Clergy members, NSWMA in St James to clean up Granville on Valentine’s Day
Published:Friday | January 3, 2025 | 12:09 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU
Members of the clergy in St James will remove their pastoral gowns and join the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) to clear garbage from the community of Granville on Valentine’s Day.
That is according to Pastor Davewin Thomas, chairman of the St James Ministers Fraternal, who promised to help highlight that cleanliness is next to godliness and to emphasise the importance of maintaining cleanliness and hygiene.
“The churches, under the umbrella of the fraternal, are planning to interact with the schools along with the National Solid Waste Management Authority on a clean-up day in Granville on Valentine’s Day,” said Thomas, who is also the pastor of the Burchell Baptist Circuit of Churches.
“We have opened an ongoing dialogue with them [NSWMA] through our social issues committee, under the leadership of Rev Michael Shim-Hue, with the hope that we will be in the Granville community on that day,” he told The Gleaner yesterday.
He said the team of pastors and their members, along with local residents of Granville, will be engaged in garbage collection, recycling efforts, and educational workshops on proper waste disposal.
‘Way to show love’
“Valentine’s Day is about love, and what better way to show love than by caring for our community?” said Thomas. “We hope this event will inspire others to continue maintaining a clean and beautiful Granville.”
The St James Ministers Fraternal is an organisation comprising various church leaders and ministers from St James. This group collaborates on community initiatives, social advocacy, and spiritual guidance through various activities, including community outreach, crime prevention, and social advocacy.
The community of Granville has an estimated population of 5,074 individuals, which includes a youthful population of nearly half being 24 years or younger, with males accounting for 52 per cent, slightly outnumbering females.
Social activist O. Dave Allen was delighted to hear that members of the religious community have decided to interest themselves in Granville.
He said there is no ecumenicalism in the community and it is hard to get the churches within the space.
“I am happy to know that the Ministers Fraternal is now turning its eyes on Granville, but I would like for them to consult with the wider community in a more formal way so that we can work together in creating the Granville that we need,” said Allen, executive director of the Granville Peace, Justice and Resource Development Foundation.
However, when contacted for response to the Valentine’s Day clean-up exercise being led by the Church, Allen expressed his disappointment, arguing that garbage collection and removal should not be its first priority.
“I don’t want to project the fact that we are a dirty community. Garbage should not be the first entry point for the Church,” he added.