"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3
In 2021 we rejoice with our partner in Haiti, the Jerusalem Baptist Church, as they celebrate 100 years of ministry in Fort Liberte! Remarkably, our beloved Andre Jean was pastor of the church for 50 of those 100 years, and continues to serve as Pastor Emeritus.
Pastor Andre has told us "the very week that man landed on the moon, I landed in Fort Liberte." That was July 1969, and because he and his lovely wife, Justine, believed God had called them there, they remained. The partnership with U.S. churches began just a few years later, when Dr. S. Robert Weaver, a minister from St. Albans, W. Va., visited Haiti on a mission tour. Hundreds and hundreds of volunteers have made the trip in the years since, joining Andre and the JBC in their vision to serve the physical, as well as the spiritual, needs of their poor congregation, following the example of Jesus. All the visitors were greeted as friends, cared for in the ever expanding parsonage, and treated like family.
As Pastor Andre approached retirement, many were concerned about how he would live, realizing he had no formal retirement plan in place. The church generously gave him land behind the Clinic, and family and friends built him a beautiful home. But his income has depended on the generosity of a couple of faithful U.S. churches, one of whom has had to discontinue in this last year of the pandemic. In appreciation of Pastor Andre, and in honor of his 50 years of service, the FFL Board would like to any and all friends to give to a Love Offering for Pastor Andre. Let's show our love to this most remarkable and beloved friend.
"In all my prayers for all of you, I pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." Philippians 1:4
