HAITI: 40 000 PEOPLE PROFESS CHRIST AFTER EARTHQUAKE

A reported 40 127 Haitians have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ since a major earthquake hit the impoverished nation in January 2010, according to pastors and directors of missions within the Confraternite Missionaire Baptiste d'Haiti (CMBH), an Association of 900 Haitian Baptist Churches. "Haiti is ripe for a spiritual movement from God," said Craig Culbreth, one of the directors. During 16 - 17 February a citywide holiday observance in Cap Haitien, Haiti's second largest city, Culbreth saw "thousands upon thousands filling the streets where people are seeking God and asking Him to spare them from what happened in Port-au-Prince. For me, it was a New Testament expression of what it looks like when the Spirit of God reveals Himself. I have never seen anything like it." Culbreth compared the window of opportunity where the people are hungry for the Gospel to the United States after 9/11 when hundreds flocked to churches. He cited recent events in many of the 110 churches in the Port-au-Prince area where throngs of people have been seeking spiritual guidance in church meetings, which have been held outdoors because Haitians feared to enter buildings. Church leaders have reported 28 000 salvations in the Ouest (Port-au-Prince) Association. Many conver-sions took place during the three days of prayer and fasting called for by the Haitian Govern-ment (February 12 - 14). "People were in the streets, literally begging God for forgiveness and mercy." Professions of faith have also been reported by various medical and disaster relief teams as volunteers shared the Gospel. The next three months will be crucial to reaping a spiritual harvest in Haiti, Culbreth said. CMBH leaders are planning 14 area-wide crusades, including four in Port-au-Prince. Source: Barbara Denman, Joel News International 721, March 2010.