Educator Hyacinth Bennett yesterday chastised the group of Christians who have volunteered to clean up Kingston and sections of western Jamaica in time for the ICC Cricket World Cup, calling them hypocrites and Pharisees who have brought disgrace and dishonour to the name of Jesus Christ.

“I understand that today some 10,000 Christians across Jamaica are supposed to be cleaning up the garbage. Now, nothing is wrong with cleaning up garbage, but we have to stop the kind of practice in this country where when visitors are coming we take out the best plate and the best knife and the best fork and the best bed linen. We must take it out for us, for our children,” Bennett said at a youth forum on crime held at the Light House Assembly church in Spanish Town.

“I am ashamed of the church. To be cleaning up today when for years and for decades this country is filthy and dirty. Where were they? I call them hypocrites. I call them Pharisees,” she said.

Under the umbrella group HOPE 2007, the Christians, who represent several denominations, have partnered with the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation to beautify the capital before the start of the World Cup in March. At the media launch earlier this month, chairman of the group, Errol Rattray, said the church had the available manpower to offer to help with painting, garbage removal and other beautification tasks in areas such as those surrounding the Ward Theatre, St William Grant Park, sections of Harbour, Barry, Church and King streets, all in downtown Kingston, as well as Mandela Park in Half-Way-Tree.

Rattray also said the group would clean up sections of St Catherine and Falmouth.

The intention, he said, was not only to make the country presentable to visitors, but to use the event as an opportunity to minister the gospel in the hope of winning souls for Christ.

But yesterday, Bennett, who is herself a professed Christian, remained resolute that efforts to clean up the country could have been made long before now.

“Of course we want our country to be cleaned up, but what about the dirt that has been in the inner-city for months? What about the mess in Spanish Town? Where were they before World Cup was coming?” she asked.

The former leader of the National Democratic Movement also had strong criticisms about the financing of Cricket World Cup, claiming that the Government was neglecting the needs of people and that the church was covering up the Government’s corruption, injustices and lack of accountability.

“I’m going to tell you some things that I’m not in agreement with in this country,” she said. “When poor people can’t get medication in the hospitals, when there are not enough beds, when the roads are not fixed, the youth can get no employment, and over $8 billion is being used to throw on World Cup? Something is wrong. We must speak out as Christians, no matter who is involved,” Bennett said, telling the congregation that God spoke to her heart.

“Where is the voice of the people of God when monies, scarce resources are being thrown at World Cup Cricket? Over $8 billion? When there’s so much poverty? When poor people go to hospitals and can’t afford to pay the entry fee and some of them die and can’t get surgery? And church people close their mouths?…

Why is the church so silent on so many things and going out today with machetes and hoes and rakes claiming they’re cleaning up?” Bennett asked the congregation which was obviously stunned into silence by her passion.

She defined the church as not just a building with physical infrastructure but as a group of “blood bought, born again” individuals and lamented what she said was the failure of the church in putting a harness on crime. In fact, she said one of the main causes for the perpetuation of crime in the country had to do with the church not fulfilling its role in society.

“It’s important that we understand what are some of the root causes of crime in our country,” said Bennett, who was asked to speak on the role of the church in response to crime and violence.

“We’re not short of a list. Many persons have talked about the ineffective policy against crime, they have talked about poverty, they claim that it is lack of education, they feel it is because families have broken down… but as we look at the profile of those root causes, I want to declare that underneath that all is a more serious reason which has to do with the failure of the church. The failure of those of us who call ourselves Christians. We have failed in many, many ways,” she said.

According to Bennett, Christians have failed to be consistent in speaking out about immorality, to portray the true character of Jesus, to integrate into their daily lives what they declare to be their beliefs about God, to organise and lead a successful band of warriors against crime and violence.

After the forum, pastor of the Assembly, Rev Rowan Edwards, told the Sunday Observer that he agreed with Bennett’s comments about crime and the church.

“The church is a watchdog, and until we let our voices be heard, criminals are going to continue to walk in and kill us,” he said.