By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Friday, November 14, 2025

In a heartfelt, remote meeting with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Sunday, Georgia megachurch Pastor Jamal Bryant offered prayer, aid and pledged to visit the storm-ravaged nation that Hurricane Melissa hit as a Category 5 superstorm last month, leaving behind an estimated $8 billion in damage.

Bryant, who leads the 10,000-member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, which boasts a strong contingent with Jamaican roots, had a number of them gathered at the altar as Prime Minister Holness shared an update with the congregation about the hurricane's impact and the ongoing recovery efforts.

“I want to first give you high commendation for your leadership. Everything that was asked of you as a leader in terms of financial and fiscal reform, you have done it. Nobody is talking about how you reserved over $150 million dollars for your country in case of emergencies such as this,” Bryant said to Holness, referencing Jamaica’s catastrophe insurance coverage with the World Bank, backed by a catastrophe bond issued in 2024 by the World Bank.

Despite the $150 million payout coming from the catastrophe bond, it isn’t enough to cover the nearly $8 billion in damage caused by Hurricane Melissa, which is equivalent to roughly half of the island’s annual GDP. And this is why Holness has been on a relentless campaign to raise money for humanitarian aid.

While a number of local and international organizations are on the ground supporting recovery efforts, the government of Jamaica has established an official disaster and relief portal, where donors can give directly to the country’s coffers.

In describing the impact of Hurricane Melissa on the western part of the island, Holness said it was like they were struck by “an atomic bomb of wind and rain.”

“The best way to describe the storm, the impact of the hurricane, Americans would be used to tornadoes and the devastating impact of a tornado. But think about a tornado on a much wider scale. And think about it with more rain and wind,” Holness told Bryant and his congregants.

“And in the areas that were hit, the only way to describe it would be an atomic bomb of wind and rain that would have hit the northwestern parishes of the island. It was a trail of destruction caused by the eye of that hurricane.”

He said many people lost their homes, the agricultural sector was wiped out and the tourism in the impacted parishes was also impacted.

Still, said Holness, the people remain hopeful due to their Christian faith and are grateful that the entire country wasn't devastated.

“We have many persons now without water, without electricity, without food, without shelter. And many of them have taken — though this is the depths of despair — they have taken a positive approach. We are resilient, independent, and strong people, and they are finding their way. But the magnitude of the destruction in those areas, it would be beyond the individual and even the local government to recover,” Holness said.

The prime minister thanked members of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church for their support and shared that Christians in the country had prayed when it appeared as if the hurricane was going to strike the middle of the country, and it shifted.

“Let me start by saying that prayer works. This was a very unusual hurricane. It sat on the south coast of Jamaica for a few days, trying to make up its mind where to go. And the people of Jamaica went on their knees in prayer, and they prayed that the storm would move past Jamaica. And that storm was threatening to hit in the middle of Jamaica, and then it moved a little more to the south, and then it kept moving to the south,” he said.

“The scientists predicted that the storm would eventually turn and hit Jamaica, which it did. But we in Jamaica have a sense of divine protection. And in our national anthem, there is a line which says, 'Guard us with your mighty hand.’"

“I'm sure that we don't question the will of God, but even in this disaster, Jamaica was protected. Because as our planners and economists look at what the storm could have done in terms of total damage, and though the damage that it did was extensive, we give God thanks because it could have been worse,” he said. “More lives could have been lost. But Jamaica is still standing and we're still standing strong.”

Holness urged members of the church to look into investing in Jamaica as the country rebuilds a new and resilient infrastructure.

“I believe that is the phase where we would like our brothers and sisters in the diaspora and our brothers and sisters in the United States to come and invest in Jamaica. Because in the recovery phase, this is where disaster turns to opportunity. And crisis means a new and better way to rebuild,” he said.

“In that new and better way to rebuild, we need investments in our tourism, investments in our agriculture, investments in our infrastructure. Come and participate, and enjoy the gains and the benefits from building a new, smarter, or resilient infrastructure.”

Before praying for Holness, Bryant declared that he would soon be on the ground helping with the recovery.

“I wanted to make a commitment to you that I'm gonna come to Jamaica before the year is over to work alongside you,” Bryant told Holness. “So that it's not just lip service, but to know that our hands are involved, and that we are connected.”