Urge Release of 10 Baptist Missionaries to Haiti

By Richard Land - Feb 9, 2010 - 4 -

Dear Friends:

Last Friday, the Haitian government decided to charge 10 Baptists, who are citizens of the United States, with kidnapping and criminal association for attempting to take 33 Haitian children out of that devastated country to a place of safety and care. This is an outrage.

Our nation’s churches are giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to relief efforts for the people of Haiti, and these Christian men and women sought to do even more to help alleviate the suffering of some Haitian children. While they may have been operating from a lack of knowledge about the appropriate process for their humanitarian efforts, we are confident that their intentions were not nefarious.

At this point, it appears that the Haitian government does not intend to release these well-meaning men and women. Their best hope lies in God and in American believers to move our government to press firmly for their release.

Here’s how you can help. If you share our dismay over the Haitian government’s decision, please contact your representative and senators, as well as President Obama, and urge them to do everything in their power to demand the release of these 10 U.S. citizens. For contact information, or to send them a suggested email or one entirely your own, please visit our “Take Action” page on the ERLC’s Web site here.

Thank you for voicing your concern on behalf of our fellow believers.

In His Service,

Dr. Richard Land
President
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Southern Baptist Convention

Further Learning

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1 On Feb 10th, 2010, at 7:27pm, Sean M. Reeves wrote:

Dear Dr. Land,
It became painfully obvious when the first Haitian Defense Attorney quit, I knew in my heart that they were not going to pay extorsion/ransom fees for their release. That is why he quit. Why should we pay fees if we wern’t doing any wrong? My only suggestion, because our Government is to spineless to act, is to threaten to withdraw all humanitarian aid donated by Chuches nationwide until their release. I know this hurts the people of Haiti, but what else can we do? They have to feel the pain they are inflicting on us good Americans at home. Where is the news on all the bullying and raping of the women by the Haitian men? Where are the Haitian police? My point is, there is a lot worst stuff going on, unchecked, that makes this look so petty in comparison. The Churches of America must unite for this common cause for all missionaries in the future.

2 On Feb 16th, 2010, at 6:48am, Luther Butler wrote:

S.B.C.condemns President Obama. So. Baptist missionaries have broken Haiti laws, the Baptist authorities expect Obama to get them out of jail. I pray the missionaries be released unharmed. I pray that the Southern Baptist will help and pray for the president.
Obama is condemned on his stand to let same sex people serve in the military. Gays and lesbians have had to lie about their sexual orientation, Baptist preachers are granted exemption from military service. Baptist chaplains in the military have given their lives serving. I am proud of them.
3. Obama is condemned for his stand on abortion. Having served in intercity missions in the slums of Louisville and having known that women bled to death in the bathtub aborting because they could not support the children they already had, I welcomed legalizing abortions. Safe sex by using methods of birth control is the right way to prevent conception, but many of our women, like the rest of us, do not do what is best to prevent conception.

3 On Feb 16th, 2010, at 5:30pm, Florence Roads wrote:

Why should these US Baptist citizans be exempt from obeying the laws of Haiti and expect a quick “get out of jail free card” just becuause the US is rightly involved in massive humanitarian aid to the country from which they tried to remove children illegally. 

From what one reads on the websites, 8 possibly 9 of the 10 acted naively and without proper thought or preperation for their ill-conceived “rescue mission”. It’s pity they didn’t volunteer their services to a properly funded and accredited missionary organization such as Samaritans Purse or a Baptist Denominational Society.  The leader however, obviously has a dubious past, has apparently been colluding with a suspected child trafficker and seems to have been aiming to make a profit from this venture in order to cover her debts in Idaho. She should ceratainly be subject to the due processes of Haitian and International Law and,if proven guilty, banned from working with children ever again in any country.

4 On Apr 5th, 2010, at 4:28am, Paul Thompson wrote:

Dr. Land
I’m Paul Thompson, one of the 10 Americans arrested in Haiti on January 30, 2010.
I want to personally thank you for calling God’s people to prayer. Laura is still in jail. Please continue praying for her and all people of Haiti.

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