A move by the Africana spiritualist non-profit, the Unuchi Foundation, to campaign for the repeal of Jamaica’s Obeah Act has triggered strong pushback from Christian groups, who fear that lifting the ban would unleash dangerous spiritual forces on the country.
Scores of pastors and representatives from various church groups gathered in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, on the day of the event to pray against the effort. They urged Jamaicans to remain vigilant, warning that decriminalizing obeah would have dire social and spiritual consequences.
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Bishop Dr. Alvin Bailey, president of the Jamaica Evangelical Alliance and project director for the Jamaica Umbrella Groups of Churches, argued that obeah, though illegal, remains widespread and harmful. He told the Jamaica Observerthat Christian leaders in Haiti, where Voodoo is legally recognized, have cautioned Jamaica against following a similar path.
“It would be the worst and most disastrous decision this country could ever make if obeah is legalized,” Bailey warned. “Devils and demons are behind much of the destructive behavior we see in society. To legalize obeah is to create a kind of confusion that is unprecedented.”
Jamaica’s Obeah Act of 1898 defines practitioners as anyone who pretends to use occult means or supernatural powers and provides for prosecution and imprisonment of both practitioners and clients.
The Unuchi Foundation, however, has been staging vigils to coincide with the first constitutional hearing on repealing the act, scheduled for September 25. Flyers circulated online invited the public to a candlelight vigil in St. Andrew “for spiritual resistance, to honor ancestors persecuted for obeah, and to uplift living practitioners.” The organization also livestreamed a virtual vigil on TikTok and Instagram.
Bailey claimed that obeah’s influence extends into “low and high places,” describing it as a pervasive force in society. “We see behaviors that are not normal, caused by obeah, demons, and devils,” he said. “Even intelligent, learned professors support this practice, and that is appalling.”
Other church leaders echoed his concerns. Bishop Rowan Edwards of the Lighthouse Assembly Ministries said, “Haiti legalized Voodoo, and we’ve seen the results. Christians across Jamaica are crying out against this wickedness. We cannot allow obeah to be unleashed on our nation.”
Pastor Dalbert Simmonds, chairman of the Spanish Town Ministers’ Fraternal, insisted that obeah’s power is real. He recalled testimonies of individuals ordered to perform gruesome rituals, including exhuming skulls for blood rituals. “This country has gone through enough false hope, where young men believe they can cover themselves with sacrifices to do scamming and murder. The Church is standing against that,” he said.
The Unuchi Foundation, established in August 2023, describes itself as an advocacy group dedicated to empowering people of African descent through obeah and other African traditions. Its mission, according to its website, is to heal and empower Africana peoples while confronting the “epistemicide caused by slavery, colonialism, and the demonization of African cultures.”
