Gone jointly with Atilla in 1934 and Caresser sang Do You Remember Me in 1940. There are many recordings from that era that relied heavily on Baptist hymns. Calypso expert Dr Gordon Rohlehr says an unconscious merger of calypso and Baptist music was beginning to take place already in the 1940s. This would be evident a decade later when Melody sang Jonah and the Bake and Sparrow delivered Don’t Touch Me. A calypsonian named Wonder sang Follow Me Children in the 50s, which had a Baptist-sounding chorus. All were highly dramatic extensions of Shouter Baptist preaching.
Independence dramatically changed everyone’s attitudes towards the Baptists. They became a symbol of successful protest against colonialism. As the people of T&T threw off the shackles of colonialism and found their own voice and their own sense of independence, they learned tolerance if not respect for the Baptists. Calypsonians like Rose helped to establish that voice of tolerance. When Blueboy compared soca to a Shouter Baptist prayer meeting he ushered in a new era in soca music defined by pulsing rhythms that evoked a sense of spirituality. The Baptists complained that Blueboy’s Soca Baptist was sacrilegious and asked for it to be banned. It won the Road March in 1980.
Other singers reached out to the Baptists for inspiration. Andre Tanker’s Baptist-like chants in Sayamanda and River Come Down made powerful statements with Baptist rhythms and chants. In 1986, David Rudder’s Bahia Gyul broke down the barriers between traditional calypsonians performing in calypso tents and lead singers from brass bands confined to fetes. Aided by his Bahia Gyul with her Baptist rhythms, Rudder, the lead singer for Charlie’s Roots, won every competition in sight that year.
The memory of the crowd roaring its approval as Rudder sang and danced like a Baptist on the Savannah stage proves how far our relationship with the Baptists has come. And then there was Get Something and Wave, SuperBlue’s Road March-winning song of 1991 that became the definitive soca after the 1990 coup attempt by Imam Yasin Abu Bakr.
In Get Something and Wave, it was Mother Muriel, a Baptist woman, who assured Trinidadians/Tobagonians living under a curfew not to worry. “Soon Trinidad and Tobago will rise again,” she promised. In one of our greatest times of grief, we reached out to a Baptist woman as a symbol of hope. On Wednesday, we celebrate one of our most important holidays in T&T: Spiritual/Shouter Baptist Liberation Day. Contrary to popular belief, this holiday is not merely a religious day dedicated to the Spiritual/Shouter Baptists. It is a holiday in which everyone in T&T recognises our extraordinary ability to respect and celebrate everyone’s religion.
This holiday really represents the freedom to worship how we please, and believe me, in this fractious world, that is not to be taken for granted. This holiday also represents perseverance. Spiritual/Shouter Baptist Liberation Day commemorates the repeal of the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance of 1917, a law in which the British banned the Shouter Baptist religion from being practised in the British West Indies.
For decades, Spiritual/Shouter Baptists secretly practised their religion under the threat of persecution. If caught, they could be jailed without a trial. On March 30, 1951, the Shouter Prohibition Ordinance of 1917 was finally repealed. There is no doubt about it, the Shouter Baptists have had a profound effect on Trinidad culture. They helped to teach us the true meaning of faith. Have a happy holiday filled with reflection.
Published:
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
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