Robert Levy, president of the Jamaica Broilers Group. - Contributed

If there is one group of companies that stands out above others in sponsoring major Christian events and organisations, it is the Jamaica Broilers Group. It is headed by president, Robert Levy. Levy has been a born-again Christian for many years. However, the group of companies he leads has many Christians working there at all levels and a distinct Christian culture has developed.

Levy sat down last week and spoke with Religion Editor Mark Dawes about the Christian culture at Jamaica Broilers.

Did Jamaica Broilers start out with a vision to be a company with a Christian culture?

No, not at all. I think if you did a family history, the first person in the family to really come into a relationship with Jesus Christ was my mother, then my sister, and they influenced my father, my brother and me. My conversion came out of my own rebellion. I had everything that a young man could ever want at 30 years old, and just was still unhappy and angry and arrogant. I think that was where the Christian influence started in the company. There was without a doubt a Christian influence from then. My brother got saved. Without a doubt, the Christian influence certainly influenced the first offer to our employees in so far as owning shares and so forth. After that, we went public.

How much of a giver is your company?

Well, we have basically set up a foundation. We have gotten it fully approved where a percentage of our profits goes into that foundation. The guidelines of that foundation are definitely towards Christian ministry and Christian activities. The foundation is mainly geared towards organisations that would have no problem with the statement of the evangelical associations. It is not going to be a foundation that we would gain profit from. If you are really giving from your heart, you don't want everybody to know about it.

We have broken giving largely into two categories. First, sometimes you give for the public relations and, therefore, we do get the public acknowledgement. Second, we also give without the cameras being around. And it is not what I want to share with the public. We really give because we believe it is a part of ministry.

How many staffers would you say are Christians?

People say that Jamaica Broilers is a Christian company. If you really put in context what a Christian company is - everybody working there is a Christian - that is certainly not the case. We have a Christian influence. Those who come into our company, I make it very clear that first of all we fully respect that people are going to work with us who are not Christians. We recognise and value their contributions and all that they have to offer the company and that they will be no way recognised any less than the Christians.

Still protected

I can say that whether we are talking about the executive management, to the worker level, there are non-Christians right through our organisation. They are fully recognised. That does not mean that they are not under what I hope is the umbrella of God's protection.

I feel that it is so important for the non-Christians in our organisation to know that as far as Jamaica Broilers is concerned, there is no difference. They are contributing as much as the Christians who are in the organisations.

Do you operate on the basis that certain positions should only be filled by Christians?

There is not even one position like that.

Have you seen evidence of the devil attacking Jamaica Broilers because of its Christian witness?

Without a doubt. We just feel sometimes we have to call a special prayer meeting with the Christians, whether it is we have seen an attack on our delivery trucks or something else.

When we went into ethanol, the price of ethanol just plummeted. We just really wondered. Yes, you can say that this was just the market. But let me share with you that a lady came to us who has a prayer ministry. She said she had been burdened to come and pray for Jamaica Broilers. She and two others came and went down to the ethanol plant and specifically said she knew nothing about what was happening. And the price of ethanol moved from US$1.70 (per litre) to over US$2.00 that week. Well, you know a lot of people just say 'Oh yeah, that is just coincidence'.

The thing is, we have come to recognised God's hand upon us and we really thank the Lord for that. I think that there is recognition of God's goodness to us. But without a doubt, there have been times when we have felt oppression, felt things going wrong - that we just really feel it is Satan really trying to get a foothold.

Outside of praying in response to a crisis, does Jamaica Broilers have regularly scheduled prayer meetings?

Our directors' meetings start with prayer. All of our executive meetings start with prayer. Also, every Monday, we have a prayer meeting at the group office and all are invited. A lot of the other sites in the Jamaica Broilers Group convene prayer meetings on different days.

We certainly don't want to institute it, for if you institute it, it can scare away some people. In addition to that, we have carried out a real outreach ministry. All-night prayer meetings happen in the company from time to time. And it happens in the company without it being organised by management per se. Sometimes when we have issues, we send out a call for prayer.

Have you ever thought about having a chaplain for Jamaica Broilers?

Yes. But you must remember that our operations are fairly spread out. And we feel that sometimes the best ministry we can have is by the Christians in the organisation. Therefore, we need to minister as well.

But let me tell you about something we started about two years ago. We have had from time to time key pastors coming in and holding a six-week Bible study. I would say about 80 per cent of the staff avail themselves for this Bible study. It is held for one hour. Apart from the Bible study happening at the group headquarters, it has also taken place at sites in our organisation.

Family issues

The Bible studies we have run are for all workers and deal with family issues. We choose to deal with family issues because family pressures are tremendous. At certain times, people from Family Life Ministries are here to offer counselling services.

Also, we have a special relationship with Family Life Ministries. We offer free counselling for our people. If anyone in the Jamaica Broilers family feels the need for counselling he or she can just show up at the offices of Family Life Ministries and say he or she is from Jamaica Broilers and the company will pay for the counselling session.

This facility has been around for about three to four years. The staff has been taking advantage of this facility.

How does the Christian culture at Jamaica Broilers affect grievance procedures?

First of all, without a doubt, ,Jamaica Broilers does have a high discipline code, which I believe, goes along with Christianity. There are certain things that are not tolerated. It does not matter who it is. For example if you are caught stealing you are out. If you move down from there, I think that more is expected from Christians than non-Christians. That is the challenge that we all have. You know, as a Christian, I am expected to not only seem like I am doing more, but to be doing more. There have been times when Christians have stepped out of line. These are Christians who come to prayer meetings and they have had to leave.

Could Jamaica Broilers have survived without the Christian culture?

Oh yes. We could have done better maybe. But I do feel there is a level of oneness in the organisation; a level of what we hope has created a safety for people who might not have been there. I do believe the company could have done well or done better. God does not give us a formula for success every time. What he does, he says 'Listen, for through the good times and through the bad times I will meet and guide you.' I just think that has brought a culture in the company where it has been safe and it has been good for people to work in here.

Is there anything in terms of a Christian witness that you want to see Jamaica Broilers accomplish in the next few years?

Without a doubt. If you take all the people that are involved in Jamaica Broilers, which are over 2,000 (excluding contract workers), I just know that many still struggle with their lives. If there is one dream that I have, it's to really have a ministry to those people; to really be helping them through the issues of life in their family.

I feel that our input into employees who are our contractors needs to be more in the way of meeting their needs in life rather than just salary. If we can develop some of those abilities to touch and develop them to really walk in life, as God would have us walk in life and I am not just saying that they must become a Christian. But really, there are so many issues in life that we face in our moral life, dealing with children.

Also, I would love to see Jamaica Broilers having a stronger and greater impact in the communities that we do have our operations in.

Of all the ways you could celebrate Jamaica Broilers Group's 50th anniversary, why did you choose the slate of events encompassed in 50 Fest?

We have been for the last few years the main sponsors of Fun in the Son. When we were thinking about the 50th anniversary and the thought came up among the executives, why not carry this to a much different level.

In January of 2007, we met with about 100 pastors and said we are thinking of taking this to a different level and the response was very positive. The pastors asked open-air evangelist Luis Palau of the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association if he would consider coming in for the event and his response was positive. Now that took it to a different level.

We then realised we were into a major commitment of which we felt very privileged because for the first time, all of the church umbrella groups have come on board. It is the first time, without a doubt, a coming together of the churches for one series of events, and the response has been amazing.

The co-chairmen of 50Fest are Rev Karl Johnson, president of the Jamaica Council of Churches, and Rev Peter Garth, president of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals.

Send feedback to mark.dawes@gleanerjm.com