April 21, 2010 -Port-au-Prince, Haiti….[Libna Stevens/IAD]
Seventh-day Adventist President Pastor Jan Paulsen visitedthe earthquake-stricken city of Port-au-Prince during a special pastoral visit lastSabbath. Accompanied byInter-American Division administrators and several neighboring unionpresidents, he ministered to and showed solidarity with the vast churchmembership of 346,000 in Haiti and spoke exclusively to church leaders andpastors during the one-day visit on Apr. 17, 2010.
Nearly 600 Adventists were killed by the Jan. 12 quake.Thousands more were left homeless, and dozens of churches and schools wereflattened.
“It is with very mixed emotions that I stand here with you,”said Pastor Paulsen as he spoke to over 1,000 at Adventist Temple No. 1. It wasin this temple that 22 choir members were crushed to death when the quake hit.
“I am so pleased to see your resilience,” he said, “yet witha sad feeling, as we are standing on sacred ground; not because it is a houseof worship, but because so many brethren died here while they were preparingfor evangelism efforts.”
The Adventist leader prayed for the church and familymembers of those who died in the tragedy.
During his first visit to the Caribbean nation, PastorPaulsen took a tour of the Adventist university campus, where nearly 20,000 displacedpersons are still taking shelter. He met with the staff at the AdventistHospital, and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) warehouse inHaiti and praised their extraordinary work. He also visited several churches.
Church leaders from seven Inter-American unions also joinedin the eight-hour tour and brought special offering funds from their respectiveterritories to help in the rebuilding of churches.
Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church inInter-America said he was very pleased that Pastor Paulsen and union presidentswere able to visit the country. “The church and the people of Haiti should know about the caring spiritof the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” Pastor Leito said.
“I sit here in utter amazement at the response which yoursister unions in this area have given and which this division has given to yourneeds,” said Pastor Paulsen as he addressed more than 2,500 church members andleaders at the Adventist Bible Auditorium. “I also know what the rest of theworld family is doing and that it is continuing to help you and will continue tofor months.”
“I know of no event in recent history which has done more toconsolidate the sense of family inside the global Adventist Church towards ourchurch in any one nation like the earthquake in Haiti has,” he added.
“I am amazed by the fact that so many of our members here inHaiti care for clearing buildings and preparing houses of worship before theybegin to think about having a house for themselves,” Pastor Paulsen said. “I am truly proud to be amember of this church.”
Pastor Paulsen also paid tribute to the church leaders andmembers for the way they responded to the major crisis when it hit. “I see the services that ADRA provides,I see the services that the hospital provides and I have a warm feeling in myheart because I know that that is the kind of service that Christ wants toextend to the people.”
As he delivered his spiritual message on Matthew 25 tothousands in attendance and many more listening to the radio broadcast in otherchurches throughout the rest of the nation, Pastor Paulsen stated that it isnot how much one knows or how well one answers questions about the Bible buthow we treat each other.
“Spirituality is defined by how we behave; conduct definesor it denies all spirituality” the Adventist leader said. “Haiti is a nation inneed and each one of you is surrounded by someone in need, so the service thatyou provide as a Seventh-day Adventist in reaching out to people in need isaffirmed by God as being good.”
Upon quoting the Book of Titus, Pastor Paulsen encouragedSeventh-day Adventists to practice their faith and their conduct.
“My wish for you is that you will live godly lives, that youwill join me in cleaning up our lives and that in your life you willdemonstrate conscious interest and care in the working of the people you meetevery day,” he concluded.
The message spoke loud and clear to Guirlene Louis whoattended the service. “It is so wonderful to have the president of our worldchurch visit us and remind us that we must help those in need, because thereare so many that need help,” said Louis a Seventh-day Adventistsince birth who lost her home along with several family members.
“The message went straight to my heart,” said Jean ClaudeLallemand who is a high school teacher on the campus of the Haitian AdventistUniversity. “We must continue to come closer to each other and help those wemeet.”
Coming closer together and reaching out more into thecommunity was Pastor Paulsen’s core message during his one-hour conversationwith local church leaders and pastors on Sabbath afternoon. He also encouraged the gathering tokeep upholding the Bible truths the Adventist Church has always followed and motivatedthem to continue being an effective part of their communities by engaging withother organizations to better their communities.
To view a photo gallery of the day’s event, click here
