A CHRONOLOGY OF PROTESTANT BEGINNINGS: GUYANA

by Drs. Daryl L. Platt and Clifton L. Holland

(last revised on May 27, 2003)

Historical Overview of Guyana:

Governed by Dutch West India Company: 1621

Territory Ceded to Britain: 1803

Consolidated as British Guiana: 1831

Independence from Britain: 1966

Number of North American agencies in 1989: 24

Number of North American agencies in 1996: 23

Indicates European society*

Significant Protestant Beginnings or Events:

1621 - *Sometime after 1621 the Dutch Reformed Church began work among the white Dutch colonists but did little for the African slaves and Amerindians.

1738 - *The Church of the Moravian Brethren (Germany) arrived in Berbice, then under Dutch rule, and began the evangelization of African slaves on the coast and Amerindians in the interior.

1743 - Dutch Luteran Church established at New Amsterdam in Berbice.

1803 - Britain occupies the former Dutch colonies of Essequibo-Demerara and Berbice (later called British Guyana).

1808 - *The London Missionary Society (Baptist) sends workers to Demerara (later known as British Guyana) and Tobago, and the following year one of them, Thomas Adam, relocated to Trinidad.

1815 - *Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society (England)

1825 - *Church Missionary Society, Anglican Church (England)

1835 - *Christian Missions in Many Lands (Plymouth Brethren in England)

1835 - *Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, Anglican Church

1875 - Evangelical Lutheran Church in US, General Synod

1878 - Moravian Church in North America

1880 - African Methodist Episcopal Church, Missionary Society

1895 - *The Salvation Army (England)

1886 - *London Missionary Society (Baptist)

1896 - Presbyterian Church in Canada, Board of Missions

1899 - National Baptist Convention, Foreign Board

1900 - African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Mission Board (1911)

1906 - Seventh-day Adventist General Conference

1908 - Christian Church Mission Board

1915 - United Lutheran Church in America, Board of Missions

1924 - Wesleyan Church World Missions (1913)

1945 - Christian Catholic Church

1946 - Church of the Nazarene, World Mission Division

1949 - Unevangelized Fields Mission (UFM International, USA and Canada)

1954 - Baptist Mid-Missions

1956 - Church of God of Prophecy Mission

1957 - Assemblies of God Foreign Missions (1953)

1957 - Church of God World Missions (Cleveland, TN)

1959 - Christian Church and Churches of Christ

1958 - Bible Missionary Church

1962 - Southern Baptist Convention, Foreign Mission Board (now, International Mission Board)

1974 - Wycliffe Bible Translators (USA and Canada)

1986 - Pioneers

1988 - Virginia Mennonite Board of Missions

1993 - Baptist Bible Fellowship International

1992 - Canadian Baptist Ministries

1994 - Baptist International Missions

1994 - Walk Thru The Bible Ministries

1995 - Habitat for Humanity International

Date of Origin Unknown:

United Methodist Church

Youth With A Mission (YWAM) (USA and Canada)

NOTES:

(1) Dates listed indicate the earliest recorded ministry or in case of discrepancies, the date most frequently indicated.

(2) North American Agencies include U.S. and Canadian.

SOURCES:

(1) Daryl L. Platt, "Who Represents the Evangelical Churches in Latin America? A Study of the Evangelical Fellowship Organizations." Pasadena, CA: an unpublished Doctor of Missiology Dissertation, School of World Mission, Fuller Theological Seminary, June 1991. Used by permission of the author.

(2) PROLADES (Latin American Socio-religious Studies Program), international headquarters in San José, Costa Rica: www.prolades.com, prolades@racsa.co.cr

(3) Dayton Roberts and John Siewert, editors: Mission Handbook of U.S. and Canadian Christian Ministries Overseas (MARC 1989).

(4) John A. Siewert and Edna G. Valdez, editors: Mission Handbook of U.S. and Canadian Christian Ministries Overseas (MARC 1997).

(5) Jean-Jacques Bauswein and Lukas Vischer, The Reformed Family Worldwide (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999).