Haiti theological training to focus on the church's foundation in Christ.

Photo by Roselanne Cadet

Ludovic St. Fleur (center) with Haitian church leaders at a theological training in 2010. St. Fleur pastors two Haitian Brethren congregations in Florida, and is a key leader in the Haiti mission. He is one of those traveling from the US to help lead the 2012 theological training seminar for the Haitian church.

The sixth annual theological training seminar of L’Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti) will take place Aug. 13-16 and will conclude with a day of church business on Aug. 17. A final worship service will include the licensing of 19 new ministers.

A key text from 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 will form the theme for the week, "The Church's Foundation Is Christ." Participants will focus on the pre-eminence of Christ as a person for the Church of the Brethren, particularly represented in the church's understanding of Jesus as the Prince of Peace.

The training will review related Church of the Brethren concepts, such as the idea that as followers of Jesus, the Church of the Brethren is a living peace church, and the Church of the Brethren peace position as evidenced in its church polity. The Haitian Brethren will consider as well the belief that there should be no force in religion.

Other aspects of church life that will be presented include the structure of an annual gathering of delegates to determine the church’s life together as a body and questions such as, What is a delegate? How are delegates determined? And the question, what constitutes a church? These are just a few of the church-formation issues the theological training seminar aims to address.

Approximately 75 leaders in the Haitian congregations are expected to attend, representing the 24 churches and preaching points in the denomination. Leadership will include Annual Conference moderator Robert Krouse, mission and service executive Jay Wittmeyer, Ludovic St. Fleur who pastors two Miami (Fla.) congregations, and Dominican pastors Isaias Santo Teña and Pedro Sanchez.

This annual seminar is intended to become the annual conference of L'Eglise des Freres Haitiens. This year's theme will reinforce that goal and give a framework to lead in this direction.

-- Anna Emrick is coordinator of the Global Mission and Service Office of the Church of the Brethren.

Source:8/9/2012 Newsline