Twenty-Eight of 34 Churches Lost: Dominica’s Adventists Count the Cost of Hurricane Maria

• The Adventist Church has 34 congregations and four schools in Dominica
• Twenty-eight churches lost their roofs or were completely flattened by Maria
• Arthur Waldron Academy, the island’s only Adventist secondary school, was affected
• Maranatha Volunteers International committed to help rebuild from 2018

Six months after Hurricane Maria, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Dominica was still struggling to recover, Inter-American Division News reported in March 2018.

Of the church’s 34 congregations on the island, 28 were destroyed or severely damaged, losing their roofs completely or being flattened. All four Adventist schools were affected, including Arthur Waldron Academy, Dominica’s only Adventist secondary school. Homes across the island were also destroyed, and thousands of families were displaced.

“The hurricane has dealt us a tremendous blow,” said Felix Jack, ministerial secretary for the Adventist Church in the east Caribbean. “We have 34 congregations on the island. We also have four schools. Twenty-eight of our churches have been destroyed, either lost their roof completely or have been completely flattened and destroyed by the hurricane.”

Patricia Honore, a member of the Woodford Hill church, said: “God is going to be there for his people. I just want to encourage everyone that no matter what you are going through, keep trusting in God.” Maranatha Volunteers International committed to assist with rebuilding from 2018. The article did not give repair costs or insurance figures.

When more than four-fifths of a denomination’s buildings are hit at once, the church cannot rebuild everything together. It has to set priorities: schools and larger churches that can serve as community shelters may come first, while smaller congregations wait.

Jamaican denominations should plan for the same scenario. A register of every church building, with its condition, insurance and title, makes it far easier to seek help and set priorities after a disaster. Roofs are often the first thing lost, so strengthening roof connections is one of the best investments a congregation can make.

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