Mega-church pastor ‘humbled’ to stage One Love Jamaica Rebuild concert
J’can bishop Henry B. Fernandez confirms top gospel acts for December 6 event in Florida
Published:Sunday | November 16, 2025 | 12:07 AMYasmine Peru - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Bishop of The Faith Center Ministries in Sunrise, Florida, Henry B. Fernandez, pastors what is described in his official bio as “a thriving, multiracial congregation of over 10,000 members”. Considering that a mega-church is defined as any Protestant denomination with more than 2,000 members, then Fernandez’s church is a mega-church times five. On December 6, Fernandez and his team, through Dare to Care – the humanitarian arm of the church – will host a fundraising gospel concert in Sunrise, Florida, for the Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica.
Why would the pastor of a mega-church in America be so willing to go the extra mile of staging an event for Jamaica rather than just make a generous donation? The simple answer is that Fernandez is Jamaican, or, as he loves to say, he is “a son of the soil”.
“At Dare to Care, we feel that a part of our mission is to make sure [that] wherever disaster hits, we [are] there to help people restore their lives and to have some sense of self-worth. And so, being a son of the soil in Jamaica, being born in Jamaica, I think it was also a passion of mine to give back to my people, to be there for Jamaicans who are hurting,” Fernandez told The Sunday Gleaner.
An ordained minister of 34 years, Fernandez actually founded a ministry some years ago in Jamaica, and he was travelling to the island every Thursday to preach on a Thursday night and fly out on Friday. “We had a thriving ministry, but because of my schedule here in the States and other places, I just could not continue. So we’ve always had a relationship. In fact, we’ve been in Jamaica giving out computers to various schools in the past. We have done humanitarian trips to Jamaica, where we took a medical team and provided healthcare for the Jamaican people,” the president and chief executive officer of Henry Fernandez Ministries shared.
On this mission, he is partnering with several organisations, including Food For the Poor, Consul General Oliver Mair, as well as a committee of people in Florida, which comprises elected officials who are Jamaicans. “We will identify certain neighbourhoods in St Elizabeth, Trelawny, and [Westmoreland] that are on the verge of rebuilding their homes and provide zinc for their roofing, plywood, and certain things to assist in bringing their lives back to some normalcy. We’re working out the logistics now of how to provide the other services. We really want the resources to get to the people so that we can have some visible results ... that the funds did X, Y, and Z, and it didn’t just get caught up in some big organisational effort that you don’t really see where it’s going,” he stated.
‘Everything is going to be all right’
All the proceeds raised from the concert will go towards the hurricane relief, and Fernandez pointed out that all the artistes are contributing their time and gifts to the concert. “We’ve confirmed Papa San, Minister Marion Hall, and Kevin Downswell, and we’re adding artistes as we speak. The theme of the concert is One Love Jamaica Rebuild. Everyone is coming together to show Jamaica that we love them and not to worry about a thing because everything is going to be all right,” Fernandez said.
His congregation has lovingly embraced the call to support Jamaica during this critical time. “Everybody’s excited,” Fernandez said. “They’re constantly asking, ‘How can we support, how can we give?’ And they’re excited about the concert that is scheduled for Saturday, December 6, at 7 p.m. at the church. And I know they’re going to come in their numbers and they will give good financial support to the cause.”
Fernandez has remained close to Jamaica at all levels and has even welcomed Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness to his congregation for a visit during the summer. “I had an interview with [Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness] on stage, and we talked about Jamaica and the success of the country and the plans for the country ... the Jamaican Diaspora, and the contribution they have made across the world. So Jamaica [has] always been in my heart. When I heard the hurricane devastated the western part of the island, I felt it was so important for me to support them,” shared Fernandez, who is an author of 13 books and also the president of ZoeStream Productions, ZoeStream Network, and ZoeStream Publishing.
Asked what this cause means to him as a Caribbean leader and a man of faith, Fernandez said he was humbled. “First of all, I’m a proud Jamaican, and I’m very humbled that I have a great level of influence, not just here in South Florida, but across the United States. I’m able to reach out to my colleagues and to people I have built relationships with to ask them, ‘Can you help us?’. And they have responded greatly. It’s just humbling, and I couldn’t be happier to be doing something like this,” he shared.
According to his bio, Fernandez, who is a minister, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and best-selling author, began his faith journey in 1985 when he answered the call of God and moved from Brooklyn, New York, to South Florida. In 1991, he and his wife, Carol, founded the Plantation Worship Center (now The Faith Center) with 11 members. They initially held services in a local elementary school cafeteria, and within three years, the church grew. They bought a shopping plaza in Lauderhill, Florida, and, in 2002, with even more growth, the church bought the former Sunrise Musical Theater in Sunrise, Florida.
Fernandez is “driven by a God-given mandate to teach faith and show God’s people how to exercise their faith to prosper and live victoriously ... and encourages people with the truth that it is God’s will for everyone to enjoy the abundant, successful life He has promised”.