“Haitian Migrants, the SBC, and the Need for a Prophetic Protestant Haitian American Church”

Most Haitian pastors rarely defend in public or in their congregations the rights of the Haitian people to live and exist as human beings, nor do they denounce the abuse, oppression, and human rights violation the Haitian people experience, both in Haiti and Haitian Diaspora (i.e. the United States)

Haitian Christian (Protestant) congregations are silent about the suffering and predicament of Haitian migrants and undocumented refugees in Del Rio, Texas and elsewhere in the United States.

More than 488 Haitian American congregations are affiliated with The Southern Baptist Convention, the most politically influential Evangelical denomination in the United States. I have not seen a single (local, state, and national) SBC leader denounce the mistreatment of Haitian migrants in Texas. This denomination has been consistently silent on Black suffering and the violence and racism launched toward Black Christians and Christians of color, correspondingly.

What is the use of the SBC leadership to Haitian Christians and churches if it is unable to defend the dignity and humanity of Haitian migrants? The defense of the vulnerable (migrants) and the poor is a “Gospel and justice issue.” Perhaps, now is the time for Haitian churches to leave the SBC.

What is the use of Haitian pastors and ministers if they continue to be silent about the suffering of the economically-challenged and marginalized Haitians?

What is the use of Haitian Protestant churches if they’re unable to put their prophetic hats on to shout HAITIAN LIVES MATTER and that Haitian migrants should be treated as HUMAN BEINGS. The Haitian American Church has no prophetic voice and no political consciousness. There is not a single drop of blood of activism in its veins.

Arguably, the Haitian-American Protestant church is in the midst of a prophetic vision crisis. It is time to rethink about ecclesiastical leadership in Haitian American churches and the SBC. We are also dealing with a question of value and moral conundrum in Haitian American Christianity and the SBC.