American Christian missionaries have pleaded for help on WhatsApp after they and their family members were kidnapped near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, according to reports.
According to The Washington Post, an armed gang kidnapped 17 people, including children, who had been traveling on a bus after they visited an orphanage on Saturday.
Following the kidnapping, The Washington Post obtained a Whatsapp message from a person who claimed to have been in contact with the abducted group.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the person said a member of the group shared a WhatsApp group message that read: "Please pray for us!! We are being held hostage, they kidnapped our driver. Pray pray pray. We don't know where they are taking us."
The Post also reported Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries had shared a voice message with religious groups that said men, women and children had been kidnapped.
According to the agency, the message added: "The mission field director and the American embassy are working to see what can be done.
"Pray that the gang members will come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ."
A spokesperson for the U.S. Government said it was aware of reports about the kidnap of the missionaries and their families.
In a statement sent by the Department of State [DoS] to Newsweek, a spokesperson said: "The welfare and safety of U.S. Citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the [DoS]. We are aware of these reports and have nothing additional to offer at this time."
The BBC reported armed gangs have pushed out from the neighborhoods they control in the capital to other parts of the city where they have carried out kidnappings.
It said more than 600 kidnappings have been recorded for the first three quarters of 2021, more than double the 231 that was confirmed to have happened in the same period the previous year.
Newsweek has contacted the DoS, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and Christian Aid Ministries.
Haiti has been gripped by a renewed wave of chaos since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated at his private residence in Port-au-Prince on July 7.
The following month, the crisis was made worse when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the country on August 14 and killed more than 2,200 people and left another 12,200 others injured.
In the aftermath, there has been an increase in violence on the streets as gangs exploit the chaotic situation.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, there have been multiple alerts issued over concerns for violence.
Earlier this week, the embassy issued a list of "actions to take" for people who found themselves in potentially dangerous situations.
It included avoiding demonstrations as well as large gatherings of people, not driving through roadblocks and to turn around if a roadblock is encountered.
The embassy is also warning against traveling to Haiti due to "kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and COVID-19."
The U.S. Missionaries were kidnapped near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on Saturday. In this photo, Leon Charles, head of the Police Nationale of Haiti (C), looks on as the crowd surrounds the Petionville Police station where armed men were accused of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in Port au Prince on July 8, 2021. VALERIE BAERISWYL / Contributor/GettyWhy It Is Important To Pray For Your Pastor
By Gary Wilkerson, Voices Contributor | Saturday, October 16, 2021 Unsplash/Sasha FreemindWhile many Americans are hanging spooky decorations and picking out costumes in preparation of Halloween, October is also Clergy Appreciation Month. It’s a time to not only celebrate church leaders but also to remember the important role they play in our society and local communities, including the significance of their mental health. Unfortunately, however, pastors and church leaders have suffered from increased mental health concerns for far too long.
While I am not a mental health professional, I consider myself to be a pastors’ pastor. Over the years, I have pastored churches in Colorado, Michigan, New York and the United Kingdom. Additionally, through World Challenge—the organization I lead—I have conducted pastors’ conferences in more than 60 countries around the world, speaking and ministering to well over 100,000 pastors. Through these opportunities, I have experienced firsthand and seen the struggles pastors face on a day-to-day basis.
According to a study by Lifeway Research, 23% of pastors acknowledge they have personally struggled with a mental illness. That is almost one-in-four pastors. Why are pastors uniquely positioned towards depression and anxiety?
In 2013, a study by the Clergy Health Initiative at Duke Divinity School stated, “the demands placed on clergy by themselves and others put pastors at far greater risk for depression than individuals with other occupations.”
Think about that. Expectations by themselves and others.
Pastors are exposed to the depths of human suffering, unlike any other profession. The paramedic is there following an accident, but the pastor walks alongside the family at the hospital. The funeral home director takes care of the death of a family member, but the pastor provides spiritual support. The doctor takes care of the cancer patient while the pastor prays for them. The teacher educates the student with a disability while the pastor helps support the family. It is the pastor who is expected to be present and supportive through all of life’s challenges and tragedies. They are sharing in all the suffering of their flock. The weight of this burden can be heavy.
Being a pastor is a public position. Criticism is ripe for any sermon, prayer, event and so forth. Pastors are constantly hearing if their sermon was good or not, if an event was worthwhile to attend or poorly managed. Criticism can have tremendous effects on a pastor’s self-esteem and self-worth. For pastors who are self-critical as well, this can add to the burden and uphill battle to maintain a positive outlook.
All of this leads me to ponder, what we can do about this problem?
In recent years, the topic that got the most response on my podcast was around pastors, depression and suicide. Listeners were dissatisfied with the idea that a pastor would be dealing with things like depression. Instead, listeners felt that pastors should be providing answers to life’s problems—not experiencing them. This thinking emerges when we put pastors on a pedestal. We have to remember that pastors are human just like the rest of us. While they should be “a step ahead of us” in our spiritual journey in order to lead us along, we can’t demand more of them than that. Pastors experience hardship and emotions just like the rest of us.
Pastors must learn self-care. Like the old adage says, “Put your own oxygen mask on first before helping someone else,” it is vital that pastors are emotionally, mentally and spiritually healthy in order to do their job well. However, pastors often believe the opposite and want to take care of everyone else first. While admirable, over the long haul, this approach will only leave them burnt out and empty.
Pastors need to also practice the spiritual disciplines they preach. Daily scripture reading, prayer, and time with the Lord will help encourage and equip pastors for their role in supporting and leading others. These disciplines are essential to the Christian way of life and for keeping us focused on the truth. The Lord’s promises are new every morning and we need to be reminded of the hope found in Jesus every day.
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, don’t be afraid or ashamed to reach out for clinical help. There are many organizations available and willing to help, such as Standing Stone Ministry who specifically helps church leaders. No one should be alone in their time of pain and need.
As Christians, we should commit to praying for our pastors and church leaders each and every day. I implore you to make this a regular practice during the month of October. Our pastors do better when they live healthy, spirit-filled lives. Let’s do all that we can to help and encourage them.
Gary Wilkerson is the president of World Challenge, a global ministry that aims to transform lives through the message and mission of Jesus Christ. Wilkerson is also the founding pastor of The Springs Church, which he launched in 2009. He has traveled nationally and internationally to speak at conferences and conducted mission ventures such as church planting, starting orphanages, clinics and feeding programs among the poorest of the poor and the most unreached people of the earth.