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Marshall Island -
(Ocenania)
(Print)
Information about Marshall Island
Capital |
Majuro Atoll |
Area |
181 square kilometres |
Population |
60000 |
Religions |
Christian (mostly Protestant) |
Christian (%) |
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Protestant (%) |
79.00 |
Reformed (%) |
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The Marshall Islands are located in the North Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and Papua New Guinea. They are constituted by two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewitok are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as an American missile test range. Agriculture and tourism are the mainstays of the economy.
Missionaries of the Boston-based ABCFM first came to the Marshall Islands in 1857-1858. The atolls of the Marshalls were part of a wider field of the ABCFM — the Micronesian Mission (cf. Federated States of Micronesia). Some early missionaries were Hawaiians. The work of the American Board was delegated to the Hawaiian Church’s Board of Missions from 1865 onward. American and Hawai-ian ABCFM missionaries worked in close partnership with Hawaiian Islanders, whose style of mission was to plant churches on all the northern atolls with the help of local converts along Congreg lines; the office of deacon became a means of localized administration and spiritual oversight at an early stage. Close relationships emerged with the Congreg church, later to become the Congreg Christian Churches in the USA. When the latter merged with the Evangelical and Ref Church to form the United Church of Christ (cf. United States no. 43), the ABCFM was transformed into the United Church Board of World Ministries. The new board continued relations, from Boston and New York and through the Hawaiian Board, with the church in the Marshall Islands.
After World War II developments all over Micronesia led to independence of the present self-governing church, with headquarters in Uliga, Majuro, adjacent to the national capital of the Marshall Islands. The church is a member body of the United Church of Christ in Micronesia, which also has member churches in the states of Kosrae and Pohnpei within the Federated States of Micronesia.
Churches
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