Rev. Dr Paul Blake Jr. is expressing concern about the lack of accountability, especially among newer independent churches.
He stressed that it is time for the Church in Jamaica to awaken and return to being salt and light.
“We must again visit the sick, comfort the broken, mentor the young, feed the hungry, and confront the powers that oppress the weak. We must not be driven by applause but by assignment.”
He warned that Jamaica cannot be healed if pastors are afraid to offend and call the country to repentance—especially if they themselves refuse to repent.
“The Spirit of God is searching for men and women who will not bow to popularity, who will not dilute the gospel, who will not exchange truth for trends. God is looking for shepherds who will smell like sheep again—who will walk among the people, not just sit above them,” he said.
“The world doesn’t need any more celebrity preachers. It needs shepherds again.”
Rev Blake is reminding fellow church leaders that the call to ministry was never a call to fame, but a call to wash feet, serve quietly, and bleed compassion.
“We are living in a time where the church is loud online but silent in the community. Many pulpits have become platforms, and many pastors have become performers. But ministry was never meant to be a stage — it was meant to be a cross. Don’t confuse attention with anointing. Likes and followers fade, but souls remain. The applause of men will falter, but the approval of God will sustain.”
He urged pastors to examine their motives:
“Ask yourself: Why am I doing this? And if the answer is not Christ, it is time to repent and realign.”
“Return to servanthood. Return to compassion. Return to Christ. If the Church is to be healed, it must begin with the shepherds.”
