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The Mission Society co-hosted an International Mobilization Conference in Borel, Haiti on January 14-18, 2013. The event took place just after the third anniversary of the devastating earthquake that claimed 316,000 lives.

The Mission Society collaborated with International Christian Development Mission (ICDM) to host the training event for Haitian leaders. ICDM, directed by the Rev. Yvan Pierre, was founded in 1989 with the vision for a better future for Haiti.

The five-day conference was attended by 85 Haitian leaders from 70 different churches. . In addition to the Global Outreach Seminar, sessions included the topics of  crossing cultural barriers with the gospel, discipleship, and oral inductive Bible study through storytelling.

The Mission Society’s vice president for mission mobilization and training, and resident missiologist, Dr. Darrell Whiteman, led the sessions on cross-cultural communication. Mission Society missionary Dr. Denny Heiberg taught sessions on discipleship. A Mission Society missionary who cannot be named for security purposes taught the participants the method of “storytelling” – a way of teaching scripture by presenting the stories orally. ICDM president Yvan Pierre led sessions on prayer and kingdom partnerships. Guenson Charlot, the pastor of Evangelical Discipleship Church in Cap Haitian, taught sessions on mission and God as a missionary God. Claudia Hessing, who is originally from Jamaica and works with the local church in Haiti, led a teaching time focused on global giving. Thony Jean Louis, who is the assistant pastor at Shalom Assembly Fundamental Baptist Church and also works part-time with World Vision, also led sessions.

Thony Jean Louis reflected on the event, “I was privileged last year to be present at the first international mobilization conference. What I learned has impacted my family, my friends, and also my church.

“I started telling Bible stories every night to my two boys, who are six and two years old. I also started a small group of 10 men and women whom I have been discipling. Our church was privileged to be exposed to this type of teaching during the entire year. We even had a sermon series on mission the last quarter of our fiscal year. As one of the many results, our mission budget went from 7% to 12 % for this year!

“What I have learned this year reinforced my convictions about what I called ‘sharing the wealth of the gospel’ with others. The treasure of the gospel entrusted to us needs to be passed on to our congregation and also the next generation.

“This is just the beginning of a great revolution in our evangelical community for the promotion of the kingdom of God. This is a dream coming true for me – to reach Haitian people who will themselves contribute to reach the world for Christ. Thank you for coming along side of us to make it happen. To God be the glory!”

The Mission Society is planning another training event in Haiti next year.