Tax-Free Status, Tithes and No Oversight: A Priest Says Government Must Have a Say Over Who Runs a Church

• The column followed the killing of three Pathways ministry members in Albion, St James
• Nembhard said almost anyone can start a church and collect tithes without oversight
• He argued tax-free status should come with stricter governance standards
• He proposed a commission to set rules for religious organisations

The deaths of three members of Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries in Albion, St James, in October 2021 prompted Anglican priest and social commentator Dr Raulston Nembhard to ask a question that goes to the heart of how churches are funded and regulated in Jamaica.

Writing in the Jamaica Observer, Nembhard set out the marks of a cult, including authoritarian leadership, indoctrination, isolation from outside scrutiny and the use of force to keep control. “There is no group, church or cult, which should seek to silence dissenting voices,” he wrote.

His wider concern was the lack of any system of accountability for independent ministries. Many operate without links to a denomination or any outside body. “There is no indication that the loose conglomeration of what we call ministries in Jamaica is so strictly governed,” he wrote. “Almost anyone having a terrible nightmare the night before can claim divine appointment and set out the following day to form his or her own church.” Such groups, he noted, can collect tithes from followers with no registration or oversight.

Nembhard linked the issue directly to the tax privileges churches enjoy. “If the Government is going to grant churches tax-free status, then it must be able to have a greater say over the presence and integrity of those who are afforded this status,” he wrote. He suggested a commission to develop stricter governance standards for religious organisations that claim tax exemptions.

The money question is real. Church properties in Jamaica benefit from tax relief, and congregations receive tithes and offerings that are rarely subject to public reporting. Nembhard’s argument is that these benefits are a public concession, and that the public is entitled to basic assurances in return about who is running the organisation and how.

For members who give generously, and for diaspora supporters who send money to build or maintain church property, the column is a prompt to ask practical questions: Is the ministry registered? Who are the trustees? In whose name is the land and building held? Clear governance protects donors, congregations and the assets they pay for.

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