Southwestern team ministers to physical and spiritual needs in Haiti

In Creve, Haiti, drinking a glass of water often requires more than the turn of a faucet handle. For many people in the community, finding water free of life-threatening bacteria requires a lengthy trip to the nearest safe source. Their physical needs are great, but Southwestern Ph.D. student Precois Norcilus says there is also a significant spiritual need.

Voodoo is a prevalent part of Haitian culture and, although there have been many salvations in this Caribbean island nation, some who claim to follow Christ combine their Christian faith with elements of Voodoo. Oftentimes, Norcilus says, this is a result of a lack of discipleship opportunities and reflects a need for theological training of local pastors and lay leaders.

From May 27-June 6, a team of five Southwestern students and faculty worked in the community of Creve, located in the northwest corner of Haiti, in order to meet the physical needs of the people as well as to evangelize the community and offer training to leaders who have been called to serve in ministry. “The Gospel is the backbone of everything we do,” Norcilus says. “In whatever we are doing, if we are not sharing the Gospel, we are wasting our time and resources.”

One of the ways in which the team ministered to the physical needs of the people was through a partnership with Water4Nations, an organization that gives communities access to clean water. Throughout the week, the team worked alongside Water4Nations and built three gravity-driven water purification towers, which will provide the entire community access to clean water.

Bachelor of Arts student Jim Sprouse says it was important to provide access to such a vital, basic resource, but that it also served as a platform to engage in spiritual conversations and share the message of the Gospel. “In this way, we were able to provide for their physical needs, but I had the opportunity to use this to help with their spiritual needs as well,” Sprouse says.

“On the Sunday before we left,” he continues, “I shared with many of the people in the community about how Jesus provides us with living water so that we never thirst again. These water purification systems become a springboard for the Gospel message.”

Even in just the three years that Southwestern teams have traveled to Creve, they have seen a multiplication of the number of both believers and church leaders. However, one of the challenges has become the need for theological education for leaders and discipleship of new believers.

As a solution, another ministry established the Bible Institute of Creve in 2015. A year later, 35 students are currently enrolled, including pastors who have never received formal training as well as lay leaders who desire to be better equipped for ministry.

“There is a lot of hunger for theological truth and biblical knowledge in Haiti,” Norcilus says. “Having the Bible Institute is the first step to introducing theological education. Now with the Bible Institute, leaders will be equipped to do Kingdom work.”

Throughout the week, dozens of students and other members of the community came to the institution to learn about teaching students with different learning styles as well as to take a class on discipleship. Specifically noting the importance of discipleship, Norcilus says the only thing that will bring about transformation is the Word of God.

“Without solid biblical teaching, many people with a Voodoo background fall back into practicing some of that,” he says. “So it’s important to have more than just the head knowledge of the Gospel—to see actual transformation.”