Nearly a year after Hurricane Melissa devastated communities, churches are finding renewed hope through prayer, generosity, and hands-on service.

By Carl Stagner | Read Time: 6 minutes

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So far, the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season has seemed ominously quiet. This was not, however, the case just one year ago. In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica as a category-five storm with the highest recorded winds ever among Atlantic hurricanes making landfall. In the months since, the Church of God movement has rallied together to respond in prayer, giving, and going. A recent check-in with some of the goers and doers offers a glimpse of the essential work taking place to help replace hurricane heartache with heaven-sent hope.

The thirteenth named storm of last year’s season, Hurricane Melissa wiped out whole communities after having clocked maximum sustained winds at an unprecedented 180 to 190 miles per hour. Twenty-eight Church of God structures suffered severe damage, representing an estimated 1,600 Church of God people. The “Pray-Give-Go” campaign continues to encourage and empower local churches to get involved in tangible ways, making a difference on the ground for countless sisters and brothers in Christ who lost nearly everything they had.

To date, about ten teams have traveled to Jamaica to rebuild homes—and hope. So, while there was plenty of hard labor to do, there were providentially appointed moments of prayer, worship, and sweet fellowship with the family of God in Jamaica. These moments are best told by some of those who were there.

A Surprising Impact

Doris Patmon, who served with a team from Michigan’s Ithaca Church of God, recounts her time serving with the Lambs River and Ginger Hill Churches of God in Jamaica.

“What we found there was far more than a work site—it was a people and a place that would deeply shape us,” she explains. “At Ginger Hill, half of the church roof was gone. On Sunday morning, we worshiped together in the rain—a moment none of us will forget. There we met an incredible woman who had lost everything in the hurricane and had been sleeping in a hammock for ten months. Still, she showed up every day ready to work, giving far more than we thought possible without ever asking for sympathy. Her strength and determination humbled us.”

Doris notes a similarly moving experience at Lambs River, marked by amazing people and interactions, not just drywall, rafters, and roofing materials. Her conclusion is inspiring.

“We went to Jamaica expecting to rebuild churches,” she reflects. “But we left having been rebuilt ourselves. We came as a team. We left as family. And we will carry Jamaica with us for the rest of our lives.”

Mark Krenz, who shepherds Meadow Park Church of God in Columbus, Ohio, provides some insight as to the scope of the work and the spiritual takeaways. He explains that their team from Meadow Park worked for Bridge Water Church of God, whose building suffered the loss of roof, windows, and doors, while the entire front of the facility collapsed.

“While the original goal for us was to put on the roof,” Mark remembers, “due to work and material delays prior to our arrival, we spent the week doing heavy concrete and rebar work instead. We reinforced the walls with twelve exterior concrete support columns and a concrete header around the whole building where the roof will be attached. With the guidance of Jamaican workers, we built wooden forms, cut, shaped, and assembled the rebar structures, and mixed endless loads of concrete by hand, carrying them 10 to 25 feet up ladders and scaffolding to pour into the forms. In extreme sun and heat with no AC for days, learning new skills and doing back-breaking work, we worked together seamlessly and got it done every day.”

Shifts in Perspective

Mark observed that resilience of his Jamaican church family, a church that reminded him that the church isn’t the building, but the people!

“Before the heavy work began, on Sunday we came alongside our Jamaica family in worship,” he recollects. “We were so warmly received by the congregation. Annie helped lead singing and I shared the message about doing whatever it takes to help people come to Jesus—even if that means opening up a roof to lower our friend on a mat to the feet of Jesus. That Bible story of the open roof hits differently when you preach it in a church without one! It’s easy for us to complain if the worship center is a couple degrees to warm or too cold, the music too loud or too quiet, the lyrics on the screen too early or too slow. None of that factored into how God was worshipped in this roofless village church under the hot sun with no instruments.”

Don Conner, representing churches in New Jersey, was a part of an early team that went to Jamaica in February. Also working on roof repair, he came away with spiritual insight, too. “As a whole,” he recalls “we were very impressed with the outpouring of support and love from our new friends in Jamaica. The opportunities to work with natives, most of whom were not church-goers, allowed most of our group to work together and share God’s love. We were privileged to get to know of few of the leaders and pastors in Jamaica from the Church of God. God, without a doubt, showed up again and again, leading us throughout our trip.”

What They Saw, What They Felt

Gordon Garrett, of Church of God Ohio Disaster Relief, was also “humbled and inspired” by the leaders in Jamaica. Though health challenges hindered some of his own travel plans later this year, he was able to go in January, and help coordinate the ten teams in partnership with Church of God Disaster Relief and Restoration. He also observed that “among the encouraging effects is the impact of kingdom relationships that have developed through this partnership.” He looks forward to going back to Jamaica next year, as well.

Larry Nichols, of First Church of God in Alliance, Ohio, reports his team primarily worked on installing a metal roof. “It was very humbling to see how happy and content the local people were, even dealing with all the devastation that still remains,” he notes.

Aaron Holman, of First Church of God in Eaton, Ohio, offers insight that reminds everyone how valuable these trips can be for participants who go. His team was “struck by the massive divide between resort tourism Jamaica and the widespread poverty beyond those walls. It caused them to reconsider what they think of as normal living conditions here!”

Citing the work ethic behind Ecclesiastes 9:10, Rev. Dr. Saundra McNeese (Texas) reflected “I thank Texas Ministries, who helped us answer the call to Pray—the prayers were felt; to Give—your generosity helped to make this trip possible and allowed us to GO and help make a difference in the life of the Church of God.”

A Jamaican Thank-You

Courtney Gordon, one of the Jamaican pastors who coordinated and hosted the work teams, has nothing but good to say about the generosity and work ethic of the visiting teams.

“Our need for assistance to rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa on our churches, membership, and communities,” he explains, “was at a critical state with daunting prospects. The intersection and intervention through the partnership of the Church of God Ministries and teams from several local congregations and groups was the blessing God sent.”

“The uplifting spirit from the teams,” he continues, “gave the church communities a fulfilling and encouraging sense of returning to the pre- Melissa mission of the church. They were highly appreciated by the community members, who were engaged with their physical presence and passionate service towards rebuilding. We were blessed by these teams with spiritual, emotional, financial, and relational support. The partnership with us in Jamaica directly assisted us to repair approximately 12 of 30 churches buildings, 2 of 5 Early Childhood Institutions, approximately 45 families with care packages, and repairs to members’ homes. This marks an extraordinary level of humanitarian response and solidarity with the brokenhearted. The team from Global Strategy is phenomenal. They have the heart and mind of Jesus. To God be the glory.”

Want to get involved? Please consider supporting the Jamaica Rebuild and Restore project (Project 42.30611), which focuses on raising funds to assist the Jamaican Church of God with the purchase of construction materials needed to rebuild 28 Church of God congregations damaged by Hurricane Melissa. These materials will support Jamaican-led rebuilding efforts and will also be used by U.S. volunteer teams who will travel to Jamaica to serve alongside their brothers and sisters in Christ. Learn more about it at https://chogglobal.org/jamaicarebuild/.

Learn more about all the global efforts of Disaster Relief and Restoration at https://www.jesusisthesubject.org/disaster-relief-and-restoration/.