More than 10,000 Seventh-day Adventist men, women and children marched through the streets of Kingston and St. Catherine, Jamaica, on Saturday bearing a message of hope and family unity. The march, said to be the largest ever on the island, kicked off a summit aimed at countering a steep rise in violence in Jamaica over the past 12 months.

“Members from the Western and Eastern [regions] of the island came in buses, cars and motorcades to march with signs and banners in order to create a consciousness to end spousal abuse, child neglect and for men to stand up for integrity and decency,” said Pastor Eric Nathan, organizer and Family Life Ministries director for the church in east Jamaica.

The summit, “Men—Agents of Change,” took place in National Heroes Park in Kingston at the conclusion of the four-mile march. Thousands gathered in the park to hear a message from local church leaders.

Nathan said the goal of the summit was to encourage Jamaican boys and men to get an education as a way of putting an end to violence. He asked the men to commit to volunteering two hours each week to help mentor inner-city boys.

Some churches already offer homework assistance to hundreds of children, but Nathan expressed the need for more education centers and more volunteers to staff them.

“We wanted to recognize the crime that’s plaguing our country which stems from broken families,” he said. “We want to say to the young boys ... to remain in school, to not choose gangs or violence. We guarantee they will live longer than those who join or remain in gangs.”

P.J. Patterson, Jamaica’s prime minister, attended the summit and commended the church for its efforts in promoting moral values. He also asked Adventists to remain united with the government against crime and violence.

Church organizers are already planning another summit for 2005.

Nestled in the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica has more than 205,000 Seventh-day Adventists worshiping in 586 churches.