When most people think about Jamaica, visions of resplendent waterfalls, sandy beaches, hotels with an ocean view and tropical cuisine come to mind. When Dave and Kimberly Powis think about Jamaica, the images in their minds are much different. Extreme poverty and moral decay have devastated the once evangelized country, leaving the people in hopelessness and the vices that numb them.
“Most people see the travel destination, the luxury island but if you drive 3 or 4 miles away from the tourism sites, then reality begins to set in,” said Dave Powis of Hope Cry, a ministry outreach of Living Word Church, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Their goal is to reach Jamaica’s children and teenagers. “What breaks your heart the most about the young people is that they have no direction, like Jesus said, they are like sheep without a shepherd.”
Poverty has a way of creating a chain reaction. Adults leave their children in search of work, often left to themselves or with a relative who can scarcely care for their children. Many wander the streets raising themselves while trying to survive on their own. These children reach adolescence and fall into the same traps their parents did. Teenage girls attempt to break free from the cycle of poverty by running to older men who only leave them even more helpless once they are pregnant. Some of them even turn to prostitution or selling drugs. Unguided young men who are without godly role models and discipleship seek solace in alcohol, sex and drugs from what they see as an inescapable reality. Sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy, violence and drug abuse are ravaging the county while the Jamaican churches, steeped in legalism, and error do nothing to reach their young people.
Hope Cry is working to change that. Dave and Kimberly Powis are invading the youth culture with the love and grace of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Gospel to shatter the cycle of dead religion. Their vision is to train up the next generation of leaders who will bring true awakening to their country. “When you visit churches here there are kids and adults but no teenagers. There’s no life, no power and a lot of religion,” said Kimberly Powis. “They never talk about a relationship with God but instead preach things they say you have to do to be approved by God.”
While the teenage masses have left the church and their burdens of legalism, Hope Cry is building a church for youth where they can grow in Christ’s grace and power while having fun at the same time. Meetings will be held on Saturday nights to keep from interfering with other church services on Sunday and provide a place for kids to get off the streets. When the weekend hits, the streets become a night club with open air music and partying. “Friday and Saturday nights are when the secular world does their thing. We want them to know that church is cool and fun. The message of the Gospel will stay the same, the end result of bringing kids to Christ doesn’t change but we will have excellence in the delivery of our message and the structure of this ministry.” Their plans include all aspects of media with quality video and audio projection and music that captures their minds and their hearts for Christ. Right across from the party, they will be reaching out.
Dave and Kimberly Powis are ready for a fight. “We want to stand up to the enemy,” said Dave Powis. “Where are the Elisha’s of this generation? Where are those who desire the mantle of Elijah? I believe that the youth are the future of the church and we need to raise them up for leadership the way Paul raised up Timothy. Jamaica is now a post Christian nation and the fault lies at the door of the church because they did not raise up a generation of leaders. We want to change that.”
The Powis’ also currently network with Raymond and Sophia Graham of G.L.A.D. Ministries of Chapelton, Jamaica. “Our passion is to increase the atmosphere of the Holy Spirit,” said Graham. “There is a lot of challenges that face us.” According to Graham, Dave understands those needs as someone who has been there. “He is able to speak to Jamaica as a Jamaican. He’s lived in the very community he will minister in. We’re ready to show Jamaica a new perspective on life and give them hope, reformation and revival.”
Dave and Kimberly Powis long for one thing: to preach the living, breathing power of God’s Word to the youth of Jamaica. Their mission is to bring to life a nation enslaved to false doctrine and dead religion and to capture the next generation for Christ.