101 CHURCHES RECEIVE GRANTS UNDER GOJ’S COMMUNITY CHURCH CLEAN UP AND RESTORATION INITIATIVE
101 churches in St. Elizabeth received more than $17 Million in grants last Friday (April 17), under the Government’s post Hurricane Melissa Community Church Clean-up and Restoration Initiative. This $75 Million initiative was announced by the government last December and over 400 Churches across the Five most affected parishes – St. Elizabeth, Hanover, St. James, Trelawny and Westmoreland – will benefit.
In his Address at the official handing over ceremony, held at the Middle Quarters New Testament Church, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie expressed the importance of recognizing and providing support to churches during their time of need and recalling that the foundation of local government emerged through the church.
“Every parish has a parish church, and the significance of the church in the capital, that was where government started, local government started in the churches so the councillors and those who occupy those roles, were once deeply entrenched in the Christian fellowship and that is why local government is as close as it has been and continue to be when it comes on to working with the churches and the involvement of activities that stirs community involvement,” he said.
“The commitment of the government of Dr Andrew Holness, is to serve all the people of Jamaica when the need arises and the church found themselves in that position,” he continued.
The minister also reflected on the many churches that were damaged during the hurricane and added that despite these adversities, churches were still willing to extend help to residents who were displaced.
“I started to count…the amount of churches that sustained damage, I had to stop count because I couldn’t keep up with some of these churches that were damaged. And aside from some of these churches being damaged, we have churches that have been totally destroyed that will have to be rebuild out of the dust and the ashes… despite the difficulties that the churches have experienced over the period, they have not closed their doors in saving souls and preaching the gospel… they’re not complaining, and the church must be commended because they are experiencing what many other Jamaicans are experiencing… the church caters to the needs of many Jamaicans, the church represents what Jamaica is all about… despite the challenges, the church has responded,” Minister McKenzie stated.
To that end, he also shared that the government is now considering partnering with the churches to avail their facilities to accommodate shelterees in the face of another disaster.
Meanwhile, Hon Delroy Williams, Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development spoke to the impact of the churches on the country’s journey as a democracy citing that most of our nation’s values were built on the churches’ ideologies.
“The church is not just an actor in our society… but what is not often said, is that we owe our very way of life to the church and Christianity. The way we live as Jamaicans, we owe that to the church… I stand here very grateful to the church and the role it has played in making us who we are as a society… our very constitution, we owe to the church, and its principles,” he said.
For his part, Executive Director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Audley Gordon highlighted the importance of providing support to the churches in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa while reflecting on the role of the institutions within the country.
“The church therefore is an integral part of the modern society. In a time when our society has seen the moral decline that it is, we have to embrace the church in its fullness… and for a great percentage of our people that’s where they turn for hope, especially in desperate times. So, the invaluable service that the church has provided is fully embraced by our Minister and the team around him, which is why we’re here this morning, to give that hand of support,” he said.
“For us at the National Solid Waste Management Authority, we have no option but to work with a broad network of people like the church in Jamaica, we want an even better partnership with the church,” Gordon continued.
The remaining 300 churches in the worse affected parishes will receive their grants within the coming weeks.