Haitian Methodists consider pastoral leadership during crises
Haitian Methodists consider pastoral leadership during crises
A UMNS photo by the Rev. Paul Doherty
College
Model, a United Methodist school in downtown Cap Haitien, serves 674
children, where they receive an education and a full meal each day.
College
Model, a United Methodist school in downtown Cap Haitien, serves 674
children. The children not only receive an education but also a full
meal each day. A UMNS photo by the Rev. Paul Doherty, Photo number
W04065, Accompanies UMNS #135, 3/29/04
June 28, 2004
By Keith Rae*
PORT-AU-PRINCE,
Haiti (UMNS) -- 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 consider recent events 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
Methodist Church of Haiti organized the event, “Pastoral Leadership in
Times of Crises,” with assistance from the United Methodist Board of
Global Ministries.
A team of Haitian psychologists and
specialists in crisis management – Rosny Desroches, Hubert Morquette,
Marjorie Michele and Lunise Cerin -- led the group of 15 in two days of
intense pastoral education. Also taking part were the Rev. Raphael
Dessieu, president of the Haitian church, and the Rev. R. Randy Day, the
board’s chief executive.
“While
we found the Methodist pastors to be hopeful and positive about the
future,” Day said after 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.”
Desroches
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
lack of resources upon which to build a viable economy is a basic
crisis in Haiti. Desroches said an increasing population and decreasing
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, he added. 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.
UMNS photo by the Rev. David Morton
This Haitian child benefits from the Haiti Hot Lunch Program, sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
This
Haitian child, shown in a 2003 file photo, benefits from the Haiti Hot
Lunch Program, sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Global
Ministries for children at Methodist schools. The hot lunch is often the
only meal the children receive all day. A UMNS photo by the Rev. David
Morton, Photo number W04064, Accompanies UMNS #134, 3/29/04
Desroches
also pointed to a near-crisis in spiritual and moral values and urged
the church to offer educational programs leading to a more civil
society.
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
congregations have schools, which also serve as sites of hot lunch
programs, financed in large part by United Methodist churches.
Morquette
helped the pastors to focus on practical steps for the church to take
to respond to crises. Community organizing can prepare the way for
crises response plans, he said. Specific efforts might include simple
alarm and evacuation systems and building shelters.
A
suggestion to reduce deforestation by shifting from wood to propane gas
for cooking generated high interest but also raised challenges. Propane
is not easy to find in Haiti, is more expensive than charcoal and has to
be properly stored.
Other
proposals for church action to ward off crises included mobilizing
people, advocating for justice, work to eradicate public corruption and
broad-based education.
United
Methodists can support general programs and relief appeals for Haiti as
well as sponsor mission volunteer teams and individuals. The Advance
for Christ and His Church, the denomination’s second-mile giving
program, has 15 Haiti-related projects. Thy can be reviewed online by
performing a search for the country of “Haiti” at http://gbgm-umc.org/advproj/AdvProj_Search.cfm.
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” may be placed in church offering plates
or mailed directly to UMCOR, 475 Riverside Dr., Room 330, New York, NY
10115; or by calling 800-554-8583 to make a credit card donation.
*Keith
Rae, who participated in the Haiti event, is executive secretary of
church development and renewal for the Board of Global Ministries’
evangelization and church growth unit.
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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