Seven Churches in 100 Metres: A Letter Writer Asks Whether Jamaica Is Building Churches Faster Than It Is Building Believers

• A letter writer counted more than seven churches along one 100-metre stretch of road
• He said church buildings keep multiplying as congregations compete
• He argued that few converts stay after baptism
• He accused some pastors of putting membership numbers and money ahead of salvation

A letter to the Jamaica Observer from Oneil Madden, headlined “Has God left the building?”, asks why Jamaica has so many churches and what they are producing.

Madden writes that Jamaica has a strong Christian heritage and freedom of worship, which shows in the number of churches across the country. But he questions the reasons. On one 100-metre stretch of road, he counts more than seven churches, which he takes as evidence of competition rather than cooperation. Church buildings, he says, keep multiplying as congregations try to outdo one another, while few converts stay after baptism.

He contrasts this with the Seventh-day Adventist church he grew up in, which he remembers for discernment, direct preaching against sin, and healing and deliverance. Today, he argues, many churches have become entertainment venues and social gatherings, with a “come-as-you-are” culture that plays down holiness. He criticises young worship leaders and prophets who, he says, take titles without proper foundations.

Madden also writes that many pastors now put membership numbers and financial contributions ahead of their congregants’ salvation, and avoid difficult subjects. He ends with a verse from Revelation about “a few names in Sardis” who remained faithful, and asks readers whether they care where the church is heading.

The letter’s opening point is a planning and property one. Seven churches in 100 metres means seven sets of land, buildings, roofs, utilities and upkeep, often paid for by small congregations. When several congregations share a stretch of road, attendance is spread thin and buildings sit empty most of the week. Sharing facilities, merging congregations or using halls for schools, clinics and community programmes during the week would put that property to better use. For anyone buying or building near a church, the number of places of worship nearby also affects traffic, parking and noise on service days.

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