wfn.org | Newsline: Haitian Brethren name provisional board, hold blessing for first ministers

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl Brumbau gh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

HAITIAN BRETHREN NAME PROVISIONAL BOARD, HOLD BLESSING FOR FIRST MINISTERS

(Aug. 28, 2009) Elgin, IL -- Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Haitian Church  of the Brethren) has taken significant steps toward its formal establishme nt in Haiti with the naming of a provisional board, and the blessing of min isterial leadership during a recent ceremony.

Ludovic St. Fleur, Haiti mission coordinator and pastor of Eglise des Frere s Haitiens in Miami, Fla.; and Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of Global  Mission Partnerships for the Church of the Brethren, both took part in the  ceremony. A workcamp group attending the ceremony also represented the invo lvement of Brethren Disaster Ministries in mission and church development i n Haiti.

A theological training for the Haitian church held in mid-August closed wit h the special evening worship service that received Pastor Yves Jean as the  first ordained minister of Eglise des Freres Haitiens. The Church of the B rethren accepted his ordination as a transfer from another denomination.

Six people were licensed to ministry at the service: Telfort Jean Billy, Te lfort Romy, Ely Frenie, Dieupanou St. Brave, Altenor Jean Gesurand, and Altenor Duvelus. Th e licensed ministers also received the blessing of laying on of hands. Thos e who had completed the theological training received certificates.

Canned chicken donated from the meat canning project of Southern Pennsylvan ia District and Mid-Atlantic District was distributed during the service, e vidence of the active collaboration between the Haitian Brethren, Global Mi ssion Partnerships, and Brethren Disaster Ministries. The canned chicken wa s shipped to Haiti through the church's Material Resources program and Bret hren Disaster Ministries, as part of ongoing disaster relief work in Haiti  following the four hurricanes and tropical storms that caused massive destr uction there last year.

The Haiti Workcamp group was led by Jeff Boshart, Haiti disaster response c oordinator, and Klebert Exceus, a Haitian consultant from Orlando, Fla. The  group included five American Brethren, translators from the Haitian Brethr en community in Florida, accompanied by members of Exceus' family, and two  Brethren pastors from the Dominican Republic--one of Haitian and one of Dom inican background.

On the morning after the ordination and licensing service, Wittmeyer met wi th leaders of the Haitian church and the group established a provisional bo ard for its new organization. The group elected leaders: Telfort Jean Billy  of Croix de Bouquet Church of the Brethren was named as chair; Ely Frenie  of Cap Haitian Church of the Brethren was named secretary; and Telfort Romy  of Gonaives Church of the Brethren was named treasurer.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continu ing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in  community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith t raditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated it s 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 125,000 members across the Unit ed States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria,  Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org