“Finally, brethren, pray for us,
that the word of the Lord may run swiftly
and be glorified, just as it is with you…”
2 Thessalonians 3:1
We are a ministry of the Word and Sacrament, and these are our ministers:
Octavius Delfils
Rev. Delfils is a Haitian minister and an MDiv graduate of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 2007 by Calvary Presbytery (PCA) as a missionary evangelist to Haiti.
BenJamin Hopp
Rev. Hopp is Canadian and an MDiv graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He was ordained in 2003 by the Presbytery of the Dakotas (OPC) to serve as pastor of the congregation of Bethlehem Reformed Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Freeman, SD, and then in 2007 was called by the Committee on Foreign Missions of the OPC and installed by the Presbytery of the South (OPC) to be a missionary evangelist to Haiti.
Our Work
Rev. Delfils and Rev. Hopp are working together in church plants located both on the island of La Gonave and in the capital city of Port-au-Prince.The OPC has been working on the island of La Gonave since 2002. This remote, rural island is located in the harbor of Port-au-Prince and is home to over 100,000 people. It takes an hour and a half to reach the island by ferry. The work on La Gonave began with five congregations and has expanded to seven. Attendance at the services of these churches in the mountains of La Gonave averages between 30 and 70 people. The church at Dolgace is led by Pastor Lexene Leveille while the other six churches have men who are elders-in-training. These men teach and lead worship for the congregations from week to week. The training of men for the ministry is done through seminars held four or five times per year on the island. While currently doing an Old Testament survey, Rev. Hopp and Rev. Delfils have also taught on the Westminster Shorter Catechism and other topics including worship and tithing.
Since the Hopp family lives about an hour up the northern coast of Port-au-Prince harbor from Port-au-Prince, Rev. Hopp spends most of his time with the churches on La Gonave, but he does come into Port-au-Prince at least twice a month to preach on the Lord's Day at the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Delmas (RPC Delmas), or in the French language of Haiti, Eglise Presbytérienne Réformée de Delmas (EPR Delmas). We have leased a house in the Delmas neighborhood for the Delfils family so Rev. Delfils spends most of his time with the families that attend RPC Delmas, but he does travel with Rev. Hopp to La Gonave to assist with preaching, teaching, interpreting, and dealing with various church matters. The congregation of RPC Delmas in Port-au-Prince meets under a large tent located on part of a property that is leased for the primary use of Adoration Christian Centre (ACC). Most of the adults do not have a steady job, and very few of those with a job have a monthly salary. Most of them are selling goods in the local market in order to get by. However, we see signs of hope. The congregation is already learning to tithe on their modest incomes. In addition, there is a high percentage of youth and children coming to the church. These young people are getting a good education and being exposed to the Reformed faith. Rev. Hopp and Rev. Delfils offer the congregation a full menu of preaching, teaching and discipleship.
We are delighted to mention our friend and co-laborer in the faith, Mr. Randy Lodder, whose presence in Haiti as Director of the Adoration Christian Centre (ACC) has been such a tremendous support in regard to addressing the many physical needs of the church in Haiti. Mr. Lodder is a Canadian with a background in the Canadian Reformed Churches. He and his wife, Karen, live up the street from the Delfils family and have attended RPC Delmas with their young children since arriving in Haiti in 2007. In fact, the Lodders even transferred their membership from Canada to RPC Delmas and had their children baptized there! ACC is a ministry of deed that seeks to complement the spiritual emphasis of the local church. ACC is a K-12 school that provides a quality education for the local Delmas neighborhood. They offer the school's services especially to single mothers - the poorest of the poor in Haiti. As a ministry under the umbrella of Word & Deed, ACC seeks to support the local church by providing diaconal relief in such a way that fosters grassroots responsibility. Needless to say, this work is a tremendous support and complement to Rev. Delfils and Rev. Hopp. ACC provides Rev. Delfils an additional in-road to the community of Delmas. In some ways, Rev. Delfils acts as a kind of "campus chaplain" for the school. This allows many opportunities for Rev. Delfils to build friendships with the staff, parents, and students of ACC on the basis of the Gospel. In addition, Rev. Delfils makes himself known to the parents of the community when he speaks at school assemblies and other community gatherings. We are very thankful for the way God has providentially aligned RPC Delmas with Adoration Christian Centre. Check out their website at www.adoration.net.
