Presbyterian Church in Trinidad and Tobago

In the mid-19th century there was an influx of East Indian indentured labourers to Trinidad to work in the sugar cane estates. Because of the language barrier, the evangelizing efforts of the existing Christian churches among these people were very marginal. It was not until the arrival of a missionary sent by the Presbyterian Church of the Maritime Provinces of Canada in 1868 that a new dawn of enlightenment for this sector of the population was ushered in. He and another missionary who came two years later became proficient in the Hindi language and started their work among the East Indian immigrants. Their method of operation was evangelism through education. The great contribution made by the church to the development of education in the country is recognized both by the state and the general public. There are 72 Presbyterian primary schools, five Presbyterian secondary schools and one theological college today. In 1960, the church severed its mission status with the United Church in Canada and has since been known as the Presbyterian Church in Trinidad and Tobago. In 2004, the congregation in Tobago was officially recognized by the synod.