GRANGE HILL, Westmoreland — The inclement weather did not deter scores of Seventh-day Adventists from across western Jamaica from converging on the Grange Hill community recently.

The community impact programme was organised following the upsurge of violence in Grange Hill and surrounding communities, which left seven people dead, including two children, and another 10 people wounded.

Members of the Fullersfield, Grange Hill, and Word of Hope churches prayed and counselled affected individuals.

In the afternoon, members gathered for a rally at the Marcus White Transport Centre, at Morgan’s Bridge, in Grange Hill. They were accompanied by the West Jamaica Conference Marching Band, Westmoreland chapter, complemented by the Sandy Bay Church Marching Band from the neighbouring parish of Hanover.

Emphasising the importance of stable families to society, stewardship & trust services director at WJC, Pastor Charles T Brevitt, quoted the words of the Heptones 1976 single Book of Rules as he delivered the keynote address.

“We have lost our way, we have lost the book of rules; parents are no longer in charge of their children, parents are no longer in charge of the home,” he said. “We want men whose brains control their impulses, we want fathers and mothers to take charge of the home, making family a priority.”

One of the organisers of the programme, pastor of the Grange Hill district of churches, Delgado Black, lamented that residents have been leaving the community out of fear.

“It is heart -rending. When I visited the families and areas affected and saw what was happening, it drove me to call for this activity. As I prayed with and counselled individuals affected, I am convinced that we need divine intervention,” Black said.

He committed to continuing to support the community so that a crime-free Grange Hill can become a reality.

Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Western Dr Wykeham McNeill, who was also present at the rally, expressed gratitude for the support of the Seventh-day Adventists.

“What we want to do is to take this as a watershed moment. This problem we have here in Grange Hill could happen anywhere in Jamaica, and so we need to work together to build stronger communities, to build more cohesiveness, and a stronger country,” McNeill stated.

Youth ministries director for the West Jamaica Conference, Pastor Vincent Rose, noted that the intervention is very personal for him as he hails from Grange Hill.

“From all indication, the youth are some of the main perpetrators of crime in our country. As a church, we have some facilities that we must make available to the community in order to help with the short-term and long-term solutions,” said Rose.