DAYS after he signalled that his Administration will not endorse alternative gender identities Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has embraced the vital role of the church in shaping values, providing guidance and strengthening the country’s social fabric.

Making his contribution to the 2026/27 Budget Debate last Thursday, Holness told the House of Representatives that his Government will not budge on some positions.

“When it comes to our values, there are things that define us as Jamaicans that we not going to change on those. A man is a man and a woman is a woman. We are not going to change on that,” Holness said, sparking criticisms from some homosexual rights groups.

On Sunday Holness seemed to double down on his backing for traditional Jamaican values as he delivered greetings at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Deliverance Evangelistic Association at Faith Cathedral Deliverance Centre in the Corporate Area.

“Jamaica’s progress, our growth, our stability, our resilience depends not only on what we build physically but on what we build spiritually and socially. That is why partnerships between the State and faith-based organisations remain so important,” said Holness in a report by the Jamaica Information Service (JIS)

He argued that the values that have traditionally shaped the Jamaican society are under threat.

“Every single day, it is assaulted viciously, sometimes to the point where you say, maybe this is the new norm… [but] it doesn’t have to be that way. While we don’t try to fight progressive change, we have to be so careful that the deterioration of our values doesn’t make us crass,” added Holness.

The prime minister further argued, for example, that violence is being reinforced as acceptable in Jamaica’s society, which is having an impact on the nation’s productivity and the ability to grow as a society and as an economy.

“Our attitude to authority is also having an impact on our economic prospects. The value of earning, working for what you want, that value every day is being destroyed when we show images of people apparently achieving without working,” said Holness.

He contended that it is the church that has the reservoir of moral authority to stand up and speak out on these issues, noting that while Government can provide policy, resources and opportunities, institutions like the church shape hearts, influence behaviour, and sustain the spiritual needs of communities.

“Leaders, like myself, must also enter the conversation, regardless of how we will be attacked for doing it,” Dr Holness said as he argued that the Government must promote important social ethics such as the value of work, respect, resolving conflicts without violence, and a pro-growth ethic.

“The leader of the opposition also spoke to this matter in his Budget presentation, and I have said that I intend to reach out to him to work together to address it because I do fear that what made us great, we are losing that kind of social ethic and we have to stem it… We have to address it,” declared Holness.

He said that as Jamaica embarks on a new phase focused on transforming and rebuilding the society, it is quite clear that without the social ethics to support growth and development, the society will not develop.

According to Holness, national development is not only about infrastructure, economics, or policy, but also about values.

These values, he said, need to be reinforced even in the secular society and in the Government.

He emphasised that the church has an indispensable role to play.

“We must ensure that our development is anchored in values, because development without values is unsustainable, growth without integrity is fragile, and progress without purpose cannot endure. This is where the church must continue to lead, not only in preaching but in example,” the prime minister said.

He argued that for young people, in particular, the influence of institutions like the Deliverance Evangelistic Association is critical.

“In a world increasingly shaped by rapid change, digital influence, and shifting norms, young people need guidance — clear, consistent, grounded in principle. They need spaces where they can be mentored and inspired. They [also] need examples of leadership that demonstrates integrity, perseverance, and faith and they need to know that they have a role to play in the society, not only in the church but in the future of the nation,” Holness said.

— JIS