Dennis Blake | Why Jamaica’s churches must move from pews to policy

For generations, the Church has been one of Jamaica’s most trusted institutions. In communities where schools struggled, families fractured, and governments changed, the Church remained – steady, visible, and influential.

Yet today, as Jamaica confronts rising violence, youth disengagement, and a deepening moral fatigue, the question is no longer whether faith matters but whether the Church is fully using its influence where it matters most.

Jamaica suffers from a lack of coordinated moral leadership translated into sustained social action.

On any given Saturday and Sunday, churches across the island are filled with worshippers. But outside those walls, too many young people – particularly boys – are growing up without guidance, structure, or a compelling vision for their future. Faith has remained strong in proclamation but inconsistent in practice when it comes to long-term community transformation.

This is not a call for the Church to replace government or to become political in the partisan sense but to recognise its unique position as a trusted, grass-roots institution capable of shaping character, cultivating leadership, and preventing the very social crises the nation later pays to manage.

Jamaica’s crime problem, for example, is often discussed in terms of policing and punishment. Far less attention is paid to prevention rooted in values, mentorship, and early intervention — areas where churches already have infrastructure, relationships, and credibility. Violence does not emerge overnight. It grows where discipline, identity, and hope are absent. These are not issues the State alone can solve.

Churches sit at the centre of communities. Yet too often, their engagement with youth is limited to Saturday and Sunday services, occasional retreats, or short-term outreach. What is missing is a deliberate, measurable strategy to develop character and leadership over time.

This means structured mentorship programmes for boys and young men, leadership pipelines for teens, fatherhood initiatives, and life-skills training that prepares youth for real-world responsibility. It also means partnering with schools, community groups, and even collaborating with government agencies, and holding ourselves accountable for outcomes.

LIVING THEM OUT

Importantly, this shift does not require abandoning theology or spiritual conviction. In fact, it demands living them out more fully. Scripture consistently links faith with action – belief with responsibility. A gospel that transforms hearts should also transform communities.

Some churches are already doing this work quietly and effectively. But Jamaica cannot rely on isolated success stories. What is needed is a national reimagining of the Church’s role in social development – one that sees faith institutions not only as places of worship but as incubators of leadership, discipline, and purpose.

The cost of inaction is high. When young people lack guidance, the State bears the burden later through increased spending on security, incarceration, and social services. Prevention, especially when rooted in community and values, is not only more humane – it is more economical.

Jamaica stands at a crossroad. We can continue responding to crises after they erupt, or we can invest intentionally in shaping the character of the next generation. The Church cannot do everything, but it can do what few others can: influence hearts early, consistently, and locally.

Faith still matters in Jamaica. The question is whether it will remain confined to the pews — or step boldly into the work of shaping the nation’s future.

If Jamaica is serious about reducing crime, improving youth outcomes, and strengthening communities, national leaders must broaden their understanding of prevention. Law enforcement is necessary, but it is not sufficient. Prevention begins long before a police report is written.

FORMALLY RECOGNISE

The Government should formally recognise churches and other faith-based institutions as development partners. This requires deliberate policy action:

• A coordinated, cross-sector framework – linking schools, churches, community groups, and youth agencies – focused on mentorship, leadership development, discipline, and life skills from early adolescence through young adulthood.

• Billions are spent annually responding to crime through policing, courts, and incarceration. Redirecting even a modest percentage towards structured mentorship, male development, and family-strengthening initiatives would reduce long-term costs and social harm.

• Create transparent guidelines that allow churches to deliver non-partisan mentorship, leadership training, and values-based development programmes with public support while respecting constitutional boundaries and institutional independence.

• Publicly supported social programmes should be evaluated based on outcomes such as school retention, literacy improvement, workforce readiness, reduced recidivism, and improved family stability.

Leadership is not only about responding to crises. It is about investing early enough to prevent them.

The urgency of this call is grounded in Jamaica’s reality:

• Official crime data consistently show that young men – particularly those under 35 - are disproportionately represented as both victims and perpetrators of violent crime. This underscores the need for early intervention, mentorship, and positive models of manhood.

• National education reports continue to highlight that boys lag behind girls in literacy achievement, school engagement, and completion rates – an early warning sign that often precedes later social and economic challenges.

• Jamaica has one of the highest rates of religious affiliation in the Caribbean, with churches present in nearly every community, including those most affected by violence and poverty. Few institutions have comparable access, trust, or continuity.

• Regional and national studies have repeatedly shown that crime and violence consume a significant share of the economic output through security spending, lost productivity, healthcare, and social services — resources that could be partially redirected towards prevention.

Jamaica already has the infrastructure, relationships, and moral capital needed to intervene earlier. What is missing is alignment, coordination, and sustained policy support.

When national leaders treat character development as a matter of public interest - and when churches embrace long-term social responsibility as an expression of faith - Jamaica moves from reacting to crises to shaping futures.

Dennis Blake is a two-time Olympian, bronze medallist, leadership development coach and the co-founder of The Mentoring Thru Sports Professionals. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com