Lukewarm support for NJA from church community

SOME churches have opted for a much quieter approach to the election scene and what appears to be lukewarm support for the Jamaica Alliance for National Unity (JANU) or its affiliate the New Jamaica Alliance, (NJA).

Last Thursday, the NJA fielded the latest of its slate of candidates for representation across the island.

But some churches have decried the move towards representational politics as outside the bounds of the church's social role.

"Although we have an all embracing approach to the church's mission..., our view differs on how that involvement should work. We believe that our people should be politically educated to make informed choices, ... and that there is a need for political diversity, not uniformity," explained Rev. Dr. Roderick Hewitt, executive officer of the Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC).

Further he said, "I don't see that JANU naturally brings any significant qualitative difference to the table."

The Jamaica Council of Churches includes membership from the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist and Evangelical churches.

There was also some disapproval of religious leaders who he said would use their office to influence the votes of their church group.

"The leader's first responsibility is as Shepherd of the flock, and working towards maintaining unity in the body," he said.

"We are also wary of religious or political groups because of the history of their later becoming fundamentalist right wing groups, and able to exert considerable influence on society and governments."

A senior officer of the Salvation Army in Jamaica said that religious body also claimed allegiance to the JCC and were not in agreement with the JANU approach. He said however, that members were encouraged to be involved 'as far as voting is concerned, and to be good examples'.

Rev. Norman Francis of Webster Memorial in the Half Way Tree, said that while the church had entertained presentations from both UPP and JANU representatives, there had been no attempt to influence voting decisions.

"The individual members are expected to look at the issues in a critical and dispassionate manner and arrive at their own (voting) decisions, whatever that may be."

Still, while claiming distance from the NJA some churches have gone even further.

One religious community has drafted guidelines to inform both voters and candidates within its ranks.

Officials of the United Church of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands have suggested in the document that, "Voters should condemn and refuse to support any candidate who advocates violence or employs the use of violence as a means of winning an election. Voters do not support or engage in political violence."

Voters were also advised to, "Cast your vote only after giving serious consideration to the programmes of the parties asking for support. You should be satisfied that the party has presented plans to meet individual and national needs in both the present and the future."

Several other church groups have also decided on involvement at another level.

The Hope Area Church Organisations (HACO) in St. Andrew combines nine church communities spread across different affiliations.

"It's not a question of disinterest in the process but we have committed to a different approach than JANU in that we share in the needs of the people, and take the role as the conscience of the people. We have been working but we are just not interested in that type of publicity," says HACO member Canon Peter Mullings of the Church of the Ascension in Mona.

He says the group formed over 30 years ago has always been active in the social and political life of the communities it serves and has been instrumental in calming political tensions in the areas.

For this year's elections HACO has scheduled a forum for September 25 at the Hope United Church in Liguanea where political representatives are expected to meet and discuss concerns with their constituents.

In addition a church service is planned for the Sts. Peter and Paul church in Liguanea on September 29 to accommodate candidates who wish to address the congregation.

"We have worked out and agreed not to host any one candidate in our church," Rev. Hewitt explained, adding that candidates would instead be given audience together in a discussion format.

Rev. Garnett Roper of the Portmore Missionary Church in St. Catherine has also opted against a platform involvement in the elections. He criticised what he called JANU's 'mistake' of assuming a monolithic Christian community which would then guarantee support.

"The political parties are inundated with church people," he said. In addition he said, the organisation had also failed to fully identify its mission.

"JANU has not defined what it is for, it has defined what it is against but there is no set of ideas that coalesce to form a set of views," he said.

The Electoral Office's Neville Graham explained too that churches across the island had been invited to participate in the process through conciliatory groups which had been set up, as well as honouring the EOJ's request for national prayer throughout the campaign and election season.

JANU, which was launched on March 7, had planned to enlist and endorse candidates who support its goal of establishing a Government of national unity to create a new Jamaica.

Earlier the organisation had promised to endorse only those candidates who it agreed were 'committed to Godly principles and to the principles of servant leadership and unity with a clearly-defined value system'.

It would also endorse candidates who have 'disowned tribal politics, 'donmanship' and violence and who have integrity in their public and private lives and a personal track record of love and service to others at a national, regional, local or community level.'

The candidates should come recommended by the church, civic organisations and/or business leaders in the constituency.