By any measure, Week of Prayer at the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) is not just another event on the calendar. It is a pause button. A deep breath. A moment when the noise lowers and what matters become clearer. This year, that moment carries a single, powerful word: SHIFT.
Guiding the campus through that shift is a voice shaped by faith, music, counselling, leadership and lived experience is Pastor Jovan Whyte.
Pastor Whyte’s story begins in Kingston, Jamaica, where leadership found him early. At Mico University College, he didn’t just study Secondary Education and Linguistics, he served, led, and represented. As Vice President of Clubs, Societies and later crowned Mr. Mico, he became a visible ambassador for excellence, character, and purpose.
But the classroom was only part of the calling. That inner tug toward ministry led him to Northern Caribbean University, where theology met melody. He studied Religion and Theology, sang with the Shahaye and Chamber Choirs, and directed the Ministerial Fraternity Choir; early signs of a preacher who understands that truth doesn’t only come spoken; sometimes, it comes sung.
His journey carried him onward to Liberty University in Virginia, where he earned a Master’s degree in Pastoral Counselling with a focus on Marriage and Family, and where he is currently pursuing a PhD in Organizational Leadership and Management. Pastor Whyte doesn’t just preach hope, he studies how people grow, how families heal, and how systems can serve humanity better.
With over 16 years of pastoral experience across Jamaica and the United States, including service in the East Jamaica, Florida, and Allegheny East Conferences, he has become known as an international evangelist, a counselor, a songwriter, and a gifted musician (piano and saxophone included). His latest EP, The Well (released October 18, 2024), reflects the same theme that defines his ministry: drawing people back to the source, God.
Beyond the pulpit, Pastor Whyte’s faith walks the streets. In Englewood, New Jersey, he collaborates with city leaders through initiatives like the Love and Care Bus Ministry and a church food pantry that serves over 500 people weekly. He serves as a Volunteer Chaplain for the Englewood Police Department and works alongside the NAACP Clergy Association, Quiet reminders that prayer and action are meant to travel together.
He shares life and ministry with his wife, Dr. Kahilah Jones-Whyte, a Marriage and Family Therapist and CEO of Platinum Life Counselling. Together, they minister to families, couples, and young people, anchored by their greatest joy, their three-year-old daughter, Joanna Joy (“JoJo”) Whyte.
So what is the Week of Prayer? If you’re new to USC or new to faith, Week of Prayer can sound intimidating. It’s not. Think of it like this: Week of Prayer is a reset button for your soul.
Here are the basics, broken down simply:
Now, why the theme “SHIFT” you may ask? A shift doesn’t mean throwing everything away. It means adjusting. Like turning the steering wheel slightly so you don’t miss your exit. Like rearranging furniture so the room finally feels right. Like changing how you think, not just what you do.
This Week of Prayer invites the USC community to ask simple but brave questions, such as What needs to move in my life? What habits, thoughts, or fears are keeping me stuck?
What happens if I let God reposition me?
Pastor Whyte’s strength lies in making those questions feel safe, human, and possible. His preaching doesn’t shout you into change, it walks with you toward it.
So whether you are deeply spiritual or just spiritually curious…Whether this is your first Week of Prayer or your fifteenth…Whether you come with faith, questions, or quiet exhaustion…This week is for you. Come for the message. Stay for the music. Leave with perspective. Because sometimes, all it takes is one week, one word, one shift, to change how the rest of the year unfolds.
USC Week of Prayer begins Friday 30th January, 2026. Pull up a seat. Bring your heart as it is. And let God do the moving.
