Humanitarian projects by Jamaican churches could benefit from international funding after the inauguration of the Caribbean Council for Ethical and Financial Accountability (CCEFA) yesterday, Dec. 4.
Global Trust Partners (GTP) based in the U.S., working with the Jamaica Evangelical Alliance and the Caribbean Evangelical Alliance are jointly launching the initiative at The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.
Speaking to the Jamaica Gleaner, Caribbean Regional Facilitator John Roomes said the agencies hoped to foster public awareness about the CCEFA and objectives for the future.
“CCEFA is being set up as an accreditation entity for churches and their ministries and so they will go through a process of accreditation which, ultimately, they will get approval from the board and then there will be a logo or stamp of approval,” Roomes said, as reported by the Jamaica Gleaner.
“Having this stamp of approval on their website and their letterheads will make it much easier for them to get major donor funding.”
Roomes also told the Gleaner that regulators had indicated their satisfaction with the intention of the CCEFA.
The funding could be particularly needed by churches as Jamaica recovers from the financial stress caused by severe weather events affecting the general population, including believers.
The Planning Institute of Jamaica, in a Performance Review of July—September, 2024, reports a Gross Domestic Product retraction of 2.8% for the period. Real Value Added for the agriculture industry, as an example, contracted by 13.5%, “reflecting the adverse impact from Hurricane Beryl and other hydrological events on agricultural infrastructure, livestock and crops.”
Agricultural crops alone declined by 12.9% with lower production in eight of the nine main crops produced on the island. Traditional export crops also reported a lower output at 15%.
There were also less Cruise passenger arrivals, with 137,987 arriving in September, representing a decline of 22.7% compared to the same period last year, 2023.
Prospects estimated for the October—December period in the report were also negative, “based on the adverse impact of Hurricane Beryl, Tropical Storm Rafael and bouts of heavy rainfall.”
GTP on its website states its intention is to give a “hand up” to national church and ministry workers looking to “build trust and to grow local generous giving to God’s work.”
“In places where trust is broken because of systemic corruption or where people lack education or experience in church or ministry administration, it’s hard to rally participation in God’s work,” says GTP on its website.
“Skilled servants don’t need a hand-out. They need a hand-up! GTP partners with God's servants to turn dependency into discipleship. Our stewardship and peer accountability efforts are helping to build trust and to grow local generous giving for God’s work in many nations.”
Founded in 1979 by the late evangelist Billy Graham, World Vision, and other U.S. church ministries, GTP references Isaiah 58:12 in its work: Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
