Untitled - Memorial University of Newfoundland

tha t t he churches and schools a nd halls operated by
them were usu al ly the most impressive culturrl
l a nd ma r k s and pUblic bu ild i n g s in t he community .
Pre-twentieth century Newfoundland histor y was marked by
strong prejUdices emo nq the major religious denominations
mak ing up the p o pu l a t i on . Paul O'Neill, i n t r a c i ng the
h i s t ory of four st. John's denominations- -the Roman catholic,
Anglican, Methodist a nd Presbyterian Churches- -described a
" f as c i na t i ng and contradictory tale of bigotry a nd c o- oper­
67
ation • . . 11, 2 Not only i n the c ap ital city , but t hrL"lg hout the
i s l an d, the d e nomi nat i ons d isplayed strained relations as each
gained i n influence. 1
The comments of Dav id G. Alaxander-­
"the horr or s of denominationalism,," --and Peter Neary--"fierc e
sectarian r i v alri e s" S- - a t t e s t the significance for good or ill
of religion in Newfoundland society. A brief discussion of
Newfoundland's religious landscape is integral to an under­
standing o f t he int r od uct i o n of the Pentecosta l movement to
the island .
Newfound land's population i s des c e nded l a r ge l y from
people f r om Ireland and from t he West co untry of England,
par t i cularly t he counties of Cornwall, Devon , Somerset a nd
Dorset . 6 At t racted by the Newround j e nd fishery as a soluticn
t o poo r e con omi c conditions at home, they emigrated i n t he
l ate eighteenth and the early nineteenth ce nturies . The tw o
founding gr oups b rought with them t heir religious legacy. s .
J . R. No e l expl a i ned:
• . •t he Iri sh brought with them a national herit a ge
of pove r t y , Roman Catholic ism, and h atr ed of t heir