LCC and LCMS Visit to Haiti

President Robert Bugbee (LCC), Pastor Willy Gaspar, Dr. Albert Collver in Haiti

On Saturday, 11 February 2012, Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee, President of the Lutheran Church Canada (LCC) and Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, LCMS Director of Church Relations, arrived in Port-au-Prince Haiti. They were met by Pastor Willy Gaspar of the Dominican Lutheran Mission and Mr. Lophane Laurent at Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

Mr. Lophane Laurent Sporting the WMLT Disaster Shirt

On Sunday, 12 February 2012, the group traveled to Gonaïves to visit the headquarters of the Lutheran Church of Haiti (LCH). The Lutheran Church of Haiti is not in church fellowship with either the LCMS or the LCC, nor is it a member of the International Lutheran Council (ILC); however, a number of mission societies within the LCMS and the LCC support the Lutheran Church of Haiti. The President of the LCH is Rev. Revenal Benoit.

Pastor Benoit standing next to Pastor Gaspar (playing drums) after the service

The Lutheran Church of Haiti (LCH) is a break-away from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti (ELCH), which is in fellowship with the LCMS and a member of the ILC. A number of mission societies affiliated with either the LCMS or the LCC have been working with the LCH. Ironically, very few of the Haitian mission societies work with the LCMS' partner church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti (ELCH). Part of the reason for the visit was to check on reports from the various mission societies. This is President Bugbee's first trip to Haiti.



Worship at the main Church of Haiti in Gonaïves. The musicians were very skilled, but the music was not what we were accustomed to using in worship.



View from the top of Lutheran Church of Faith, headquarters of LCH, in Gonaïves. The other floors of the church building contain class rooms, a computer / business school, and a recording studio that serves the FM radio station and Channel 6 on the television.



The Broadcasting equipment and transmitter equipment was donated from the United States.



After visiting the church building, we traveled a short distance to a center for street boys. Approximately 25 boys, ranging in age from 4 to 12 are cared for at the center. The boys parents either had died, were unable to care for them, or put them out on the street like strays.



A stray dog wanders outside the rescue center for boys.



The remains of a fortress used by the Haitians to defend against Napoleon's attempts to retake Haiti after its revolution in 1804. Haiti has truly suffered from the time the French occupied the island in the 17th century until the present.



President Bugbee meets with Pastor Benoit of the Lutheran Church of Haiti (LCH).



Children who attended the church service.

Today, we travel from Gonaïves to Jacmel, where we will meet representatives from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti (ELCH).

-- Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations

Location:1,Gonaives,Haiti