An 11-year-old churchboy has called on Jamaicans to become more accountable for their actions and stop finding excuses for the raft of socio-economic problems affecting the country.

"There are challenges that face us at home, school and even church, said 11-year-old Vashon McLeod, a student of Bridgeport Primary School.

"People are blaming heredity trends, the environment and some say it is the result of mental disorders. The pressures of unemployment, poverty, prejudices, abuse and anything else you can think are blamed for their problems today. But this is not so, it is the result of sin and the bad choices that we make as adults and children."

McLeod was speaking at the service to climax a one-week evangelistic series organised by the Dorado Pathfinders Club of Northern Caribbean University Church. The service was held at the university's main auditorium in Mandeville last Saturday.

Citing Romans 14:12, the young 'preacher' emphasised that the Bible clearly taught the importance of personal responsibility.

"The choice is ours. We can choose to be better than what our heredity or environment would suggest we ought to be. We can choose to live a better life. We can live above sin," McLeod said.

The week of activities, which started May 10, saw Pathfinders aged nine to 14 delivering sermonettes. They all spoke under the theme, 'The Choice is Yours'. The Pathfinder Club is a Seventh-day Adventist quasi-cadet youth organisation.

"We believe in the holistic development of our young people," said Pathfinder director Una Morris.

"We don't just do outdoor activities and camping, we believe that spiritual development is vital ... . This evangelistic series helped them to witness, to invite others, to preach, share and participate."

Two preteens were among the eight persons baptised during the event.