Nadisha Hunter, Staff Reporter

A number of church leaders are indicating that if Jamaica is to move forward in the new year, there has to be improvement in various sectors.

Pastor Glen Samuels, ministerial secretary of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, said he hoped to see a more peaceful and caring society with far less political bickering.

"I would really love for 2013 to at least usher in the beginning of a mature political breed from both sides of the aisle where we can sit together regardless of party colour and look at what is best for the country and use the best person that you can find to accomplish our goals, no matter what side of the aisle you are," he told The Gleaner yesterday.

He said a change in the political system was necessary as, over the years, political parties have wasted the nation's resources in order to gain power and the country was suffering the consequences.

The Reverend Gary Harriot, general secretary of Jamaica Council of Churches, said the country had the potential for growth and should explore opportunities that would make it less dependent on others.

"I would love to see us as a country begin to put in place what needs to happen so that we can begin to realise our full potential. That won't happen in a year, but we need to somehow communicate a message to our people that we need to determine our own future," he said.

The Reverend Barry Soares of the Mandeville Parish Church said he hoped to see a purposeful move towards increasing production.

"Job creation is what I would like to see. I would also like to see persons having more care and love for each other, which would reduce crime and violence and conflict within the context of family," he said.

The Reverend Lenworth Anglin, executive chairman of the Church of God in Jamaica, is calling for restoration of law and order along with a reduction in crime and violence.

"It affects all of society and it affects our production in terms of the lawlessness and the fear by some people coming to Jamaica because of the high level of crime and violence. So it is so central to the productivity of the nation," he said.