ST. JAMES, Jamaica – March concludes a long season of hurricane relief in Jamaica for the Florida Baptist Disaster Relief team.
On Oct. 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa scarred Jamaica with catastrophic winds and torrential rain, making landfall as a Category 5 hurricane. It was one of the most powerful storms ever recorded to hit the island.
For locals, hurricanes are a common reality on the 154-mile-long island, but historically, most storms pass nearby without making a direct hit like Melissa did.
Despite the widespread devastation, residents immediately began picking up the pieces and rebuilding. Florida Baptists were among the first on the scene.
By Nov. 1, Florida Baptists were already on the ground assessing damage and making long-term relief plans.
In total, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief (FBDR) served 15 weeks on the island, deploying more than 150 volunteers in smaller teams to meet the unique needs of the response. David Coggins, FBDR director, shared some of the logistical differences compared to typical disaster responses.
“Most of the volunteers had to be comfortable getting on a roof because most of the work involved replacing or rebuilding roofs,” Coggins said. “We usually begin by working with homeowners, but in partnership with the Jamaica Baptist Union, the plan was to help churches restore their roofs so they could resume ministering to their communities.”
Many of the churches serve as central hubs for their communities, giving teams opportunities to serve and minister alongside local believers each day.
“Helping the church gave the community hope,” said Matt Stickel, Send Relief coordinator. “The church is very important to these communities, and assisting pastors with their buildings freed them to focus on their congregations.”
The overall effort included disaster relief teams from several states with Florida and Tennessee taking the lead as established partners in the Caribbean. Send Relief helped coordinate the efforts by assigning Matt and Sue Stickel as coordinators for the cooperative response.
“As Send Relief coordinators, we were responsible for selecting projects that fit within Send Relief’s scope,” Stickel explained. “We secured lodging for teams, ordered necessary materials, and ensured each team had the tools and supplies they needed throughout their stay.”
Over the multi-month effort, 24 properties were rebuilt or restored, including 11 churches, four schools, eight homes and one camp. The primary focus was roofing – repairing or completely replacing damaged roofs.
“The cooperative effort between different states worked well. Every team brought its own unique skills and strengths,” Stickel said. “It was truly amazing to see God bring them all together to accomplish the work.”
Stickel also shared comments from Kenroy Wilson, pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Jamaica, expressing his gratitude for the teams who helped restore his church.
“On behalf of the leadership and congregation of the Salter’s Hill Circuit of Baptist Churches, I wish to express our deepest gratitude for the partnership extended to us through the Florida and Tennessee Baptist family,” Wilson said in the letter.
“ … We extend heartfelt thanks to the Jamaica Baptist Union for facilitating this partnership, and we ask that our formal gratitude be conveyed to Brother Matt and his wife, Sue. We look forward, with humility and hope, to deepening these relationships in the future.”
Months after one of the worst storms in Jamaica’s history, Pastor Wilson’s letter reflects the lasting impact of Florida Baptist Disaster Relief teams.
Through the faithful giving of Florida Baptist churches to the Cooperative Program, FBDR continues to make a difference in Florida and around the world—bringing hope to communities in their greatest times of need.
This article originally appeared at flbaptist.org.
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