Over 114 abandoned sugar mills dot the landscape of the Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda, reminders of an era when sugar served as the mainstay of the islands’ economies. This former British colony received independence in 1981 and remains part of the Commonwealth of Nations. While slavery was abolished in 1834, the islands continue in their long history of social stratification based on race, with the majority Afro-Antiguans and Barbudans on bottom.The Antiguan and Barbudan economy revolves around tourism, which comprises 60% of GDP and 40% of investment. The financial sector is another important area of the economy, and the nation has received charges of both money laundering and international drug trafficking. The government was successful in significantly reducing its public debt during the years 2010 to 2012, yet with the global recession, the collapse of the largest private sector employer, and a steep decline in tourism, the economy was left in a poor state.

The great majority of the population is Christian, yet these numbers are slowly shrinking, with a small ethno-religious segment present and growing. During most of the nation’s history, the churches served as colonial institutions with strong ties to England; since independence, though, the Church has experienced significant “creolization,” such as adopting local music traditions. Many Christians on the islands have become complacent in the face of serious moral and spiritual challenges, and there is great need for renewal and more extensive engagement with their society. Groups of Christian students from around the islands were separated and isolated from one another for long periods of time, but shared activities in recent decades have brought the groups together and shown them they are part of a bigger plan.