Chair's Briefing Notes · Movement 3 · Afrikan Spirituality
Freedom to practice: The state of affairs
Chaired by Bishop Roger Bryan, Barbadian Bishop of Ezekiel King of Kings Spiritual Baptist Deliverance Ministries
Topic Summary
This session surveys the current legal, social, and political landscape for the practice of African and Caribbean traditional spirituality. Presenters will address ongoing struggles for religious freedom and recognition, the legacy of colonial-era prohibitions, and the path toward full acceptance and protection of these traditions.
Speakers (alphabetical)
Bishop Roger Bryan
Chair
Barbadian Bishop of Ezekiel King of Kings Spiritual Baptist Deliverance Ministries
Christina Smith
Presenter
Barbadian Filmmaker, Writer & Former Journalist
Christina Katrina Smith is a former journalist, writer and film director. She stepped out of the newsroom and into documentary filmmaking after relocating from Barbados to St Vincent and the Grenadines as she was inspired by the wealth of stories 'The Land of the Blessed' holds. It was in SVG that she got her start as a documentary researcher and screenwriter.
Rev. Dr. Hazel-Ann Gibbs De Peza
Presenter
Trinidadian Spiritual Baptist Minister, Principal of the Herman Parris Spiritual Baptist Southland School of Theology & Former Assistant Professor, University of Trinidad and Tobago
Rev. Dr. Hazel-Ann Gibbs De Peza, known in the Baptist community as "Teacher Hazel," is a Spiritual Baptist Minister, educator, and scholar from Trinidad and Tobago.
Centre for Hybrid Studies · Global Freedom Festival 2026