SCORES of members of different churches in Jamaica, as well as Jamaicans not aligned to any particular faith, bowed their heads in prayer in Half-Way-Tree Square, St Andrew, Sunday evening, appealing to God for, among other things, the country to experience a safe general election on Wednesday.

The mass rally event, dubbed ‘Jamaica Pray 2025’, was organised by the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches and the 10,000 Men and Families Movement.

Bishop Dr Alvin Bailey, project co-ordinator for the event, welcomed church members from across the island praying under the theme,

‘The Revival Begins – A Nation Returning to God’. Representatives from both the Jamaica Labour Party and the People’s National Party were invited.

Bishop Dr Rowan Edwards, chairman of the 10,000 Men and Families Movement, said there was a need to go to God in prayer, asking Him to select the right leader for Jamaica.

“We want God to select the right leader because we want in the next five years, for Jamaica to continue to prosper. We want Jamaica to continue to be known as a nation that is being transformed,“ Edwards said.

”We are hoping and praying that the people go out and vote. It is suggested that it’s [a small percentage] of the nation that selects the government…and we are a democratic nation and for [this small percentage] of people to be selecting a government it is not right. We want more people to go out and vote. The Christians must participate in this. They must go out and vote because we want the voter turnout to be much better,” Edwards told the Jamaica Observer.

In the 2020 General Elections, the overall voter turnout was approximately 37.85 per cent, compared to 48.37 per cent in the 2016 General Election.

St Andrew resident Donna Henry was determined not to miss the praise and worship event which was open to the public, but was nowhere near as well attended as the political rallies which have been held in recent times.

“I believe it is really an opportunity in regards to the fact that we will be having our election shortly. It is God that lifts up and takes down. There is a word that says the heart of a king is in the Lord’s hand. Whoever is elected, I do believe that what is important is that they put God first and then I think everything else will be solved,” Henry said.

“I am here today because I believe prayer changes things,“ she added. “As we stand as Christians supporting Jamaica in prayer, I believe Jamaica can change. The reality is that we can have strategies and plans, but if we don’t have prayer where everybody comes in unity, then you can see where we are going as a nation.“

Commenting on the size of the crowd, Henry said if it was a political rally the crowd would be bigger, but said it was still a good start.

Chairman of the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches Bishop Dr Michael Smith told the gathering that the staging of Jamaica Pray had been in the pipeline since the start of the year, making the point that it must be divine providence that caused it to fall in the election season.

“This is not a political thing, so get that out of your head. We at the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches did not plan this to coincide with the general election. We want to believe that it is by divine providence that God has ordered the Church to be here on the Sunday before the Wednesday. We give God thanks for having this platform where we can pray.

“We pray over many persons and things as it affects our nation. This is a national call to prayer. All of us are called to pray. We pray for our nation – the teachers, the members of civil society, we will be praying for the Government and those persons who will be running for a seat in the Parliament. We pray over them. We pray over our prime minister and leader of the Opposition.”

A churchgoer prays at Jamaica Pray 2025, a mass prayer rally with church members from across the island, in Half-Way-Tree, St Andrew last evening. Held under the theme, “The Revival Begins – A Nation Returning to God”, the rally invited members of the leadership of both the Jamaica Labour Party and the People’s National Party to pray for peace and revival in the nation, three days before the country goes to the polls. (Joseph Wellington)

Women kneel to pray at Jamaica Pray 2025, a mass prayer rally with church members from across the island, in Half-Way-Tree, St Andrew last evening. Held under the theme, “The Revival Begins – A Nation Returning to God”, the rally invited members of the leadership of both the Jamaica Labour Party and the People’s National Party to pray for peace and revival in the nation, three days before the country goes to the polls. (Joseph Wellington)

Churchgoers petition the Almighty at Jamaica Pray 2025, a mass prayer rally in Half-Way-Tree, St Andrew last evening. Held under the theme, “The Revival Begins – A Nation Returning to God”, the rally of church members from across the island invited members of the leadership of both the Jamaica Labour Party and the People’s National Party to pray for peace and revival three days before the country goes to the polls. (Joseph Wellington)