During the year 1984, God has established in westbury the first Haitian Baptist church, known later under the name of EBEN-EZER HAITIAN BAPTIST CHURCH OF WESTBURY. This church has a special mission described in Mathieu 28:19,20: “Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.”
To establish this Church, God has used men who have given their times, their knowledge, their energies and their money to the benefit of this philanthropic institution. If God was not with the Eben-Ezer Church, it should be reduced to the impotence. In spite of all, God has always supported and has promised to be always with it until the consumption of the centuries.
It should be noted that at the time of the foundation of the Eben-Ezer Church, Westbury was a virgin ground on the ecclesiastical level. There were only some churches of denominations other than baptists. Rev. Ramino Olivier, Pastor of Eben-Ezer Baptist Church of Brooklyn, a concerned leader of the good news, has observed a spiritual need in that region where there are many Haitians in the search of an assembly to adore and praise God. Conscious of that situation, Pastor Olivier, accompanied by Pastor Daton and Pastor Vilbrun, has left Brooklyn to start that majestic work, called Eben-Ezer Haitian Church Baptist of Westbury. The pioneers met for the first time in brother Paul’s house at Roman Ave, but without success.
On fourth sunday of April 1985, Pastor Olivier returned to Westbury in company of Pastor Vilbrun and Brother Morales Saintilus. They met during a good number of times in the house of brother Andre. In 1986 the church was in a building at Urban Ave and started to grow spiritually and numerically. There,a musical group, very known under the name of Triomphateurs de l’Eternel, occurred. In 1987, the place of worship was at Sheridan Ave. A choir under the direction of the Sister Valentine was born. One year later, that choir was and is still today under the rod of maestro Missage Toussaint. During those years, a group of students at the Biblical School of Clermont was responsible for preaching every third sunday of the month. Later, the following pastors ensured preaching: third Sunday, Pastor Brouard, fourth Sunday, Pastor Sanon or Brother Jespere, and fifth Sunday of certain months, Pastor Abraham.
Among the members pioneers of the Church were the Saintilus family, Sister Bissainthe, Brother Lindor, Brother Catsma and his wife, Brother Jumenal, Brother Jean Crystal and his wife, Brother Frantz, the Francois family, Brother Edzer, etc. They were approximately 20 members. The beginning was not easy, but with the assistance of God those pioneers did an excellent work. After few months Pastor Olivier passed the full responsibility to the brother Morales Saintilus by consecrating him as pastor of Eben-Ezer Haitian Baptist Church of Westbury. Pastor Saintilus, his wife and his first son, Molain, lived in Far Rockaway, a distance of 20 km of Westbury. They were always on time, according to their testimonies, to start the various services, sometimes with very few members brought together or only themselves. In spite of all and of tirednesses, they did not feel discouraged to continue that fabulous work.
Perseverance is bitter but the result is profitable. In 1990, an evangelical orchestra named Flambeau pour Christ whose Brother Boyer was the founder, contributed to the success of that congregation by propagating the Gospel through good spiritual musics. As life is made of up and down, thus the Eben-Ezer Church knew days of happiness and unhappiness.
During the month of July 1998, the faithful ones joined together in a spirit of love and generosity and contributed to the purchase of a building at 859 Ave prospect Avenue in the area of Westbury. It was a victory for the faithful ones to have their own temple to praise and adore God in a spirit of peace without looking at the clock. For a long period, the faithful ones sang that song to express their gratitude with the Lord: With God we will make great exploits.
Defeat always succeeds victory when the standards which govern the Christian unity are not respected. Thus, during the same year, that is to say in December 1998, a cyclone of division has shaken Eben-Ezer Church, because 45% of the active members have given up the church. This division was at the base of a disagreement between the leader in chief and the faithful ones. In spite of this cyclone, with the small group remaining, Eben-Ezer continued its mission of propagating the Good News of the Kingdom of God. The Lord added new members to the church. With the assistance of Christ who is the founder of that Church all the activities were resumed as previously and the disastrous event, which had occurred, was forgotten. The presence of Rev. Duval Denis during the year 2003, in the capacity of superintendent of the Sunday School, contributed to the progress of the church.
In February 2006, the Church underwent a great catastrophe. The pastor of the church was released because of a scandal about him. During a sixteen-month period, the Church was under the leadership of the executive committee. Throughout that duration, people have given up the congregation, including Pastor Denis in first place, because of the tension which reigned in the midst of the assembly. But the hand of God, like it always promised, was on that known congregation. God has used the members of the executive committee to maintain the fraternal communion between the faithful ones by organizing socio-spiritual activities. During the month of July 2007, after one week of prayer, the committee had judged good to request the return and the leadership of Pastor Duval Denis. After ceaseless requests, Pastor Denis, for the salvation of the souls, has agreed to take the direction of the church. On the 4th sunday of July, he was officially presented in the capacity of Interim Pastor of the Eben-Ezer Haitian Baptist Church of Westbury. Since then, the Church is on the right way and on the way of progress at all the levels, spiritual, physical, social and material.
Our great project in progress is the construction of a new temple on our current ground to adore the Lord, because the worshipers increase day by day. It is a challenge for us, because our resources are weak. On this, we request your assistance for the realization of such and a necessary project.
