REPORT:

CONVOCATION ON UNITED METHODIST HAITIAN MINISTRIES

Miami, Florida
November 10-12, 1990 

The continuing arrival of Haitians to the U.S. has underscored the need for quality pastoral leadership within this growing immigrant group (thought to be in excess of 1 million). As more and more Haitian immigrants are finding their way into our United Methodist churches, there is increasing need for more denominational resources to be applied to their nurture.

To that end, a National Haitian Network Committee, composed of representatives from New York, So. New England and Florida Annual Conferences, was formed to sponsor a Convocation on United Methodist Haitian Ministries, which was held in Miami, FL from November 10-12, 1990.

The Convocation's specific aims were to help give Haitian ministry in America a stronger sense of identity, and at the same time to help the United Methodist Church realize more fully the great opportunities for mission that exist in dealing with the problems facing the Haitian community.

Nearly 60 delegates - representatives from the major Boards and Agencies of the United Methodist Church, as well as denominational leaders from Haiti, the Caribbean, Great Britain, and across the U.S. - were in attendance. Words of welcome were brought by Bishop H. Hasbrouck Hughes, Jr., episcopal leader of the Florida Annual Conference, as well as from Rev. Robert Fannin, Superintendent of the Miami District.


Rev. Alain Rocourt, former Chairman of the Haiti District of the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and the Americas, now in exile in Miami where he is the Director of the Haitian United Methodist Mission of the Florida Annual Conference, gave the Convocation's Keynote Address. His talk dealt with the historical context of the Haitian migration, the life that Haitians find here in the U.S., the demographics of where Haitians have settled in the U.S. and the churches they attend, the development and strengthening of UMC Haitian churches (we have only seven in the U.S., with two new ones being formed), the need for facilities for Haitian congregations, and the two-pronged need for education of Haitian pastors and the development of a strong Haitian laity.


The Keynote Address was followed by a Panel Discussion, wherein:

1) Ms. Cheryl Little from the Haitian Refugee Center in Miami documented the plight of Haitian refugees and in particular the conditions of Haitians at the Krome Detention Center outside Miami (it should be noted that a group of 7 Convocation attendees visited Krome on the final day of meetings);

2) Rev. Walter Sawatzke of the Mennonite Central Committee in Miami described the proliferation of independent Haitian churches in the U.S., the inadequacy of facilities for worship for Haitian churches, and the need for leadership training; and

3) Rev. Sony Augustin, pastor of the United Methodist congregation in Brooklyn, NY, described how late our denomination was in planting Haitian churches in the U.S. and how small the UMC presence still is, at the same time that he gave a detailed account of the community-based ministry of Première Eglise Méthodiste Unie in Brooklyn.


Rev. Leslie Griffiths, former missionary to the Methodist Church of Haiti, who has written a soon-to-be-published official history of that church, delivered an address on What We Can Learn From the Methodist Church of Haiti. We in the audience were treated to an insightful history of the nature of our sister church in Haiti, her worldview, her "whole Gospel", and her incredible courage in the face of continual disasters over her 173-year history.


Another major session was led by Rev. Allan F. Kirton, General Secretary of the Caribbean Conference of Churches, who for 5 years (1975-1980) served as Chairman and General Superintendent of the Methodist Church of Haiti. He spoke on the subject of Haitian Ministry to the Majority Culture. In other words, looking at the positive impact Haitians can make on American society, rather than focusing on just the problems the recent influx of Haitians might present.


In his address on Evangelism and Congregational Development, Rev. Robert Kohler of the UMC Board of Higher Education and Ministry's Division of Ordained Ministry, outlined what denominational resources and training programs could be made immediately available for training Haitians pastors for the ordained ministry (similar to those already in existence for Hispanic and Korean congregations), but he also challenged those present to develop intermediate programs for non-ordained ministry.


Rev. Alain Rocourt, in his talk on Leadership Development in the Haitian Context, laid the foundation for WHY there is an urgent need to develop unique training programs and materials for Haitian ministry in the United States - he cited in particular Haiti's unique history, coupled with the unique cultural and linguistic realities of Haitians living in the U.S. He pointed out that many Haitians in the U.S. who present themselves for ministry come from a theologically conservative background, necessitating development of training programs that would gradually broaden their perspective. Nor can the economic reality
of Haitian church leaders be overlooked. Most are bivocational and already have large families. How can they be trained close to home? In context? He suggested the possibilities of short courses and seminars, as well as correspondence courses. And woven throughout his talk was the imperative of producing literature in Haitian Creole.


RECOMMENDATIONS:

On the final morning of the Convocation, after all of this input, 1 and 1/2 hours was spent in Strategy Groups, with the delegates discussing the issues and making recommendations to the sponsoring committee and the denomination with regard to Haitian ministry. After an additional 1 and 1/4 hours spent in plenary reporting, the following recommendations were offered:


To The National Haitian Network Committee:

- Identify more specifically demographics regarding Haitians in the U.S.;

- Identify potential leaders within the Haitian community in the U.S.;

- Produce a newsletter to network information regarding Haitian ministry to the wider UMC constituency;

- Produce a bulletin in Creole to network Haitian pastors and church workers.


To the United Methodist Church:

- Through the National Boards and World Council of Churches, continue advocacy on behalf of Haitian issues before the U.S. Congress and the U.N.;

- Develop a National United Methodist Haitian Mission (similar to the Korean and Hispanic models);

- Address the issue of the need for distributing the costs of Haitian ministry across the denomination; right now it's being borne entirely by the Districts and Conferences where the ministry takes place;

- Develop a Lay Training Center for Haitians with reference library (similar to the one in Haiti), with smaller centers in strategic areas;

- Develop curriculum materials (especially Sunday School) in Haitian Creole; translate manuals of UMC policy into Haitian Creole;

- Distribute the tapes of the UMC Haitian radio broadcast (Miami) to other Haitian population centers.


To Annual Conferences and Districts:

- Make finances available for Haitian outreach within Conferences and Districts where Haitians are concentrated (similar to the model in Miami District and Florida Conference);

- Make "user friendly" shared facilities available for newly-planted and developing Haitian congregations;

- Develop strategies for assisting Haitian congregations to find "a place of their own".


To The Association of United Methodist Theological Schools:

- Designate one UMC seminary for specialized training for Haitian ministry.


To UMC Seminaries:

- Work with the Haitian United Methodist Mission to develop curriculum materials and courses for the training of Haitians for the ordained ministry;

- Provide scholarships for needy Haitian students with a calling to the ministry.


Before closing, the Convocation expressed its thanks to Miami District Superintendent, Rev. Robert Fannin, for the fine preparation work done in his District and for the warm welcome extended. It also expressed its sincere gratitude to Mrs. Marilyn Mason for the efficient and extensive work she did in research and regular informational mailings to the delegates over the months prior to the Convocation.


Respectfully submitted,

Marilyn Mason
(for the National Haitian Network Committee)

Koutwazi / Courtesy of The Creole Clearinghouse