February 1, 2010
A Concert of Prayer and Consolation for the people of Haiti was held on Saturday evening, January 30, at Broward Community College in North Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The event, organized by Haitian Alliance pastors, as well as evangelical and community leaders, was attended by more than 500 people who gathered to show support for the suffering people of Haiti. Prominent musicians offered their services and shared their encouragement in song; clergy, community, and government leaders offered prayer and words of hope.
Early in the service, Haiti’s national anthem was sung by Haitian attendees, conveying a sense of longing for the healing of their land as well as hope for its future. Immediately afterward, the United States national anthem was sung. It symbolized the partnership of two nations and the joining of the U.S. Alliance church to the people of Haiti for their support.
Alliance President Dr. Gary Benedict and Rev. John Soper, vice president for U.S. C&MA Church Ministries, attended the event and offered words of comfort. John encouraged those present with Psalm 100, “The Lord is God, and the Lord is good.” Dr. Benedict stated, “When one member of the Body of Christ hurts, we all hurt.” He affirmed that the Alliance family is responding with prayer and resources to join the global effort to bring hope to Haiti.
One participant said, “We see the pictures on the television, we hear the numbers in the thousands of those who have died and are unaccounted for. And yet each number represents a son or daughter, a father or mother, a friend, or a loved one. Even as they are buried in mass graves, they had names-they will not be forgotten. As the world responds to care for and join the Haitian people in rebuilding a city, even a nation, we pray that God will be their shelter, their strong tower.”
Pictures of Haiti before the earthquake and after were presented, showing the faces of this tragedy. After the program as people lingered, they shared experiences-those who had been there and endured the earthquake, those who had heard from family and friends, and those who still were hopefully waiting for news.
The next morning, Gary Benedict and John Soper visited four of the Haitian C&MA churches in the Southeastern District, offering encouragement to the Haitian believers and assuring them they are not alone in their suffering. When asked in one church how many had lost friends or loved ones, nearly everyone in the congregation raised their hands.
“In spite of the incredible suffering and pain,” says John, “I want to report that the brothers and sisters are strong in their faith and full of the hope that can only come from a faith rooted in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There is great unity among these people and an incredible sense of gratitude for what the rest of the Alliance community has already done for them and has promised to do going forward. ‘Now I really know that I am part of the Alliance family’ was a comment that I heard over and over again.”
Even in the midst of the shock and grief of this devastating event, the constant theme was one of hope in God and that Haiti will be rebuilt. As one speaker said, “[Haiti] will be a beacon of light.”
What You Can Do
Partner with CAMA by donating to the Haiti Relief Fund.