President of the Western Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Churches Glen O Samuels yesterday urged the nation’s political, public and private sectors to help restore righteousness and social order in the nation.

Pastor Samuels’ message, delivered at the 36th National Leadership Prayer Breakfast (NLPB) at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, was in keeping with the theme for this year’s staging – ‘Righteousness Exalts The Nation’.

Before the message, attendees were treated to various gospel musical presentations and given information about the NLPB’s social project for 2016 — the Eira Schader Home for the Aged in Trench Town, Kingston.

The gathering was headed by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, and included Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Opposition Leader Andrew Holness, who read the first and second scripture lessons, respectively.

Candles were lit by the various heads across the political, public and private sector leadership to symbolise national unity going forth into 2016.

Sir Patrick, the patron for the breakfast, expressed his gratitude to the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast Committee for their faithful staging of the event year after year.

“What I like about this group is that it recognises that leaders are not perfect. So, rather than condemning them, berating them in a public space for perceived failures, they instead publicly pray for our leaders. This is a model that can be emulated by all citizens of Jamaica and in all sectors,” Sir Patrick said.

The governor general said, too, that oftentimes when people speak of leaders in Jamaica there is a misconception that references are primarily of political leaders. He said that this scope of understanding should be broadened to reflect everyone who leads in the public and private sector, the judiciary, security forces, media, educational and medical institutions, as well as the family.

He, however, encouraged leaders not to be daunted in the face of scepticism and immense scrutiny, but instead let the hope of a brighter Jamaica continue to shine in their hearts.

Pastor Samuels, in his address, tackled a range of social issues and the way in which the nation’s leaders should move forward going into 2016.

“The righteousness that exalts a nation is the kind that advocates and requires transparency and honest accountability. Transparency and accountability that are rooted in righteousness are an inseparable link and foster a high level of integrity, the kind which cannot be sacrificed on the altar of expediency,” Samuels said.

He also told guests that righteousness has its roots in a God who does not need the vote of Congress or Parliament in order to be God Almighty.

“This God isn’t afraid of a five-to-four vote in the United States Supreme Court, because His will remains unchanged and, as we say in the Jamaican pulpit, we speak vehemently against violence, against homosexuals and others, we speak vehemently in opposition to violence against any person. But the Christian pulpit will not be silenced that God ordained marriage between a man and a woman,” the pastor stated to applause.

Samuels also spoke to the need for both mothers and fathers to clean up their act and become better parents, which in turn will contribute to a better society. He added that Jamaica has been tainted with the unrighteous philosophy, “See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.”

According to the Adventist pastor, a national campaign against violence and corruption is desperately needed, as “we can’t afford to play the blame game anymore.

“Political leaders stand on several platforms giving their particular messages to convince their attendees. Could we have in Jamaica, across Jamaica and for Jamaica an anti-corruption, anti-violence rally, where members of all political sides stand on the same platform, speak with the same voice, saying enough of violence, enough of corruption, and God Almighty grant that what we say with our lips we mean in our hearts and practise in our deeds,” a impassioned Samuels told the leaders.

He also appealed to political leaders to do more to prevent others from falling through the cracks of poverty with the understanding that “we cannot tax our way out of all our problems”. In addition, he issued a charge to restore dignity, respect and civility to Houses of Parliament.