ST. MATTHEW'S ANGLICAN PARISH, BIABOU ST. VINCENT

Bishop: The Rt. Rev. C Leopold Friday

Chancellor: Mr. Justice Lyle St. Paul

Archdeacon of Grenada: Vacant

Archdeacon of St. Lucia: The Ven. Randolph Evelyn

Archdeacon of St. Vincent and the Grenadines: The Ven. Dr. Sylvanus Regisford

Dean of the Cathedral: The Very Rev. Patrick Mc Intosh

Diocesan Treasurer: Mr. David Murray

Diocesan Registrar: Mr. Grenville John

General

The Diocese of the Windward Islands is comprised of the islands of Saint Vincent where the Bishop lives and the Cathedral is situate, Grenada and Saint Lucia, together with the Grenadines . . . a chain of lovely islands lying between Grenada and Saint Vincent. Part of the Grenadines is under the jurisdiction of Saint Vincent and comprises the State of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the other part of the islands is under the jurisdiction of Grenada and Martinique. The three independent countries hold a total population of approximately 300,000 persons each country having a population of roughly 100,000.

Saint Lucia is predominantly Roman Catholic and until 20 years ago the Roman Catholic Church could claim 95% of the population. The various denominations have, however, moved in and a rough estimate would now bring the Roman Catholic members to about 65% or perhaps less. The Anglican Church, 20 years ago, would have numbered approximately two percent of the population the Anglican Church and has remained fairly constant, losing very little to the other denominations.

Saint Vincent was a "Protestant" country with Anglicans and Methodists always in the great majority and the Roman Catholics comprising approximately two percent of the population. About 80% of the population belonged to the Anglican and Methodist denominations with the other 18% giving their allegiance to the other bodies. In the past 20 years, the other denominations have grown and their membership comprises 28% of the population. The Spiritual Baptists, a kind of "cross" between Shakerism and Pentecostalism, is still growing in popularity. Presently, Anglicans make up 40% of the population, Methodists 20% and Roman Catholics 10%.

Grenada was also predominantly Roman Catholic but the Anglican Church was strong and vibrant and remains so. Roman Catholics number about 60% of the population, Anglicans claims some 20%, leaving Methodists and Presbyterians, Seventh Day Adventists, and other denominations to share the remaining 20%. In Grenada, as in St. Vincent and Saint Lucia, Roman Catholics and Anglicans have lost members to the other denominations.

A Statistical Glance at the Diocese

The diocese consists of seven islands spread over an area of approximately 680 square miles. These islands occupy about 550 square miles of this area. The population of the main islands total approximately 331,600 and is distributed as follows:

St. Vincent 110,000
Bequia 3,600
Mustique 200
Canouan 800
Union Island 1,500
Grenada 105,000
Carriacou 8,000
St. Lucia 120,000

St. Vincent has the highest percentage of Anglican, approximately 40% of the islands' population.

The diocese consists of 16 parishes with 55 churches or places of worship, with 25 parishes on St. Vincent, 18 on Grenada, 5 on St. Lucia and seven in the smaller islands of the Grenadines.

There are six secondary and 16 primary church schools in the diocese with over 12,800 pupils currently attending.

The six secondary schools are:

Bishops' College, Kingston
Bishop's College, Georgetown
Bishop's College, Carriacou
Anglican High School, Bequia
Anglican High School, Grenada
St. Andrew's Anglican Secondary School, Grenada

Historical Sketch of the Diocese

The 19^th century was a turbulent period of the people of the Carribean. The early part of the century was marked by a series of attempts by the slave population of the region to secure their freedom. It was also in the early part of the century that the most important development of that period occurred: the institution of slavery was abolished. The formation of the Diocese of the Windward Islands occurred less than 50 years after the abolition of slavery.

Alfred Caldecott, in his history on the Church in the West Indies, claims that the formation of the Diocese of the Windward Islands was related to certain political events of the time. In 1876 an attempt was made by Britain to federate the smaller territories of the Eastern Caribbean. This attempt is seen by some historians as a move by the British to reduce the cost of administering the Islands, and at the same time to maintain firmer control of them. The idea of a federation was resisted by the Barbadian Plantocracy, and the plans for a federation were shelved. Britain then proceeded to group St. Vincent, Grenada, and their dependencies along with Tobago into the Windward Island government.

This new political arrangement carried with it some ecclesiastical implications. The Diocese of Barbados, under whose jurisdiction the islands of the new government fell, was the established church of that island, with the stipends of clergy and other church expenses being met by the government of Barbados. Some of these benefits could have been extended to all the islands that were politically attached to Barbados. Now that these islands were being formed into an autonomous political unit, The Right Rev. Mitchinson, Bishop of Barbados, at the time, thought it best that the islands which comprised the new government be formed into a separate diocese. He advocated that the islands of St. Vincent, Grenada, and their dependencies, together with Tobago be formed into the Diocese of the Windward Islands. The church councils of the individual islands, as well as Provincial Synod, gave approval to Bishop Mitchinson's proposal.

The islands were separated by Royal Warrant from the Diocese of the Barbados and formed into a separate diocese under the style of the Windward Islands. The instrument of separation which bears the seal of The Most Rev. Archibald Campbell, Archbishop of Canterbury, is dated November 8, 1877. In 1889 Tobago was placed politically with Trinidad and passed into that diocese. St. Lucia was incorporated into the Windward Islands in 1899.

