THE Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches has assured that last Sunday’s mass gathering in selected centres across the island is just a precursor to what is to come as they press ahead with their “Rebirthing Jamaica Programme”.

The programme is aimed at prompting repentance, renewal, healing and reconciliation in the country and is supported by the six umbrella church groups. The six groups represented are:

* the Jamaica Council of Churches:

* the Jamaica Association of Full Gospel Churches;

* the Jamaica Pentecostal Union;

* the West Indies Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists;

* the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals; and

* the Church of God in Jamaica.

Together they represent approximately 94 per cent of the Christian community in Jamaica.

Despite the heavy rainfall that rocked the island last Sunday, scores of people turned up at the Half-Way-Tree square to pray for a change in the island. Church leaders were in a militant mood as they expressed their dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in Jamaica.

“The church is fed up of the madness in this country; the church is fed up of the corruption in this county; the church is fed up with the bloodshed in this country and it’s time for us to be serious. As a church, we are not going to sit with it, we are going to speak out against it, and we are going to let them (criminals) know that Jamaica must come back to God,” declared President of the Jamaica Association of Full Gospel Churches, Bishop Rohan Edwards to shouts of amen from an equally charged gathering.

Edwards told the Sunday Observer later that although they had made similar calls for change over the years, this programme will see all the churches in the island uniting to solve the problem together.

“We believe that together we can create a society that reflects our true Christian heritage, and advance the cause of truth and righteousness,” he said. “Lying, dishonesty and corruption seems to be the hallmark of our time, and this is happening more so with our public and private sector leaders. As a church, we, too, are at fault, for the very sins which we condemn, often creep within us and within our circles.”

For Christians who met in Half-Way-Tree, the mass gathering presented the opportunity to collectively confess and repent of their sins and those committed by those in authority. Armed with Bibles and umbrellas, amidst warnings of more showers to come, they danced, sang and cried out to God.

“I just want to see a change in the nation,” said Royce West, a member of a Pentecostal church, who tried to dance while balancing his Bible on his head.

He, like so many other, agreed that the change they crave was only possible if Jamaica turned back to God.

“We believe that if many of our problems in this land are going to be solved, they are going to be solved with God’s intervention,” said president of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals, Reverend Peter Garth.

The “Rebirth Jamaica Programme” has been fully endorsed by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, the Leader of the Opposition Portia Simpson Miller and the Governor General Patrick Allen. In a public broadcast, Golding called on the nation to join the church in prayer and repentance as we pause to reflect, “on what we have done wrong and what we must make right”.

“Much of what is wrong in the society is of our own making and own transgression. There are too many ways in which we have lost our way, too many scores we have to settle, too much hatred in our hearts and too many schemes in our minds,” the prime minister said further.

For her part, the Opposition leader commended the church for the initiative, even as she noted that they are best suited to nurture the types of values and attitudes that are desirable for the society.

“I endorse wholeheartedly the opportunity it provides for each of us to take the time to reflect upon the pathways we take as individuals and as a nation. As a people we are called upon to place God in front and at the centre of all that we set out to accomplish,” Simpson Miller said.

Convenor of the Jamaica Umbrella Groups of Churches Reverend Lenworth Anglin said the church plans further dialogue with the leaders of the country to see how best they can help to shape the values and attitudes of the population, and address issues of immorality and crime.

“We are going to continue that for sure, and we are going to be doing that urgently,” he said.

Anglin added that they will also be working with the Inter-School Christian Fellowships in various schools and the Jamaica Youth for Christ to address the issues affecting young people. Meetings are also being planned with both gospel and secular artistes to see how best they can contribute to the positive change that is needed at this time.

Although meetings that were planned for Morant Bay, St Thomas, Mandeville, Manchester, and May Pen had to be called off last Sunday because of the rain, Anglin said he is pleased with how the rebirthing progamme has been going so far.

“To a great extent we had achieved our vision because it was not just intended for the services to be effective. It was unprecedented for us to have national broadcasts from the prime minister, the Opposition leader along with the church, calling the nation to repentance, reconciliation, healing and renewal,” he told the Sunday Observer.

Edwards cap:

Crowd for prayer cap:

Hundreds of Jamaicans turned out to the prayer meeting held in half-Way-Tree, Kingston last Sunday, as part of the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches’ Rebirthing Jamaica Programme.

J’cans in prayer cap:

Jamaicans in prayer in half-Way-Tree last Sunday.

Dancing Christian cap:

A woman dances as she feels the spirit during last Sunday’s prayer meeting in Half-Way-Tree, Kingston.

Screamer woman cap:

A woman shouts for change during last Sunday’s prayer meeting in Kingston which was held as part of the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches’ Rebirthing Jamaica Programme.