Gambia
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Population: 1.37 million
Life expectancy male/female: 46/49 years
Infant mortality rate: 9.2‰ |
Religions: Muslim 85%; Animists 8%; Prot.
5%; Cath. 2%
Independence: 18 February (from Great Britain)
GDP per capita: US$ 320 (1995) |
Spiritan presence: 14 professed members - 1 bishop, 13 priests.
The Gambia is a country of about 1.5 million inhabitants. Over
85% of these are Muslims with approximately 4% Christians. Even
though the Christians are in the minority, they have much influence
in the society because of the involvement of the church in the social
institutions such as schools and hospitals. This has helped also
to create generally good relationship between the Christians and
the Muslims.
History
The first Spiritans arrived in Banjul in 1848 and for a long time
the history of the local church was almost synonymous with that
of the District. There is only one Diocese and the Bishop, Michael
Cleary, is a Spiritan. The local church is in a process of transition
as the number of the local clergy and of the local religious increases
and the number of Spiritans decreases. The Spiritans are in the
process of handing positions of responsibility over to the indigenous
local clergy. A lot of the catholic laity also are taking up places
of responsibility both in the church and in the public offices in
the social and political life of the country. A few other religious
congregations and missionary institutes are now present in the Gambia
since the last few years.
Mission engagements
Most of the members are involved in parish work especially in areas
of first evangelisation among some tribes that are not Muslims and
are open to Christianity, e.g. Mandiagos. There has been enormous
growth of small Christian groups in areas where there had been little
or no Christian presence through the promotion of small Christian
communities. Particularly interesting is the famous Christian village
development project in Kunkujang. The District has been traditionally
involved in:
· works of education;
· social and development work, Justice and Peace;
· inter-religious dialogue;
· animation and administration in the local church through
the pastoral centre and the diocesan secretariat.
The Spiritans run the minor seminary for the diocese.
Community life
There is good community spirit and regular community meeting is
promoted. As most of the missions are not self supporting each confrere
receives regular allowance from the Diocese which depends very much
on external aid for its projects and maintenance of its structures.
The future
The District sees its future in closer collaboration with WAF.
It intends to give attention to:
· education;
· promotion of small Christian communities;
· inter religious dialogue;
· gradually hand over most of the positions of responsibility
to the local clergy;
· setting up good home base for the District and WAF.
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