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The Haitian La Romana Crusade, Dominican Republic (August 2005)

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It was the 24th crusade I had organized in various Haitian communities, yet the first in the Dominican Republic. The pastor who had asked me some five years ago to come and help, Rev. Jean Luc Phanord, perished in a plane crash, the infamous Flight 587 in New York in November, 2001. His death was a tragic loss to the church in La Romana and to the global Haitian Christian community. In time, his successor at Iglesia Bautista Misionera Haitiana, the largest church in the area, became the national coordinator for the crusade, and was very helpful as we planned for the big event.

But suddenly, just one month before the event, everything seemed to fall apart. The pastor had some difficulties with the church and had to leave. The news of his leaving sent a wave of panic among all the other national crusade leaders. I traveled to the Dominican Republic in July and spent five days with the leaders, praying with them, signing contracts and making deposits, and trusting the Lord for an unprecedented victory. And God did give us the victory!

The crusade, held nightly from August 14 to 21, 2005, was well attended from start to finish, averaging 1500 every night, with 2000 at the closing service. There was good exposition of the Word of God by experienced Haitian preachers from five countries (including some from Boston), as well as a special program fully in Spanish entitled Noche Domicana (Dominican Night) where the speaker was Rev. Ezekiel Molina Rosario, the “Billy Graham” of the country. The coliseum was packed that night and great Christian Dominican artists of Haitian ancestry lifted our souls through their music. Many came to the Lord that night, including our Dominican bus driver!

During the day, the team kept busy with various outreach ministries. We ministered to Haitians in the bateys, primitive villages located among the sugarcane fields where Haitian field workers live. We visited the Good Samaritan Hospital, the first Haitian hospital in the country, hand-constructed by Americans, Haitians and Dominicans. The hospital provides quality health care in a Christian context. We also ministered at Haitian urban churches on the outskirts of La Romana where many very poor people live.

After the week-long crusade, our team left La Romana with the following convictions. There is

  • a thirst for fellowship across denominational lines;
  • a thirst for strength in order to better spread the Gospel;
  • a thirst for the Word of God through Bible distribution;
  • a need for cement block church buildings, strong enough to withstand hurricanes, to replace the huts where the Lord of Heaven, our Mighty God, is being worshipped;
  • a need for Christian social workers who can dig into the various social needs of the Haitian community, a community in a long-term transition.

Though the 2005 Haitian La Romana Crusade is over, for us, the work has just begun.

by Rev. Dr. Soliny Védrine, Director, Haitian Ministries International

[published in Inside EGC, September-October, 2005]