Haitian Nazarene Conference informs, challenges

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Port St. Lucie, Florida

With a heart of gratitude and a rekindled spirit to seek God, Haitian Nazarenes from across the U.S. and Canada met from July 12 to 15 at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center in Florida for the 2012 National Haitian Nazarene Conference. The conference was under the leadership of USA/Canada Haitian Ministries Director Pascal Permis, Southern Florida District Superintendent David Nixon, and Global Ministry Center staff members.

Permis emphasized the threefold purpose of the gathering: to challenge God's people and to be challenged as leaders to holy living, to inform leaders and lay people about the basic operation of the Church of the Nazarene, and to renew fellowship and camaraderie among colleagues and God's people.

Worship services were led by Renet Permis, pastor of the Indiantown, Florida, Evangelical Church of the Nazarene and Wilner Jean Pierre, pastor of the Bradenton, Florida, First Haitian Church of the Nazarene. The evening services averaged more than 700 people in attendance.

"These are people who came to seek God, and [they] met him in a very remarkable way," Pascal Permis said.

The services were described as being like an old-fashioned revival — after the preaching ended, people young and old flooded to the front of the room to seek God through prayer.

"God truly knows our spiritual thirst," Pascal Permis said. "Through the preaching ministry, he has used his servants like [conference speakers] Dr. Nixon, Brother Lionel Y. Latouche Jr., Ms. Gabrielle Pierre, and Dr. Oliver Phillips to make us aware of the need to restore our relationship with God so that the glory of God can truly be in our midst."

The conference also informed pastors and lay people of the importance of being team players in reaching the lost for Jesus Christ. Workshops were conducted on topics designed to make people aware of their interconnectedness as the people of God within the Church of the Nazarene. Bill Wiesman, Evangelism and New Church Development director for the Church of the Nazarene, conducted a workshop on reaching the lost through new churches.

Other workshop instructors included: David Nixon, Southern Florida district superintendent; Dennis Moore, Southern Florida Nazarene Missions International president; Roy Shuck, Southern Florida Work and Witness coordinator; Luc Pierre, pastor of the Brooklyn, New York, New Jerusalem Church of the Nazarene; Dumerzier Charles, pastor of the Newark, New Jersey, Good Shepherd Church of the Nazarene; John K. Paul, Southern Florida district treasurer; Gabrielle Pierre; Lionel Latouche Jr.; and Pascal Permis.
--Multicultural Ministries

 

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