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It is one of the most rewarding moments in ministry to have one of your own students ordained to full time ministry. This past Sunday, I was privileged to participate in the ordination of Jean Esperance, one of my past Haitian students who sat with me through 2. 5 years of Bible Training.
Jean serves in one of the few churches on the island for Haitians, and he is of an even smaller minority of church leaders who have received training. One of the most amazing things about his certificate from the Training Center is the fact that he went through all of it with English as his second language.
During our classes in Rock Sound, I used to pick up Jean in the van on our ride down to the classroom. We would talk about ministry and the challenges facing the church in Gregory Town, as well as delve deeper in the present content of whichever class we were in at the time. Jean always greets you with a smile and a positive attitude, even in the mindset of the most difficult ministry moments.
The ceremony this weekend was a traditionally long 3 hour service filled with many church leaders and all the pastors from the various Haitian churches on Eleuthera. Jean’s church is called Lighthouse Baptist and they have an amazing choir that lifted many numbers during the service. As a non-creole speaker, I was awestruck at their worship and I joined in as best as possible, however I’m sure it was comical to my neighbor as I attempted the pronunciations on the screen. It is always such a blessing to listen to the children of God sing their praise in another language (a foretaste to the Kingdom choir at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Along with Jean’s ordination another member from that Rock Sound class, August Hilaire, was licensed to the church’s preaching ministry.
I give thanks to God for the continuing work He is accomplishing in the lives of my past students. I ran in to a friend at the airport from another past class, and she said she had been recently ordained to full time ministry as well. Please keep these servants in prayer as they seek to establish the churches on Eleuthera, and pray especially for Pastor Jean as he begins his new position of shepherding the flock in Gregory Town.
2 Timothy 2:2 – “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”