COGOP In The Throes of Haiti Quake

It has been more than 48 hours since a 7.0 quake pummeled Port-auPrince, capital of Haiti, demolishing the already tenuous existence of millions in this nation that shares an island with the Dominican Republic. The Church of God of Prophecy, its members, and ministries have not escaped unscathed. The National Overseer, Bishop Jean Claude Dorlean, althrough reported to be safe, has not been able to make contact with our International Offices. Five of the orphans at the Leogane Orphanage administered by the church died apparently when the Girls Dormitory collapsed. Two adult workers are also confirmed dead. Brother Pierre Richard Mirand, Orphanage Administrator, who was appointed to the post at the 2006 convention, reports that the orphanage walls, the sea wall (the orphanage is on the west coast of the island), and the Administrator's home all sustained extensive damage. Twelve of the children were injured, two seriously enough to require Bishop Dorlean to undertake a four hour journey with them to one of the few hospitals left standing on the island.

The ground is still shaking periodically in Haiti as there have been more than 50 aftershocks since the initial earthquake, with some of these tremors exceeding 5.0 on the Richter Scale. The 68 surviving children and staff are in dire straits outside the walls of the orphanage compound in a field about 900 meters from the orphanage, fearful of further aftershocks.

The Church of God of Prophecy in Haiti has been led by Bishop Dorlean since 2002 and currently has more than 75,000 members, with 263 churches and 156 licensed ministers, with a number of schools, and a clinic among its various ministries. Brother Mirand, who also serves as a district overseer, noted some of the broader impact of the tragedy, reporting that of the 11 churches in his region, only one is still standing and he is unsure of the shape it's in. Two of his pastors have children who are trapped in their school building. He has been unable to make contact with many of his pastors, a number of whom are already know to be among the missing.

The normal communication challenges experienced in Haiti have been exacerbated by the destruction of telephone lines and cell towers, and the overloading of the system by the massive numbers of people attempting to reach friends, relatives, and colleagues. Currently, the system is only allowing two minutes calls before an automatic disconnect mechanism disrupts service.

At this time, we do not have detailed information regarding the stats of the National Office, school and headquarters church on Dwight Eisenhower Boulevard, where conventions are typically held, although Brother Mirand thinks that this complex escaped serious damage, except for a few walls and some minor damage to the school.

A team of leaders from the Republic, led by Panama Overseer, Flavio Rosario and Pastor Quiterio Rosario, have gone into Haiti to try to assess the situation and make contact with Bishop Dorlean. I urge you to call on all those who know God to pray for safety, wisdom, protection, and provision for these leaders and all the people of Haiti. Donations can be made by going to the International Office website, http://www.cogop.org/ and also through our standard procedures. Individuals may contribute through our Helping Hand Ministry and local churches through Harvest Partners (Level Two) Ministry. Please designate your financial contribution for Haitit-Disaster Relief-2010 Earthquake.