Christian ministry in Haiti loses its long-time leader

Odenor St. Cyr, the long-time director of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee's partner organization, Haitian Program for Training Diaconal Organizations (PWOFOD), was shot to death in Port au Prince Tuesday, Sept. 18, reports MNN.

Leanne Geisterfer, Latin America team leader for the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, reports that the attackers shot St. Cyr several times while he and his wife were driving away from church on Tuesday evening.

Geisterfer said she believes the shooting was a random act of violence and likely started as a kidnapping attempt.

"This is a hard blow for the Christian community in Port au Prince. We have lost a cherished leader," Geisterfer said.

"Odenor was passionate about churches working in their neighborhoods. He was respected and loved by those who knew him."

St. Cyr was employed by PWOFOD for 15 years, most recently as its director. PWOFOD is a Christian community development organization working with churches in the poorest urban neighborhoods of Port au Prince, empowering church leaders to reach out into the community with capacity-building training in small business ownership and adult literacy, among other programs.

PWOFOD is one of six CRWRC partners in Haiti. CRWRC has been in Haiti since 1975 and currently works with other Christian Reformed organizations under the name "Sous Espwa," Source of Hope, from offices in Port au Prince.

Ongoing socio-economic instability continues to plague Haiti despite the presence of U.N. peacekeeping forces and the Preval government, which was democratically elected in February 2006. Violence, corruption, and poverty remain a way of life for many of Haiti's citizens.

"Pray and work for an end to the senseless violence that plagues so many countries in our world," Geisterfer asked. "God's peace be with us all."

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[01/03/2008]

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