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Haitian Church and Mission Agency Explore “Pastoral Leadership in Times of Crisis” |
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A well-known proverb in Haiti says that “behind every mountain there is another mountain,” and behind every crisis in that Caribbean nation there seems to be another crisis: civil strife, environmental catastrophe, and intense poverty. Haitian Methodist clergy and key lay leaders met in Port-au-Prince in mid-June to reflect on recent troubles, and to sharpen their skills in dealing with the aftermath of a series of recent crises: the overthrow of the government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, occupation by troops from the United States, and floods that took the lives of more than 2,000 people along the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The event, “Pastoral Leadership in Times of Crises,” was organized by the Methodist Church of Haiti (a district of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas), with the assistance of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. A team of Haitian psychologists and specialists in crisis management led the group of 15 in two days of intense pastoral education. Team members were Rosny Desroches, Dr. Hubert Morquette, Marjorie Michele, and Lunise Cerin. Also taking part were the Rev. Raphael Dessieu, president of the Haitian church; the Rev. R. Randy Day, general secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries; and this writer. It is no surprise to find that Christian hope and faith formed the first line of proactive defense as the pastors encountered an almost endless progression of crises. “While we found the Methodist pastors to be hopeful and positive about the future,” Mr. Day said in reflection on the workshop, “they are living and working in a country exhausted by political turmoil, economic crises, grinding poverty, ongoing violence, and the recent deadly flood. Weeks after the floods, doctors and others are working hard to prevent and control outbreaks of malaria, dengue, diarrhea, and scabies.” Rosny Desroches, a member of the leadership team, stressed that times of crises can become times for change and development—including changes of attitude, analysis, means of adaptation, social negotiations, and consensus building. A basic crisis in Haiti is a lack of resources upon which to build a viable economy. Mr. Desroches described how an increase in population and a decrease in production for local consumption perpetuate a chronic economic crisis. This is only partially offset by the almost one billion dollars that Haitians living abroad send home each year. Environmental factors contribute to the problems. Deforestation—primarily, cutting trees for fuel—has resulted in loss of topsoil. It once took five days of constant rain to produce flooding. A single day of rain now can cause widespread damage. Mr. Desroches pointed to a near-crisis in spiritual and moral values and urged the church to do more in educational programs that would lead to a more effective civil society in Haiti. The Methodist Church in Haiti is the fastest growing district of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and Americas. It has 148 congregations, mostly rural, scattered across the island. Many of those run schools, which also serve as sites of hot lunch programs, financed in large part by United Methodist churches in the state of Michigan. Dr. Hubert Morquette helped the pastors to focus on practical organizational steps that could assist the church in responding to crises. He said that community organizing could prepare the way for crises response plans. Specific projects might include simple alarm and evacuation systems, and the construction of shelters. A suggestion to reduce deforestation by shifting from wood to propane gas as a cooking fuel generated high interest but also raised a list of challenges. In Haiti, propane is not easy to find, is more expensive than charcoal, and has to be properly stored. Still, there was interest in a pilot project aimed at replacing wood fuel with propane. Other proposals for church action in responding to and warding off crises covered mobilization of people, advocacy for justice, work to eradicate public corruption, and broad-based education. Mr. Day said he hoped that Haiti would become a major mission focus of the General Board of Global Ministries and of The United Methodist Church. He urged church members to support general programs and relief appeals for Haiti, as well as sponsoring mission volunteer teams and individuals. There are 15 projects in Haiti that can be supported through the Advance for Christ and His Church, the second-mile mission giving program of The United Methodist Church. These cover education, community health, agro-forestry, agriculture, water conservation, food, and child care. These can be reviewed online by performing a search for the country of "Haiti" at http://gbgm-umc.org/advproj/AdvProj_Search.cfm or clicking on the links listed below. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is seeking funds for relief efforts related to the recent flood. Contributions for “Advance #418325, Haiti Civil Emergency” can be sent to UMCOR at 475 Riverside Drive, Room 330, New York, NY 10115. Prior to the April government crisis, Haiti was one of the most popular destinations
of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission teams. A few teams have returned
in recent weeks. Board
Advance Projects: Click on these to find more information regarding these Advance Projects. Agroforesty and Animal Husbandry
Date posted: Jun 24, 2004 |
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