The Watchman Church Leaders Alliance (WCLA) is issuing a unified call for a multi-year, ongoing strategic season of focus on the family. 

We affirm that national strength is inseparably tied to the health of the home.

Strong families are not built by policy alone, but by daily choices, shared values, and intentional love.  We highlight choices that, among other things, rely on God.

As scripture says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain”. (Psalm 127:1)

Our call involves five critical pillars for national renewal over the next few years:

• To church leaders: A call to prioritise spiritual and pastoral support specifically for marriage, parenting, responsible fatherhood, vulnerable youth and foster cooperation between the church and community development organisations.
• To families: An encouragement to invest in homes through improved communication, forgiveness, humane ways of disciplining children, reconciliation, and a return to family prayer.
• To congregations: A call to move beyond the sanctuary and, in targeted ways, walk alongside struggling families with local church arrangements, practical compassion and healing, and collaboration with neighbouring churches in supporting parental training in communities 
• To community leaders and stakeholders: A challenge to create safe environments that promote a culture of everyone being  their brother’s keeper and their sister’s keeper,  
• To policy makers: A reminder that families are a “public good.” The groups urge leaders of all political affiliations to place family stability at the centre of national development.  As pastors, we join in affirming that policies supporting family life contribute directly to social stability and economic resilience

By focusing on the family,  we believe the nation will be better positioned to flourish for generations to come. 

We invite all Jamaicans to join us in this renewed commitment. It is about building families, and by extension, building the nation under God. 

The Watchman Church Leaders Alliance is a diverse coalition of 40 senior church leaders committed to advocacy, pastoral capacity development and prophetic witness. Its leadership committee comprises: Reverend Sam McCook, acting chairman; Pastor Michael McAnuff-Jones, co-chair;  Bishop Alvin Bailey, deputy chair; Bishop Christine Benguche, deputy chair;  Bishop Roy Notice; Reverend Peter Garth; Reverend Courtney Gordon; Bishop Rowan Edwards; Reverend Gary Harriot; Reverend Newton Dixon; Reverend Devon Dick; Bishop Herro Blair Jnr; Bishop Everton Thomas; and Pastor David Henry.