The National Baptist community will join forces with the Baptist Caribbean Fellowship in an effort to provide financial relief to families affected by the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti on October 6, according to president of the Bahamas Christian Council Bishop Delton Fernander.
Fernander revealed that the delegation will travel to Haiti on Monday.
“Once they compiled their reports from this trip they will then tell us what Haiti is in need of and how we can help as a Baptist denomination,” he said. “I am excited that this denomination has already made movement and will move on Monday so that they can have the reports ready so we can do our part as a Christian Council.
“Whatever is needed, once that report comes in, we will pull information from that and our assistance to those in need will be financial.”
The 5.9 earthquake claimed the lives of 18 people a little over one week ago.
Records suggest that 583 persons were injured during that quake and hundreds remain displaced.
Bishop Fernander confirmed that the Baptist Caribbean Fellowship will also be extending its assistance to persons affected by Hurricane Michael which swept the Florida panhandle last week.
Critics of the Bahamas Christian Council have suggested that the religious body has lost its steam and focus as it relates to helping the impoverished here at home, but Bishop Fernander strongly refuted those claims on Wednesday.
“I heard some of the reports where people have been saying that the Christian Council has not helped Bahamians. That’s erroneous,” he said.
“Every time there is a hurricane locally we help. We would have just assisted Crooked Island the other day. When all others turned their back, the council sent a cheque down there to the tune of some $10,000.”
He continued, “sometimes people go on record and make statements about the church to make us look like we do not do anything but those claims are erroneous.”
