wfn.org | Newsline: Church of the Brethren plans major disaster project in Haiti

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Dec. 31, 2008
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN PLANS MAJOR DISASTER RECOVERY PROJECT IN HAITI

(Dec. 31, 2008) Elgin, IL -- Church of the Brethren programs are planning a  major longterm disaster recovery project in Haiti responding to the summer 's hurricanes and tropical storms, following a visit from an assessment tea m this fall.

The Haiti disaster response project is being coordinated by Brethren Disast er Ministries. Others that are part of the planning and implementation incl ude the Church of the Brethren's Haiti Mission, Haiti Advisory Committee, G lobal Mission Partnerships, Global Food Crisis Fund, and Haiti disaster res ponse coordinator Jeff Boshart.

An allocation of $100,000 from the Church of the Brethren's Emergency Disas ter Fund has been given for the work, which will include home rebuilding, r oad construction, children's programs, and agricultural support. Vocational  training, capacity leadership training, and medical aid also are planned.  The project may include shipping canned meat provided by the church's Mid-A tlantic and Southern Pennsylvania Districts. The project is expected to las t up to three years.

The Haiti Mission Advisory Committee reported that there are five active Ch urch of the Brethren congregations in Haiti, and 10 more preaching points.  The project will focus on longterm recovery in communities where Brethren c hurches or preaching points have been established, according to Roy Winter,  executive director of Brethren Disaster Ministries. While the response wil l focus on communities where Brethren have been affected, he added, "Our re sponse will focus on those with the greatest need in the community and not  discriminate based on church affiliation."

The Brethren plan to work in partnership with other NGOs and pastors' group s, and in coordination with local government officials. Nonprofit groups th at have been invited to participate including Habitat for Humanity, Haiti O utreach, and Mennonite Central Committee.

Possible areas for Brethren response are Mirebalais, a mountainous region n orth of Port au Prince where Brethren preaching points are located in remot e communities accessible only by foot path, and Gonaives, where there is a  Brethren preaching point. Gonaives area received the greatest destruction f rom storms, with many damaged and destroyed homes in flood plains or mudsli de areas.

Boshart traveled to Haiti on Dec. 16 to work on developing the project. The  team that carried out the assessment trip in October also included Ludovic  St. Fleur, Haiti mission coordinator and pastor of L'Eglise des Freres Hai tiens in Miami, Fla., and his wife, Elizabeth St. Fleur.

Brethren grants already given for relief in Haiti include a $10,000 grant f rom the Emergency Disaster Fund supporting immediate relief efforts through  Church World Service (CWS), and a $15,000 grant from the Global Food Crisi s Fund for agricultural development. The Brethren response also has include d material aid shipped from the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. , on behalf of CWS.

In other news from the Haiti Mission Advisory Committee, the group met on N ov. 21-22. "After five-and-a-half years since the first baptisms (six perso ns) in May 2003, there are now five congregations and ten preaching points, " said a report from chair Merle Crouse. "Ten (ministry) candidates are rea dy for licensing in 2009. One student will graduate from seminary in 2009."  The mission held its second annual theological training in August with mor e than 90 people in attendance. At least one congregation has a school in p lace, with another hoping to open a school. In September the New Covenant S chool was established in St. Louis du Nord for pre-school through third gra de, with sponsorship from First Church of the Brethren in Miami, Fla. Sever al teachers from the school attended the theological training this year, th e report said. In other business, a subcommittee was appointed to move ahea d on the process of gaining legal recognition for the Church of the Brethre n in Haiti.

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 celebrates it s 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts more than 125,000 members across the  United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nig eria, 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