Dear Editor

Some Jamaicans are implying that the church is too silent and that we are not hearing its dynamic, prophetic voice. This is not the real problem, because the census figures have shown that many of the denominations which came out of the Reformation are losing members for many reasons. I did 35 funerals in 2009 and there is another Anglican Church which lost 95 members who have not been replaced. Many of these churches have ageing persons.

The church is being affected seriously by the consumerist ideology, and I have been informed by a reliable source that one person spent $250,000 to pay people to attend church services, and interestingly, this was successful.

The other reason is that many churches have bought into the

“feel-good Jesus”, where the music is pulsating, young people are leaving the post-Reformation churches, but they are unable to defend the Apostolic faith Some sermons are too populist and the preachers do not spend quality time in developing the text. Our religious culture has been captured by the neo-Pentecostalist surge from the USA, which is different from the Pentecostalist churches which are indigenous. Neo-pentecostalism is very individualistic, money-hungry, is devoid of community and reflects “fall-redemption spirituality”.

Jesus was a preacher, a healer, and a brilliant teacher who spent quality time to explain the faith by using parables.I get the feeling that we are timid in expressing the dynamics of Caribbean theology, which transforms and liberates.

Revd Canon Ernle Gordon

St Mary’s Rectory

Kingston 20

gordfm@yahoo.com