Haiti – This article is part two of a series about the ministry taking place in Haiti.
Upcoming Ministry Responses
The Church of God Chaplains Commission is planning to take six seminary students to Haiti to do Care and Benevolent ministry among the churches worst hit by the earthquake. The students will stay at the Chaplaincy Command Center on the Seminary Compound. They will be involved in day-to-day ministry to the poor and sick.
In February, Chaplain David Redden is taking a small team of Iowa farmers to Haiti for the purpose of assisting Haitians in basic practical farming. They will take seed, as well as purchase small farming implements. We have already located some property for this purpose.
Three Haitian Chaplaincy Teams will enter the provinces this month to do follow-up debriefings among the Churches of God, which were badly damaged or destroyed January 2010. These teams will stay three days with each church they visit and minister.
A Community Service Chaplaincy course, which results in official certification with the Church of God Chaplains Commission, will be presented to 70 selected pastors this month. Bishop Bordeaux is specific about training and equipping a very professional Chaplaincy Corps in Haiti.
In the New Year 2011, the Chaplains Commission will attempt to take two USA pastors with each chaplaincy team. The purpose of these pastors will be to establish personal relationships with Haitian pastors who suffered most from the devastation. With this small beginning, we hope to place a small but effective army of partners into the Haiti equation. Hopefully, these pastors will accomplish several things. Namely, give their local congregations a fresh mission outreach and project, and lift the overall burden from World Missions to find funds for these desperate ministries. Additionally, create a network of partnerships that will last for many years during the recovery of Haiti from the destruction, which has impacted the country.
Jake Popejoy
Director – Chaplains Commission