April 13, 2006
by Alexa Smith

LOUISVILLE – Although the Worldwide Ministries Division (WMD) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has said that its mission personnel may resume work in Haiti, church leaders are urging mission groups to stay away for now.

"After assessing the security situation in Haiti and conferring with our church partners there, we decided to allow our mission workers to return," said Bill Simmons, chair of WMD's Security Team. "Violence in Haiti has subsided since elections were held in February."

WMD pulled its mission personnel out of Haiti last year when political unrest in the tiny Caribbean nation led to a surge of violence.

Although the political situation is more stable now, Simmons said the risk of kidnapping is still high. He said Haiti may be calmer after more elections later this spring.

"We're not inviting people back yet," he said, referring to mission teams across the denomination. "We just can't do that."

With a better grasp of the culture and language, full-time mission personnel are better prepared to make judgements about security than short-term visitors, Simmons said.

He added, "When the situation stabilizes further, WMD will revisit this decision."

PC(USA) mission personnel left Haiti last June amid escalating violence, including kidnappings and killings related to drug trafficking and political turmoil. At the request of church partners in Haiti, who said they could not adequately protect visitors, the denomination urged volunteer mission groups not to go there.

Maria Arroyo, WMD's liaison to Haiti, said: "We appreciate the interest of grassroots Presbyterians in Haiti and the work they do there. But we do not believe it is wise for them to travel to Haiti now. We will continue to monitor the situation closely."

Scores of Presbyterian churches have ties to parishes, clinics and hospitals in Haiti, partly because of its close proximity to the United States. (It is east of Cuba and Jamaica, just 700 miles from Miami.)

Presbyterian News Service
Some material for this story was provided by Pat Cole, WMD's communications associate.