FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Noting that more than 176 churches across the five parishes most devastated by Hurricane Melissa have already applied for assistance, Local Government and Community Development Minister Desmond McKenzie says Government will not walk back its controversial decision to allocate $75 million to assist places of worship affected by the Category 5 storm.

The move had received strong opposition from some quarters, including within the ruling Jamaica Labour Party, with outspoken St Catherine South Western Member of Parliament Everald Warmington being unrelenting in his insistence that the plan is unwise.

“This is not something that the Government is going to back away from… because we are seeing the benefit of it,” McKenzie said Thursday during an outreach, in Trelawny, by Kingston’s Transform Life Church.

“I know a lot of people are knocking it; but let me say this… the church is the community, because there are a lot of persons who rely heavily on the churches,” the minister said.

“We’re not going to be building back churches, because we can’t. But we have provided some funding for churches to clean up, and if there’s any minor things that can be done, that that can be done also,” he added.

That would cover events, like the one hosted Thursday on the grounds of Elleston Wakeland Centre, the temporary location for residents of Trelawny Infirmary. Church members provided counselling to infirmary staff and distributed care packages.

Providing a breakdown of the 176 applications from churches, Social Development Commission (SDC) Executive Director Omar Frith said 46 were from Westmoreland; 41 from St James, 40 from St Elizabeth, 30 from Trelawny; and 19 from Hanover. He said SDC teams will begin verification exercises immediately before approved applications are forwarded to the ministry for funding allocations.

“We’re happy to report that 176 churches have applied so far, and we will begin the processing in those five devastating parishes,” Frith said.

McKenzie underscored the social and emotional role played by faith-based groups, recalling a recent visit to Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth.

“I spoke with a lady and, mentally and emotionally, she wasn’t stable. She said, ‘Mr Desmond, I need somebody to talk to.’ … It’s good sometimes, when it’s not the politicians that talks to them, because they will tell you that politician mouth sweet, and politicians will tell you the things that you want to hear, which might not be so,” he quipped.

“But Government alone can’t do it,” McKenzie continued.

He lauded the efforts of Transform Life Church, which is located next to the Local Government and Community Development ministry headquarters on Hagley Park Road in Kingston.

“This church that is here today, Transform Life, they occupy the same compound as we do, but there’s a fence that separates us. And they have been good to us… I want to say to you how grateful I am. On behalf of the Ministry of Local Government and the Government. I want to thank you for the work that you have been doing, the things that you are doing,” said McKenzie.