WCC news: Churches respond to needs in wake of Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall 28 October as a powerful Category 5 storm, destroyed many churches in Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, and made countless homes uninhabitable. Photo: Baptist World Aid 10 December 2025 Ongoing rains continued to compound the suffering, leaving communities vulnerable and exhausted. The needs are immense and extend across the Caribbean. At least 45 people died in Jamaica, and more than 300 people lost their lives in Haiti. Communities in Cuba experienced widespread flooding and landslides. Faith-based organizations and churches—many of them ACT Alliance partners—have been responding with prayers, funding, and relief supplies.  “Hurricanes are regular occurrences in the Caribbean, but Hurricane Melissa is unlike any other hurricane we have faced before in Jamaica. Indeed, the warning of persons such as Prof. Dr Michael Taylor, one of our foremost climate scientists in the Caribbean, has finally hit home,” said general secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union Rev. Merlyn Hyde Riley, who also serves as vice moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee. “The impact of climate change is real. The lives and livelihood of many persons have been devastated and the resulting trauma is significant. Jamaicans continue to need help with our recovery efforts, and we are grateful to those who have already assisted the most vulnerable among us,” said Hyde Riley.  In a message to Caribbean churches and all people affected, WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay and WCC president from the Caribbean Rev. Philip Silvin Wright expressed deep sorrow over repots of the fury and ferocity of Hurricane Melissa. “We know that Melissa also brings with it a test of our faith—in God, in life, in our ability to restore the common good and basic services for all,” wrote Pillay and Wright. “May your churches and their people find strength in the Lord to console the survivors, help your neighbours, and encourage hope among all your people.” Praying for those impacted Baptist World Aid director Marsha Scipio, who visited Jamaica, reported that sustained support will be essential for many months to come. With a special “Stand with the Caribbean Sunday” on 23 November, Baptist World Aid invited people to pray and support those impacted by Hurricane Melissa.  The United Methodist Committee on Relief issued emergency grants to the Jamaica and Haiti Districts of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas, as well as to ACT Alliance partners in Cuba to address immediate needs such as food, water, shelter, hygiene kits, and over-the-counter medication.  The United Methodist Committee on Relief and its regional partners conducted needs assessments and held a coordination meeting in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, on 18-21 November, to plan the next phase of relief and recovery. The Mennonite Central Committee reported that Jamaica Mennonite Church was hard hit by Hurricane Melissa, and asked people to remember those affected in prayer, and consider making a donation to help. The Council for World Mission called for prayers with CWM Mission Secretary for the Caribbean Region, Janet McConnell, reporting that the disaster has severely fractured Jamaica’s economic, health, education, and communication sectors, along with nearly half of its transportation and road infrastructure. She noted that the hardest-hit communities are those in the southwestern parishes, where homes have been unroofed or completely destroyed, leaving many without shelter or security. Samaritan's Purse reported that Jamaica has more churches per square mile than anywhere in the world—and that many of those same churches are now helping in the response. Brethren Disaster Ministries staff, working with local partners, was in communication with the leadership of the Church of the Brethren in Haiti to complete a comprehensive assessment of the storm’s impact. A response plan is being developed.  Episcopal Relief & Development was in close contact with its partners, including local dioceses and agencies in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti. “Our local partners are assessing the needs of their community as the damage and long-term effects of this disaster become clearer,” said Eric Weaver, director of Global Disaster Response & Resilience, Episcopal Relief & Development. “We stand by, ready to support them and the communities they serve as we learn more about the extent of damages and how best to target our response.” In response to Hurricane Melissa, World Vision deployed relief teams and supplies to Jamaica, and activated its local teams and partners in Haiti and the Dominican Republic to support affected families. “We know the heartbreak storms like Melissa bring to already vulnerable communities,” said Mike Bassett, World Vision’s national director of domestic humanitarian and emergency affairs.  He conducted assessments and delivered food, water, and other items in hard-hit Montego Bay and surrounding areas. “But we’re doing all we can to assist with much-needed supplies and are confident that with God’s help, we will bring hope and light to those impacted,” Bassett said. Photo galley by Baptist World Aid See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland