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| ABCNJ Haitian Response Update: Helping Baptists in Haiti |
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| Written by Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer, ABCNJ Executive Minister and Senior Regional Pastor | |||
| Saturday, 06 February 2010 14:02 | |||
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ABCNJ's 4 point plan for responding to the Haiti Crisis involves: a. Emergency aid to ABCNJ related Haitian families affected by the earthquake. Our request form is now online. b. Emergency aid to Haitian Baptist Churches, in cooperation with the Haitian Baptist Convention, a partner in ministry. c. Financial support to ABCNJ related work and medical teams that will help rebuild the country. d. Micro-finance loans to Haiti’s poor to help them rebuild their lives, in partnership with Calvert Foundation (the administrator of the micro-loan program). Below is a report from International Ministries that will enable us to see the magnitude of task B.$1 Million Requested by Haitian Baptists for Earthquake RecoveryContributions totaling $254,000 in relief funds have been received by International Ministries (IM) in the wake of the destruction caused by the January 12 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area. A draft proposal identifying $1 million for immediate and medium-term needs has been received from IM’s partner, the Convention of Baptists in Haiti (CBH).The proposal included a summary of the extensive damage. Of the more than 21 Baptist churches in the convention, 11 church buildings were damaged and at least four were completely destroyed. Two pastors died in the earthquake along with 29 other church members. More than 400 congregants were injured. Among convention congregations, 438 homes were destroyed and 673 were damaged. The CBH proposal outlined an immediate three-part action plan that calls for contributions to be allocated for distributing mattresses, tarps and other shelter necessities (50%), providing food for families (48%) and establishing a medical clinic and providing basic personal hygiene items (2%). Dr. Emmanuel Pierre, general secretary of the CBH, expressed appreciation for initial assistance: “Thank you very much for the funds from IM and special thanks for the clean water system you sent via Dr. Vic Gordon.” Dr. Gordon, a pastor from Ohio and former IM board member, visits Haiti regularly to teach at the Christian University of Northern Haiti. IM missionary Steve James, M.D. and Scott Hunter of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are working with the CBH to refine the action plan and continue to identify needs among the Haitian churches. A plan for the longer-term rebuilding phase will be developed in the coming months.
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