|
|  |
[Home] [Haiti2005]
Who we are
The Voice of Haiti has been created to assist in the growth of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti, more specifically the Jeremie District. We are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti Mission Society originating in Fort Wayne IN. This society started at the request of Pastor Israel Izidore, President of the ELCH, who called together a few people from IA, IL, IN, MI, and OH whose congregations already supported a Pastor or congregation in Haiti. He felt that we could better assist the ELCH by working together and sharing ideas. Since that first meeting 18 months ago congregations from CA, FL, MN, OK, and WI have joined us.
Haiti statistics:
o Poorest country in the Western Hemisphere
o Has a population of 8,000,000
o Annual income of about $370.00
o An HIV rate of about 15-20 %
o A literacy rate of about 40%
o Third worst water quality in the world
o Third highest rate of hunger in the world
o 65% of the population practices vodou
Pastor Isaac Jacquet
The Jeremie District headed by Haitian Pastor Isaac Jacquet is in the southwestern region of Haiti. It is the 2nd largest district of the ELCH. Pastor Isaac is responsible for 58 congregations, and 62 lay pastors who assist him at the various churches (many of which are very difficult to get to). Jeremie also has 32 elementary schools and162 Lutheran schoolteachers who teach about 3,500 students. Pastor holds a computer class in his home for about 20 students and a sewing school for those wanting to learn a trade. His total church membership is about 4,700. Pastor Isaac has also recently started a radio ministry in Jeremie and opened a make shift medical clinic in his church, two mornings a week, for those who cannot afford the expense of the local doctor. These projects will only continue through donations from compassionate individuals and their congregations. Pastor gets no set salary.
Although at the 2001convention it was unanimously voted to accept the ELCH into partnership with the LCMS, it gets no financial support from the LCMS. A total of 7 ELCH Pastors are stationed throughout the country of Haiti, a few have the support of several U.S. congregations allowing them to receive donations monthly to keep their schools running and their lay pastors fed. Others, like Pastor Isaac, watch their families go with out food for days and wait patiently for the hearts of their Christian Brothers and Sisters in the States to be touched. Pastor's hope is that one day his congregations will be self-supporting, that is why he encourages the children to become educated and the adults to attend his computer and sewing classes. The reality, however, is that they need the help of people from other countries to dig wells, teach farming skills, identify and develop talents that can be used to create jobs so that the Haitians will be able to break this cycle of dependency.
What you can do
If your congregation is thinking of "DIRECT MISSION SUPPORT" please consider the Jeremie District of Haiti. Pastor Isaac would like to link each one of his congregations with a "Sister Congregation" here in the States. The cost of keeping a "Sister Congregation" in Haiti alive is about $2,500 a year.
For more information about Haiti and the ELCH please contact:
Sue or Ken Gross
c/o Christ Lutheran Church
14700 S. 94th Ave.
Orland Park, IL 60462
708-349-0431
suelynn144@aol.com
|