Religious and faith-based task force formed to support hurricane relief

A National Religious and Faith-Based Hurricane Task Force has been established to identify the needs of religious organisations and their members, and to coordinate relief efforts across more than 775 communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange announced the formation of the task force following a meeting with the religious faith-based representatives at her ministry on Tuesday.

The task force will be coordinated by Bishop Dr Herro Blair, president and founder of the Deliverance Evangelistic Association, in collaboration with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).

Grange said the initiative will include representatives from the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches (JUGC), Revival Churches, Mansions of Rastafari, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and the United Congregation of Israelites.

The JUGC comprises seven umbrella groups: The Jamaica Council of Churches, Jamaica Association of Full Gospel Churches, Jamaica Pentecostal Union (Apostolic), Independent Churches of Jamaica, Jamaica Evangelical Alliance, Jamaica Union of Seventh-day Adventists, and the Church of God in Jamaica.

“The task force has started to streamline and coordinate requests for support and assistance from individuals and groups, primarily in the five parishes severely affected by Hurricane Melissa — St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St Ann and St James,” Grange said.

These requests will be aligned with the distribution systems and protocols of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and ODPEM, Grange noted.

Relief requests from religious and faith-based organisations will be channelled through the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport for submission to ODPEM.

Grange also announced that National Days of Prayer will be observed on Saturday, November 15, and Sunday, November 16, 2025. An ‘Hour of Lament’ will be held during both days, to mourn lives lost and acknowledge the widespread devastation and suffering caused by the storm.

The ministry, through the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, will also coordinate fundraising initiatives, including the I Love Jamaica Telethon and Concert series, which will feature a gospel concert.