Haiti Bible Institute (HBI) was founded in 2009 and is directed by Jim Bearss. Jim and his wife, Anna, are serving through On Target Ministry equipping national pastors, a work supported by Grace Bible Church.
From September 27 to October 6, I will return to Haiti to teach at HBI. This is the fourth cohort of students taught through this school since 2009. This group of fifteen students has been vetted as men who are faithful and active in ministry. They are eager and committed to learning rich doctrinal truth from Scripture, as well as developing the skill of “rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). I will be teaching two courses – the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and the book of First Corinthians.
The good news is this time that I am in Haiti, two of the teachers will be HBI graduates! Several HBI students have now achieved advanced degrees and are recognized as qualified men to teach other Haitian students. This is a fulfillment of the HBI vision as prescribed in 2 Timothy 2:2 “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” HBI is now accredited by the Haitian Ministry of Education which is an important recognition for the pastor-teachers who have received degrees from the institute and are ministering to the Haitian community.
In each module the students receive sixteen hours of instruction and must pass an exam for each course. After the module the students are required to teach twelve hours in their churches from what they have learned in the HBI module in order to receive credit for the courses. Each module consists of six courses, so this is a rigorous eight days for these students – they spend twelve hours per day in class. But this very poor island nation is greatly benefiting from the commitment of these student/ministers. Light is dawning.
Please pray for them,
1) that they will have safe passage to and from the module
2) that they will have the strength and presence of mind to persevere the rigors of the module
3) that the Spirit will develop in each of them a deep delight and an accurate grasp of His Word
4) that these men will faithfully communicate the riches of God’s grace to the people of Haiti.
Key to getting Jim Bearss to Haiti to train pastors, and the founding of HBI was our friend Predestin Herard who just visited us this past weekend at Grace. Predesitn is a pastor-teacher and educator/administrator of My Father’s House – also supported by Grace Bible Church. At our church picnic gathering last weekend he gave an account of the status and challenges of operating My Father’s House I & II which encompass an orphanage housing and educating 200 children, a school teaching 250 students, and a trade school for 70-100 students. The monthly expense for this work is approximately $20,000 for food and a thirteen-member staff. Lately, because of the civil unrest in Haiti (Predestin moved his wife and daughter to the Dominican Republic for threat of kidnapping), and diminished support, My Father’s House operates with a monthly deficit averaging $11,000 – their financial resources of late have been less than half of their monthly needs. Obviously, they have had to cut back on school days and food rations for the orphanage.
Over the next two weekends we are collecting a love offering for My Father’s House in Haiti. Would you please prayerfully consider how you might give to help the needs of this impactful ministry? When you give, please make your check out to Grace Bible Church, and write “Haiti” in the memo line. May we “excel in this act of grace,” as our “abundance at the present time should supply their need” (2Cor. 8:7-14).
Thank you for your prayer support and caring generosity.
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