Revivalists on mission to warn, worship and win souls

There was a time when spotting a turban-clad revivalist on a street corner signalled more than just a religious presence -- it meant a warning, a divine message, or a spiritual encounter too powerful to ignore. But in recent years, those voices have faded, and many believe Jamaica has lost more than just a tradition.

Now, revivalists from across the island are rising again, determined to reconnect their faith with the people and reclaim their space in the spiritual life of the nation.

"Back in the olden days, I can attest to revivalists going through communities and warning people based on visions they have seen," said Bishop Aaron Cunningham, justice of the peace and pastor of Mount Carmel Power of Praise Zion Ministries in Bog Walk, St Catherine.

"There would normally be persons within the church, who we call 'Father Shepherd' or 'Mother Leadris', who would have got this gift of discerning. They would go to their bed and they would wake up with a message or a revelation to go out into a particular area or district to warn."

That spiritual calling -- to go where danger loomed and offer divine caution -- has waned with the passing of Jamaica's elder revivalists, Cunningham explained.

"Most of those elderly folks have transit (passed on). And the fact that they have transit, you know, we have young people now where they might feel a bit timid to go out to do these things. But here we are today for folks to know that revivalism is still alive and well."

The recent gathering at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, led by the United Zion Revival Council of Churches, marked a bold step forward. The newly formed body, based in Watt Town, St Ann, aims to restore respect for the revivalist faith and secure its future.

For Cunningham, the trip from Bog Walk to Kingston was more than a journey -- it was a mission.

"The reason why I'm here is because I'm really excited about this great move. The fact that persons look down on us as revivalists, that we are called all sorts of things, cult, pocomania, [they say] we are obeah workers. But the fact of it is that we are a set of Christian people that believe in the Bible," he said.

The council's stated vision is "to transform the lives of people and bring glory to Jesus Christ through the unification of the Zion Revival Churches". Its mission includes shaping lives, training leaders, hosting conferences, and offering basic education in English and mathematics -- all grounded in steadfast faith. But one of its top priorities is correcting widespread misconceptions about the revivalist tradition.

"When we do our Thanksgiving, spreading a table, folks will say different things. [They ask] 'Why we have to do that?' and so forth," Cunningham shared.

"It's all about maybe somebody having a birthday. So they decide to just have a board spread instead of going to a party or all those kind of worldly stuff. They just come together having a Thanksgiving table, calling their friends from other denominations, and they come together and celebrate."

He's also had to confront criticism of the revival style of worship.

"When we grow in the Spirit, they will say, 'Dem a jump like dem a hog.' No, we are no hogs. Jesus himself grow in the Spirit, and because of that, most of what we do is from the Bible itself."

With a renewed sense of unity and purpose, the council is hoping to elevate revivalism -- not only in the eyes of the Jamaican public, but also within the wider Christian community.

"We will enact rules according to the Bible to guide our faith," the council's brochure states. "We hope to take revival to the highest possible level, where we are fully structured and be able to embrace our faith with confidence."