The Diocese of the Windward Islands shared a bishop with Barbados until 1927 at which time the original intention that the diocese should have its own bishop became a reality. A Synod the Windward Islands held the previous year expressed a strong opinion that the time had come when the diocese should stop sharing a bishop with Barbados and secure its own. The resolution passed by Synod reads:

Whereas the Diocese of the Windward Islands has been administered from its inception by the Bishop of Barbados with permission of the Government of Barbados.

And whereas it appears from the records that it was the original intention from its inception that the said Diocese should be administered by its own Bishop so soon as provision therefore could be made financially.

And whereas at a meeting of the Synod the said Diocese held at the Cathedral in St. Vincent on the April 20, 1926, there was a unanimous expression of opinion brought about by the impending retirement of the present Bishop of Barbados, that the time had arrived for making an effort for the carrying out of the original intention.

And whereas it is the desire of the said Synod that the Provincial Synod be humbly approached at the earliest opportunity with the view of obtaining sympathetic assistance and advice in the direction indicated, be it there resolved:

That the Synod places on record its grateful appreciation of past service rendered to the Diocese by the See and Government of Barbados, and humbly requests Provincial Synod to convey the gratitude, and in so doing, to endeavour to obtain some assurance, that should it be found impracticable either to make or to continue to make the necessary provisions for the maintenance of its own Bishop, the Bishop of Barbados for the time being will be placed with the permission of the Government of Barbados to resume the administration of the said diocese.

On March 19, 1927 the Synod of the Windward Islands, comprising of nine clergy and 14 laymen elected Bishop Alfred Berkeley, the retired Bishop of Barbados, as Bishop of the Windward Islands. Bishop Berkeley held the See in conjunction with the rectorship of St. George's Cathedral.

The last 50 years have seen the diocese going from strength to strength. During these years, some 34 persons from the diocese have offered themselves for the priesthood. Among them is the former Archbishop of the Province of the West Indies, The Most Reverend G. C. M. Woodroffe. Many others have held responsible positions both in the diocese and abroad.

1877 Diocese constituted by Letters Patent

1899 St. Lucia incorporated into the diocese

1917 Anglican High School of Grenada founded by Archdeacon Walton

1920 The Cathedral celebrated 100^th anniversary of consecration as a parish church

1927 The Bishop of Barbados stopped administering the diocese, and for the first time in its history the Diocese of the Windward Islands is administered separately by its own bishop.

1943 The Church of Holy Trinity, Castries celebrated its 100^th anniversary of consecration.

1947 The Mother's Union organization is introduced into the diocese.

St. Andrews Anglican Secondary School was started in Grenada

1962 The first consecration took place in the diocese. Archdeacon Harold Piggott was consecrated Bishop of the Windward Islands.

1964 Three more Secondary Schools were started: Bishop's Colleges in Kingstown, Georgetown and Carriacou.

1969 The Archbishop of Canterbury visited the diocese

1970 The Cathedral celebrated its 150^th anniversary of consecration as a parish church

1976 St. George's, Grenada, celebrated its 150^th anniversary of consecration

1977 The diocese celebrated its centenary

1995 The Cathedral celebrated 175 years

The Diocese in the Province of the West Indies

The Diocese of the Windward Islands is one of the eight dioceses comprising the Province of the West Indies. It is placed geographically between the Diocese of North East Caribbean and Aruba to the North, Trinidad and Tobago to the South, Barbados to the East.

Organizations

Within the diocese are several church-based organizations in which most of the congregations share membership:

The Mothers' Union: This is an old organization which has branches in most parishes in all three Archdeaconries with a current active membership of 550.

The Guild of the Sacred Heart: Many of the women, particularly those who are unmarried, have taken preference to the guilds. These are parochial organizations and do not have any structure like the Mothers' Union at Archdeaconry or diocesan level. The present membership is approximately 250.

The Mens' Fellowship: Like the guilds, the mens' fellowships are parochial based. Their membership is about 300 at present.

Communicants Association: This is a group that operates out of the Cathedral Female Congregation. They are mainly responsible for social outreach to the elderly, and presently run a Day Care Centre for the Aged, providing daily lunches to elderly and indigent persons residing the Cathedral parish.

Friendly Societies: These use to be popular among church people 20 or more years ago, but competition from credit unions, cooperatives, insurances and national Friendly Societies offering substantially better benefits, have drastically reduced the number of church based entities.

The Young Church

The young church has identified itself in several organizations for young people.

The Sunday School: The traditional Sunday School is still with us, despite the many attractions and a lessening concern of many parents for Christian Education. The Sunday Schools are all hard pressed to find suitable teachers.

Anglican Youth Movement: The Anglican Youth Movement in the diocese is 21 years old this year, and has branches in most parishes throughout the diocese. In each Archdeaconry there is an Anglican Youth Council made up of delegates from the Anglican Youth Movements. There is also a Youth Advisory Body to assist the Council and the Diocesan Youth Coordinator in the development of programs for young people. The present Diocesan Youth Coordinator is Miss Joan Charles who has been organizing an annual Diocesan Camp and Conference rotated in the three archdeaconries.

Guides and Scouts: Several churches have been able to maintain Scout and Guide troops, and indeed many of the Guides, Brownies, Scouts and Cubs are also members of the Sunday Schools and the Anglican Youth Movement.

Training

Clergy: Our clergy are trained in a three year program at Codrington Theological College in Barbados in collaboration with the University of the West Indies.

Information taken from http://www.dioceseofalgoma.com/Diocesan%20News%20Archive/windward.htm and was updated