Antigua

   Antigua is a small island country in the Caribbean. The majority of the inhabitants are descendants of Africans brought to work sugar plantations.

   The British brought the Church of England with them at the end of the 17th century, after the French abandoned the island. Both Moravians and Methodists arrived in the middle of the 17th century. These three churches remain the three largest Protestant groups on the island, although the 22,000-member Anglican Church is by far the largest. Among groups that arrived in the 20th century are the Wesleyan Church (an American Holiness body) and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Though split among several groups, Pen-tecostalism has gained a significant foothold.

   Two ecumenical organizations have arisen. The Anglican, Methodist, and Moravian churches and the Salvation Army have formed the Antigua Christian Council, associated with the World Council of Churches. More conservative groups have formed the United Evangelical Association associated with the World Evangelical Alliance.

   See also Caribbean.

   Further reading:

   ■ David Barrett, The Encyclopedia of World Christianity, 2nd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001)

   ■ Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk, Operation World, 21st Century Edition (Carlisle, Cumbria, U.K.: Paternoster, 2001).