Pastor Donville Bell calls for church funding in Jamaica disaster planning

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — Pastor Dr Donville Bell, chairman of the Word Power Ministry Board, is urging the Government to financially support church-led social programmes and give congregations a stronger official role in Jamaica’s disaster response system.

Bell made the appeal on Saturday at the 18th Word Power Conference, where he spoke to participants and partner organisations about the work churches continue to do when the country faces emergencies and social strain.

With the Atlantic hurricane season having started on June 1, Bell said churches have repeatedly shown that they are among the institutions people turn to first during difficult periods, but he argued that they are not always treated as priority partners when money and other resources are being distributed.

“The church is one of the first points of contact for struggling families and displaced persons long before they reach a government agency,” Bell stated.

He added: “In moments of crisis, people turn to familiar faces and trusted hands. For many communities, that trusted institution is the church.”

Bell pointed to the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, saying churches were central to relief efforts in communities affected by the system. He said congregations in damaged areas accepted people as emergency shelter occupants, handed out care packages, served meals, and gave emotional and spiritual support to families dealing with loss and trauma.

“When residents were displaced by Hurricane Melissa, the church did not hesitate. We partnered informally with state agencies and community groups, but too often churches are expected to carry out these acts of compassion without the financial support or resources necessary to sustain such efforts,” he underscored.

The senior clergyman said faith-based groups have already proved their value as social partners in areas including poverty response, violence prevention, youth misconduct, family breakdown, and disaster relief. Even so, he said churches are frequently left out of formal financing arrangements and national preparedness structures, despite the level of dependence placed on them in times of crisis.

“The government regularly calls upon churches to support social initiatives and community programs. Yet many churches are expected to carry out this work with limited or, in some cases, no resources at all. While we are honoured to serve our communities, even the most conservative among us recognises that it takes cash to care. This work becomes even more challenging as we face rising utility costs while also providing ongoing assistance to families and members struggling with the same cost-of-living pressures. We must disrupt the inequitable practices that allocate the lion’s share of social assistance to other local development partners and instead, ensure that churches are adequately resourced to continue serving on the front line of community care,” he said.

Bell is calling on policymakers to place churches directly inside Jamaica’s hurricane readiness and disaster management planning, as forecasts point to the possibility of another busy hurricane season.

Bell continued: “We work with the Municipal Corporations and the Social Development Commission, but we now need our own seat at the table every time the country is planning for natural disasters like hurricanes. Incorporating us into the hurricane preparedness plans from the outset will strengthen community resilience and response while deepening social support systems in vulnerable neighborhoods year-round. Let’s start doing that now.”