“Who’s Responsible for the Expense?”: A Pastor Asks Who Pays When a Church Becomes a Disaster Shelter

• At a volcano preparedness meeting in Fancy, St Vincent, a pastor questioned the use of churches as shelters
• He said he had never signed permission for his church to be used
• He asked who would pay if evacuees damaged church property
• The disaster agency suggested a committee to set rules for church shelters

As St Vincent prepared for the possibility of a volcanic eruption, a pastor in the island’s far north raised a question many churches quietly ask: who pays when a church is used as an emergency shelter? iWitness News reported on 17 April 2019 that the issue came up at a sensitisation meeting organised by the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) at Fancy Government School the previous week.

Pastor Ehud Myers of the Apostolic Faith Mission said his church was listed as a shelter without any formal agreement. “I never sign my name and say — I never give permission. Who’s responsible for the expense?” he asked. He added: “Suppose children break a window, who’s going to buy them back?”

The shelters listed for the community included the Apostolic Faith Mission Church, Bethel Baptist Church and Fancy Government School. Residents also noted problems such as detached washroom facilities and windows that had not been installed, making some facilities unsuitable.

NEMO’s radio communications officer, Jerwayne Laidlow, recommended setting up a committee to “set up rules and regulations to be observed if the church is used as an emergency shelter,” and said that “NEMO has that legal right” when it came to charging for property damage.

Two years later, in April 2021, La Soufriere did erupt. The Fancy meeting showed why clear agreements matter before a disaster, not after: churches need to know what they are committing to, who covers damage, and what standards their buildings must meet.

Jamaica relies heavily on church buildings as shelters, and Hurricane Melissa tested that system. Jamaican congregations should ask the same questions Pastor Myers did: is there a written agreement with the authorities, who pays for damage and utilities, and is the building insured for that use? Clear memoranda between churches and disaster agencies protect both the evacuees and the church’s property.

Follow Jamaica Homes on Youtube @jamaicahomes and Instagram @jamaica_homes and on Facebook @jamaicahomesnews Send us a message or email us at onlinefeedback@jamaica-homes.com or editor@jamaica-homes.com