Haiti's 2850, sort of

In the denomination of which I am a part - the Christian Reformed Church in North America (www.crcna.org), our denominational head office is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at the corner of Kalamazoo Avenue and 28th Street.  It's address, until this year when they realized the front door wasn't on Kalamazoo any more, for decades had been '2850 Kalamazoo.'  Around the denomination, whenever people referred to the head office, they often simply called it '2850.'

The Christian Reformed Church of Haiti -- ECRH (Eglise Chretienne Reformee d'Haiti) -- has it's offices on a 3-acre compound it shares with two other ministries:  PRIHA (Perspectives Reformee Internationale d'Haiti) which is essentially the Back to God Ministries radio and print ministry; and MDK (Ministi pou Devlopment Kretyen)(Haitian Creyol Spelling :)) which is a leadership development ministry for leaders in local Christian congregations.  Those of you who know that I am working on my Doctorate in Ministry at Tyndale on the subject of developing leaders in local congregations can guess how my heart was all aflutter when I met with MDK.

On Thursday morning, Jacky Chery, who is the Director of PRIHA, took me for a tour.  We arrived at the outer gate and beeped the horn.  Whereas at 2850, visitors have the luxury of simply turning in the parking lot, here in Haiti, everything is behind a locked, barbed gate.  After a brief wait of ten minutes or so, the security guard -- whose other duties could include anything else on the grounds -- arrived at the gate to welcome us in.  The security guard is paid a salary and is given a home inside the gate so that he can be on the grounds 24/7.  It seems the guard's duties, when we interrupted him to open the gate, were to stand in the shade with two other men having a conversation.  At first blush, this may have looked to a foreigner like me as sloth until I realized whom he had been talking to:  the newly elected Executive Director of the ECRH and the outgoing Executive Director of the ECRH!  In CRCNA language, it was as if he was talking to Dr. Steve Timmermans and Rev. Joel Boot.  It was a great first window into something healthy about the Christian Reformed here, to see these two influential men take the time to simply hang out in the shade with the security guard.

It reminded me of an incident we had during the week of our orientation with Christian Reformed World Missions in Grand Rapids at 2850 in July.  On Wednesday the 9th, there was a semi-final game in the FIFA World Cup -- the Netherlands vs Argentina.  Since the game was at the end of the orientation day, television screens were set up for us orientees and we were welcome to watch the game.  A few staff from head office joined us, including one friendly gentleman who sat beside my boys and shared orange and blue M&Ms with them.  After the game, I asked the boys if they knew who that man was who had shared candy and joked and cheered with them.  They didn't.  When I told them that it was Dr. Steve Timmermans, the Executive Director of our 250,000 member denomination, they replied, "whoa."  This Thursday, when I realized that the security guard here in Haiti was hanging out in the shade with the denominational executives, I had the same sense of "whoa!"

Offices of ECRH and PRIHA -- Denominational Head Quarters and Radio Broadcast Ministry 

                 
Jacky Chery, the PRIHA Director, brought me into his offices and shared with me the work they are doing.  Working with local radio stations across the country, they had been broadcasting basic Christian discipleship messages from Back to God Ministries International's Rev. Paul Mpindi - in French, not Creole - on a daily basis.  However, since this past March, when Rev. Mpindi ended his radio ministry, they do not have new broadcasts to send.  There is some value in replaying old messages, which is what they are doing now, but Jacky looks forward to whenever new broadcasts are made available.  PRIHA also has a print ministry, sending discipleship lessons across the country and having volunteers work with new Christians to help them learn the basics of the Christian faith.  Using three series of twelve lessons, they have worked with thousands of new Christians in increasing their understanding of the Gospel message and deepening their relationship with God.  However, earlier this year, PRIHA became aware that they didn't actually have permission from the North American publisher to distribute the literature and so they were ordered to stop using it immediately.  They are being asked to destroy whatever unused copies they have of the curriculum and to not mark the completed lessons they have received from around the country or to give specific feedback to the students.  While I appreciate the need for publishers of material to control how their material is used -- especially when their name printed right on it -- it was heartbreaking to see a cabinet full of completed lessons which will never be marked or responded to.

Bible Lessons Which Will Never Be Responded To

This scenario at once represents the integrity of PRIHA - honouring the request from the North American publisher - but also PRIHA's challenge.  Right now, they are reduced to simply following up, one-on-one, with students but without referring to the materials.  Their need now is to produce new materials that are different enough from their previous materials that they can be clear they are not copying or pirating another's work.

The tour ended with a good hour meeting with the Director of MDK, Lemete Zefire.  MDK, like I said earlier, is a leadership development program, something I am enthusiastic about as I am working on a thesis on leadership development.  Lemete is a pastor, having been at the same church for the last 29 years.  He has been leading MDK, as well, for the past 14.  As he spoke about his passion for things I am passionate about -- learning being practical, the work of the Holy Spirit, prayer, collaboration, crossing denominational lines, humility, and leadership development starting in the heart -- I sensed that there would be a lot to learn from this man.  He also reminded me, by his calm and wise spirit, of a good friend -- Andrew Beunk, and so I was simply drawn to him.  But it wasn't until he took me on a tour of MDK's facility that I was truly inspired.  First, he showed me the almost-completed training hall which should be done in October and will hold 150 students.  Then he showed me the next phase, an outside area which would constructed into a reception and office area by my good friend Clare Streutker and teams in January and February.

Imagine 150 Elders, Deacons, and Pastors gathering for training!

This area outside will be transformed by Clare Streutker and teams from Cambridge, Brampton, New York, and Woodland Christian High into a reception area and offices to serve this dynamic grass-roots practical Christian leader training center.  

I look forward, over the year, to getting to know these staff and seeing how their work takes shape.  Not only will I get to see a physical building take shape through the effort and sacrifice of others, but I will be able to see leaders develop and through that to watch God strengthen his church for their incredible and difficult task of Gospel transformation in this place which cries out for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.