Newburgh - It was a night of togetherness, prayer, love and hope at the Baptist Temple on Sunday. Here, close to 75 people from all denominations came together for a common cause: the rebuilding of Haiti, financially, spiritually, and emotionally devastated by a recent earthquake.
The three week old tragedy has left thousands dead; many others remain without families and homeless, on the brink of survival. However, Sunday’s purpose had little to do with grief, rather it opted to focus on something else.
"The message today is hope," said Elder Dextro Tiller as he led one of the evening’s many prayers.
Tiller was part of a dual effort, spearheaded by the Christian Ministerial Fellowship of Newburgh as well as the NAACP Newburgh/Highland Falls. The focus was on a community-wide prayer, accompanied by a fundraising effort for the victims in Haiti.
It is the first of several more to come.
"We wanted to do something here in Newburgh to show the Haitian community we are trying to do something to help out," explained Reverend Harry Brown, Jr., a Youth Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church and Vice President of the Christian Ministerial Fellowship. "This will be a continuing process, as it is going to take a very long time to get the people of Haiti back, and we want them to be even better than they were before."
Part of the Haiti disaster has roots right here in Newburgh. It’s estimated that about 5% of the Newburgh population is Haitian. Many of them regularly attend services at the L’Arche D’alliance, located on City Terrace in Newburgh. There, they are led by Pastor Nazeire Kebreau, who was also on hand for the Vigil/Fundraiser. Kebreau was flanked by several Christian Ministerial Fellowship as well as NAACP members during a community prayer near the front stage of Baptist Temple. Offered words of hope for his people, Kebreau had witnessed the direct effect of the earthquake’s tragedy on its Newburgh faction immediately following its occurrence.
"My congregation was so shocked when we got the news, trying to figure out whether family and friends were alive," recalled Kebreau. "We prayed all night, and we still continue to keep Haiti in our prayers every day."
By far the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti was already deeply hurting prior to the earthquake’s terror. For many throughout the world, the rampant devastation seems senseless, illogical. However, Sunday’s message stayed the course, zoning in on now and the future, rather than yesterday and all the whys.
"Our faith in God has to be foresighted," urged Reverend Byron E. Williams, Sr. Pastor as well as President of the Christian Fellowship and NAACP local chapter. "It’s easy to try to say why things might have happened; however, true faith is about now and how we can help." He added, "This is an opportunity for us to do good, to be a blessing for someone else."
Williams went on to explain how just one dollar in the hands of a Haitian can feel like a million. Dickie Peterson, the Vice President of the local NAACP chapter, resonated Williams’ words by explaining how a donation as small as fifty cents could buy two bottles of water, saving a Haitian from dire thirst. Peterson further relayed another parallel.
"Most black people in this country are just a paycheck away from being in Haiti," Peterson reminded the crowd. "I will be back here to help out; these people are hurting."
Following Peterson’s comments, attendees came to the front of the Temple, contributing whatever donations they could to baskets designated for the Haiti cause.
The fundraising efforts will continue for some time. If you were unable to attend Sunday’s service and offer a donation, you may do so by mailing one to Christian Ministerial Fellowship, P.O. Box 2176, Newburgh, NY 12550.
All monies raised at Sunday’s service, as well as those mailed to the Fellowship, will go directly to benefit the country of Haiti in this time of incredible need.
