“The Only Bank Involved Was the Bank of Heaven”: Two Caribbean Churches Rebuilt After Irma and Maria

• The Road Town Apostolic Faith Church in Tortola was rebuilt from rubble after the 2017 hurricanes
• Insurance money fell short and the community and donors helped
• The Bishop Hill church in St Maarten was undamaged while under construction
• The St Maarten church was dedicated in March 2019 after 15 years of building

Two Apostolic Faith congregations in the north-eastern Caribbean have completed church buildings after hurricanes Irma and Maria, the church’s magazine reported in April 2019.

In Road Town, Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, the Apostolic Faith Church was rebuilt from rubble after the September 2017 storms. Insurance funds fell short, and the congregation relied on community support and donations to finish the work. “The only bank involved was the bank of Heaven,” said the Rev Michael Anthony. The report noted that reconstruction on the island was still ongoing and that many homes had been abandoned by families who had not returned.

On St Maarten, the Bishop Hill church was already under construction when the hurricanes struck and suffered no damage. The building, which had been under construction for 15 years, was dedicated in March 2019. The report described how the congregation came to acquire its site, recounting the Rev Rolland Deler’s belief that the landowner would not find another buyer.

The two stories show different sides of church property in the Caribbean. One congregation found its insurance inadequate after a disaster; the other built slowly over 15 years.

Underinsurance is a common problem after major storms, because policies often do not keep pace with rebuilding costs. Building slowly can leave a structure unfinished and exposed to storms for years.

Jamaican churches can learn from both. Hurricane Melissa has made the question of insurance urgent for congregations across the island. Reviewing sums insured, building in stages with a clear plan, and designing for hurricane resistance from the start can reduce the gap between what a storm destroys and what a congregation can afford to rebuild.

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