HAITI MISSION WORK 1992 - 2010
JOE WORNDLE
In 1988 we began working with Haitian nationals in the Turks and Caicos Islands and after 4 years we received our "Macedonian Call" to come to Haiti and help convert a denominational church. Thus began our work in Haiti on a full time basis in 1992. After successfully converting that denominational church we specialized in converting whole churches all over Haiti. Soon churches were planted in Port-au-Prince, the Capital of Haiti ( we now have 6 other churches in that city) and all over Haiti. We have churches in the South of Haiti, the Central part and the Northern part of the country. There now have both second, third and even fourth generation churches all over the country.
To keep the new churches strong we started a radio program in Port-au-Prince, reaching over 4 million listeners. Other stations were added in Jacmel and in Les Cayes, the South of Haiti where we had 87 churches. Unfortunately due to losing support all of our radio programs have been canceled.
A total of over 150,000 precious souls have been baptized and one important fact is that most of the converts have stayed faithful over the last 18 years. Another important fact is that no local preacher has ever received a salary from the USA and today all of our churches in Haiti are fully self-supporting. Money is spent mainly on educating preachers and our TIMOTHY TEAMS.
One special effort that helped us accomplish great success in the Lord was the establishment of TIMOTHY TEAMS. These TEAMS, usually students from our School of Preaching in Haiti along with one or two TEAM co-ordinators would receive an invitation from a certain denomination anywhere in the country, asking the group to come and teach them the truth. The TEAM would come to the area, ask any other existing church of Christ for assistance to come and join in the effort to convert the prospective "new church." Staying anywhere from 2-4 weeks the TEAM would convert the congregation and leave 2 TEAM members behind for a time to ground the new congregation. TEAMS would make several more trips each year to help the fledgling congregations. This "TEAM" effort has helped to keep churches sound and strong and very evangelistic. Most of our churches are very evangelistic indeed and it is common that whole villages have been converted.
Every one of our churches (over 300) in Haiti have agreed to run Christian schools, operated by preachers and other evangelists along with their wives. So far we have over 200 such schools. This effort was started and (is) financed by the WestView church of Christ in Lewisburg, TN.
The work in Haiti has produced incredible results and it has penetrated the borders of other countries. Our brethren have thus established churches in South Florida, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Dominican Republic.
The Haitian church is very strong in the Dominican Republic where we have a School of Preaching with 59 students (all Haitian nationals). We plan to re-open our School of Preaching in Port-au-Prince where we will train some of our many preachers (most have but little training).
We have plans to turn over the work into Haitian hands in the very near future and we are confident the Haitian Nationals will be competent to carry on the work.
(Facts are based on the reports of our National Christian Leadership)
Here are the emails Joe has been sending out since the Earthquake.
