Evangelism

 

The Haiti Christian Development Fund is first and foremost an evangelical organization and as such its ultimate goal is to proclaim good news to the poor. As a result, evangelism and Church planting have always been at the center of its ministry activities in Fond-des-Blancs, Haiti.

Jean & Joy Thomas relocated to Fond-des-Blancs in 1984 and immediately started a Bible class for the ministers and lay leaders of the various Churches in the community; most of whom had never had any formal theological training. Jean would spend a month in each Church, preaching and teaching. A little over a year they came across a little church with four members who would open the Church’s door on Sunday morning, pray and go home. They had not had a minister in years.


The Original Church with nutrition center in the background & ground breaking ceremony for the new Sanctuary.

Jean took a special interest in them and started visiting them on a regular basis. Within a year, with new converts from the neighborhood, a full congregation emerged. A full time minister was brought in to shepherd this new congregation. A new sanctuary was built in 1989.


The New Sanctuary in 1989 has been expanded since then.

As this local Church continued to grow, the need in neighboring communities began to catch out attention. There is no easy access from one community to another. A four miles trek is a major undertaking. Therefore, instead of increasing the size of the initial congregation, the Haiti Christian Development Fund embarked on a Church planting program within a 20 miles radius of the ‘mother’ Church. Seven new Churches have been planted. Each is under the leadership of a minister who has been trained in HCDF’s theological extension program. Every three months, all the congregations come together for a time of worship and fellowship.


One of the Satellite Churches, still under construction.

There are communities within the greater Fond-des-Blancs area that are still much neglected in terms of evangelistic outreach. HCDF is looking into expanding its Church planting program to a respond to this need. The Church in each of these communities is the center not only for evangelism but also for education and community development. A new study center is being planned where young men and women will be trained to the good news of Christ’s redemptive love to those still untouched by the gospel.