Haiti Medical Project News

While reflecting upon the tragedy of the German church experience during the 1930s, theologian Martin Niemöller used these words: “First they came for the communists and I did not speak out because I was not a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out…

Church of the Brethren general secretary David Steele is extending care for Haitian migrants and the community of Springfield, Ohio, and is calling for a cessation of verbal and physical violence in this volatile period of time in our country. The statement follows in English, Haitian Creole, and French (translation into Spanish will be made available soon)

I bring greetings from our brothers and sisters of Church of the Brethren in Haiti (l’Eglise des Freres d’Haiti), from the general secretary, the moderator, the National Committee of the church, and from the delegates and nondelegates!

An appropriation of $143,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) is being directed by Brethren Disaster Ministries for a humanitarian response to multiple crises in Haiti. The money will provide emergency food distributions at all the congregations and preaching points of l’Eglise des Freres d’Haiti (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti).

“The only hope many people have is the light of God in the church,” said Ilexene Alphonse, describing the desperate situation of the Haitian people. Living as the church in Haiti right now is “stressful and it is painful, but the most part is that everybody, they live in a limbo. They are never certain about what will happen,” he said. “There is the constant fear of being kidnapped.”