A Growth Spurt Like
You Wouldn't Believe

A cross-cultural experiment in Brandenton, Fla.

November 2000

In one day, the membership of the United Brethren church in Bradenton, Fla., jumped from 25 people to 144. Not bad. It was part of a very interesting and unique situation.

On the first Sunday in August, 114 Haitian Christians were received into membership. It's probably the largest number of new members ever received by a United Brethren church.

The aging Bradenton congregation knew something had to give. Their numbers were few, Pastor Gary Brooks was being paid benefits but no salary, and they were renting the facilities to make ends meet. It seemed they had two options--continue going as they were, or sell the church. But Gary envisioned a third alternative--merge with another group willing to become United Brethren.

A church member gave Gary the name of a Haitian pastor, Jean Claude Presendieu. Gary met with him and showed him around the church. As they talked, Gary mentioned that the United Brethren church supported a couple in Haiti named Aldean and Ellen Saufley. Jean Claude smiled. He said he had sat under the Saufleys' teaching for four years.

The Haitian congregation liked the idea of becoming part of the UB church, Southeast Conference liked the idea, and the Bradenton congregation gave it a thumbs up. And so, at the end of June, Gary began teaching a month-long series of membership classes to the Haitian believers. Gary found that they had no problems with UB doctrine and practice, and was impressed with some of the insightful questions they asked.

Then, on August 6, Superintendent Chuck McKeown came to officiate in receiving the new members into the Bradenton church, and to grant a local conference ministerial license to Rev. Presendieu. Both Gary and Jean Claude preached, with Pierre Leon interpreting to and from English and Patua (French Creole, the language spoken by the Haitians).

Gary wanted it to be a single congregation--not an Anglo group and a Haitian group sharing a building, but one congregation. And that's what they've got. They meet separately, but simultaneously. While Rev. Presendieu leads the Haitian worship service in the sanctuary (in Creole), Gary leads an Anglo service in the fellowship hall. Every fifth Sunday, they hold a joint service and share the Lord's Supper.

The Anglos realized, right off the bat, that they would be ceding control. "The Haitians have a voting majority in the church," Gary points out. "We have 25 people, they have 114. We recognize that the Bradenton church will be controlled by the Haitians, and our Anglo people don't have a problem with that." And yet, it's not "we and them"--it's "us," one church. "It's a real experiment."

Various details remain to be worked out, including Gary's role. He's technically the senior pastor, but the Haitians wouldn't look to him as their pastor, but to Rev. Presendieu. So that needs to be formalized. (Jean Claude, by the way, speaks fluent English, as do many of the Haitians.) Gary, a former missionary in Honduras, is accustomed to being flexible and figuring out how to make things work. He has also been involved with the new churches in Mexico, and in trying to start a Hispanic ministry in Miami. "I expect a change in my job description in the near future, as my work increasingly takes on the characteristics of a cross-cultural ministry."

The Bradenton church will also adopt a new name: "Bethesda Evangelical Church of the United Brethren in Christ."

"It's a fun group to work with," Gary says of the Haitians. "I don't understand all the music, but it's great music. Services have been well attended, and there is a good spirit of unity among the brethren, so we are praising the Lord for all he is doing in and for us."