Gilbert was ‘chicken feed’ to Melissa, says Pastor Glen Samuels

The Black River Adventist Church, located in the capital of St Elizabeth, stands roofless and flooded after Hurricane Melissa tore through the area on October 28, damaging trees and property across one of the hardest-hit regions in western Jamaica.

The scale of destruction left behind by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica “cannot be captured by the English word ‘disaster’,” said Pastor Glen Samuels, president of the West Jamaica Conference, as he surveyed the wreckage across the island’s western parishes five days after the monster storm struck.

“I’ve been through Gilbert,” he said, referring to the 1988 hurricane etched in Jamaicans’ memory for its widespread destruction, “but Gilbert was chicken feed compared to this.”

The Category 5 Hurricane Melissa flattened homes, decimated infrastructure, and cut off entire communities from power and communication. Among the devastation, church officials have confirmed the deaths of five Seventh-day Adventist members in the island’s western region.

Adventist leaders from across Jamaica and the Inter-American Division (IAD) visited the hardest-hit areas on November 2 to view the damage, stand in solidarity with affected members, and encourage relief efforts providing food, water, and spiritual care to thousands of displaced residents. Local church leaders continue working to locate members in the devastated parish of St Elizabeth, where many remain without power or running water.

Pastor Everett Brown, president of the Jamaica Union, described the first phase of the church’s relief strategy as an all-hands-on-deck mobilisation to meet urgent needs. “This is one of the most heart-wrenching crises we’ve faced,” he said. “We’ve never seen anything of this magnitude in our generation.

“The greatest needs right now are food, water, and basic shelter. Before the hurricane, we pre-positioned $500,000 worth of food across the five conferences, and since then, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the union have been distributing supplies.”

He noted that more than 150 Adventist churches sustained significant damage across the island, particularly in St Elizabeth, St Mary, and Westmoreland. Nearly 200,000 members have been affected – out of the more than 340,000 Seventh-day Adventists in Jamaica.

“We are planning a massive food and water distribution this week,” he said. “Many people are hungry, sleeping on wet mattresses, and have nowhere else to go.”

In the West Jamaica Conference, Samuels and his team have turned church facilities into storage and distribution centres.

“We’ve ordered roughly US$70,000 worth of food, but that’s barely enough,” he said. “We’re trying to get more supplies while we assess the length of zinc sheets and lumber needed to help members rebuild their roofs.”

To restore communication, the conference is setting up solar-powered charging and data hubs in each parish capital, allowing members and the community to reconnect with families.

“The silence has been devastating,” Samuels said. “We have pastors who still can’t reach their churches. But even in the rubble, people gather to pray.”

Samuels’ pastoral care goes beyond material needs.

“Many are traumatised, questioning how a loving God could allow this,” he shared. “I tell them, ‘God gets blamed for the devil’s dirty work. Yet it is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed. His compassion never fails.”

From the Inter-American Division (IAD) headquarters in Miami, Florida, a delegation led by Pastor Abner De los Santos, IAD president, together with Vice-President Balvin Braham and ADRA Inter-America Director David Poloche, travelled to Jamaica to meet local leaders and witness the devastation firsthand.

“The damage is staggering,” said De los Santos. “At times, it feels as though we’re walking through a war zone. But we’ve prayed with our leaders and members, embraced them, and reminded them that even in tragedy, this is our moment to show practical love.”

CALL TO ACT IN LOVE

De los Santos called on the Adventist community across the IAD to pray for Jamaica and to contribute through ADRA and local church initiatives.

“According to Matthew 24, crises like these – earthquakes, hurricanes, wars – are calls for us to act in love,” he said. “When the love of many grows cold, the faithful must respond with compassion.”

In the days following the storm, Braham, who also chairs the IAD’s Crisis Management Committee, has been tirelessly coordinating the church’s disaster response across Jamaica. He has maintained constant communication with local authorities to secure flight clearances for incoming aid. Working with Adventist World Aviation, he is arranging for a dedicated aircraft to transport supplies and personnel to remote communities, while also collaborating with the North American Division to mobilise skilled volunteers for the rebuilding of churches and homes devastated by Hurricane Melissa.

Despite the loss and logistical challenges, hope remains strong. Brown reported that churches outside the disaster zones have already begun organising food drives, while Adventists abroad– in England, Canada, and North America – are pledging support.

“We have received calls from union presidents across the Inter-American Division, and they have pledged to support the relief efforts,” Brown said.

“The church cannot be silent when our members are in need. We have to be there for them – not just in prayer, but in action.”

As trucks rolled out from the West Jamaica Conference in Montego Bay towards the western parishes, Samuels watched volunteers loading boxes and tarpaulins.

“We can’t replace everything they’ve lost,” he said quietly, “but we can bring light where darkness has settled. And that’s what the church is for.”

Donations for Hurricane Melissa recovery can be made by visiting www.adra.org .