ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — Colonel General Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Daniel Pryce, has called on members of the clergy to join the security forces in the fight against crime by injecting spiritual intervention.

He noted that “different lines of effort” are needed to deal with the challenges facing Montego Bay and Jamaica in general, and the church has a major role to play.

“I am going to encourage all of us to get in the fight. I am going to do what I can do in the natural, but I need for you to do your part in the spiritual,” he said.

“(We) must have different lines of operations to deal with the myriad of problems that we are coming up against… synergise your efforts and concentrate your spiritual power at the critical point to create the effect that we need. That is our challenge. That has to be done,” he added. Colonel Pryce was delivering the main address at the Supernatural Encounter Jamaica (SEJ) Prayer Breakfast at the Wexford Hotel in Montego Bay on Monday.

SEJ, scheduled to be held in the Second City from April 20 to 21, is being organised by Trumpet Call Ministries.

Event coordinator, Reverend Mary Wildish, informed that hundreds of pastors, as well as people from 15 countries, including India, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean and the African continent, have already booked their trips to Jamaica for the event.

She said it is expected that 20,000 people from Jamaica and overseas will be in attendance.

Reverend Wildish said SEJ is a response to calls by the Government for the church to intervene and assist in dealing with the problems facing the country.

She noted that the event is a clarion call to action and urged the churches to unite and set aside all denominational differences for the redemption of Montego Bay.

“I invite each of you as pastors, leaders, Government, the JDF, the police force; let us come together… . I want to thank God for our Government, I want to thank God for the security forces that have come,” she said.

Mayor of Montego Bay, Homer Davis, in his remarks at the prayer breakfast, said the Municipal Corporation is pleased with the support to restore peace to Montego Bay.

Noting that homicides are down 65.9 per cent over last year, he said the local authority is committed to doing its part to “take back our public spaces in Montego Bay”.

“I am asking that we join hands and hearts together, and the St James Municipal Corporation will be a part of the Supernatural Encounter. We will give it our support; we will give it our endorsement,” he added.

Supernatural Encounter Jamaica will begin at 1:00 pm on Friday, April 20 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, and activities will go up to 7:00 pm.

It will reconvene at Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and move to the Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre for a Miracle Crusade at 6:00 pm.

The crusade will be held by Apostle Guillermo Maldonado, and will include performances by Jamaican gospel artistes Papa San and Jermaine Edwards.