RUNAWAY BAY, St Ann — Members’ growing reluctance to take on the duties and the migration of experienced men and women of the cloth are among the reasons for the New Testament Church of God in Jamaica currently grappling with a shortage of pastors.

“We’re seeing fewer men and women responding to the call for pastoral duties. The pastorate is becoming increasingly unattractive and, to add to that, migration continues to pull away some of our promising and well-trained ministers. Many of them have relocated to the United States and some are now serving,” said Administrative Bishop of the New Testament Church of God in Jamaica, Bishop Dr Roy L Notice.

He was speaking during Wednesday’s joint summit of Jamaican and United Kingdom (UK) church leaders in Runaway Bay, St Ann to celebrate the New Testament Church of God’s 100 years of existence in Jamaica.

The scarcity of pastors, Notice said, is putting a strain on those who have chosen to take on the role despite the challenges.

“This burden on some of our pastors continues to weigh them down and even though they faithfully serve, many of them continue to be under pressure. So they take full-time jobs to support their families,” said Notice.

“We will not let these things discourage us, but rather to challenge and awaken us. These are not setbacks, I call them invitation for the church to innovate, reimagine and re-anchor ourselves,” he added.

Notice said there is already a plan to bolster their numbers.

“We are not defeated, but rather a rising and growing church. There are some commitments that we will be making: we are going to ensure that there are frequent and structured Bible studies in our churches as we encourage the church to dig deep in the word of God,” he said.

“We will continue to focus on our monthly passion prayers; prayer ministries are being strengthened in each local church and we are also focusing on leadership development,” Notice added.

According to Notice, these projects are aimed at improving and strengthening the church and attracting more young people into the flock.

The 100th anniversary is being celebrated May 12-19, a symbolic reunion of the New Testament Church of God, England, Wales and New Testament church members in Jamaica.

According to administrative bishop of the New Testament Church of God in England and Wales Claion Grandison, their visit to mark such a historic milestone is rooted in the Jamaican branch’s contribution to the church’s existence.

“The story of the New Testament Church of God in England and Wales cannot be told without Jamaica. The men and women who journeyed from this island brought with them more than luggage; they carried a vibrant Pentecostal faith and a love for God and vision that would birth a movement in the UK,” he said.

Over the next few days there will be services, meetings and gatherings between the two groups. They will also participate in and support projects that align with the vision of the church. Activities will focus on Yadel Girls’ Home, Cedar Grove Academy, Claremont New Testament Church and Bethel Bible College of the Caribbean. They are among several significant local institutions the New Testament Church of God has established and operates in Jamaica. They are all based on the church’s principles and are vehicles to promote its beliefs.