Pray for Grenada

Also known as “Spice Island” for its exports of nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon, the nation of Grenada is located north of Venezuela in the southern Caribbean. Uninhabited when Christopher Columbus landed on its shores in 1498, the French settled Grenada in the 17th century and imported large numbers of African slaves to work sugar plantations. The British took control of the island in the late 18th century, and independence was fully gained in 1974, making Grenada one of the smallest independent nations in the Western Hemisphere.

In October of 1983, Grenada was overtaken by a Marxist military council, and six days later it was invaded by US forces, who captured the rebel military leaders. Free elections have occurred since, and Grenada has functioned as a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth of Nations. Grenada is located in the hurricane belt, and in 2004 Hurricane Ivan decimated crops and crippled the spices normally sold for export. The nation has since recovered from the damage but has acquired massive debt from the rebuilding process. Widespread poverty remains an issue, and the nation has a wide diaspora, with as many as double the island’s population living outside the nation.

Over 90% of the nation identifies with Christianity, and half of those are Catholic. Despite this high number, there is a steady moral and family decline in the nation. Almost half of the households are run by women as men travel abroad looking for work. There is a high teenage pregnancy rate, and the culture has increasingly become accepting of sexual promiscuity. There is a lack of missionary vision amidst the local churches, though an Evangelical Alliance has been formed in an attempt at unity. While growth continues in all segments of the church, it has slowed significantly within the last decade. Nonetheless, a number of conservative and mainline denominations are healthy and thriving.|