Sharing the Love of Christ
at the Montreal Crusade

by Jerry Gibson with Carol Gibson

More than 20,000 Haitians have immigrated to Montreal, Canada, where speaking French is something they hold in common with other Quebecers. Montreal has a growing Community of Christ congregation that was started by church members who emigrated from Haiti, where the church also has a vibrant membership.

The preservation of pockets of ethnic identity in Montreal can be noted among many cultures. An extension of the Haiti Church and culture certainly exists in Montreal. It is among the Haitian, Creole-speaking Montreal residents that the church continues to expand most significantly.

Seventy Albert Cineus moved from Haiti to Montreal twenty years ago and has been pastor of the Montreal congregation for seventeen years. He became active in the church in Haiti at about the same time as High Priest Pierre Gerard Berard, president of the Haiti Church. Albert and Gerard have stayed in close contact and exchange visits are frequent between church families in Haiti and Montreal.

Rosanna on the tambourine

The Crusade

An annual evangelism preaching crusade is a highlight of the year for church members in both Haiti and Montreal. The Montreal Crusade is held in July each year. It includes nine services, one per evening from Sunday to Sunday, plus a service on the closing Sunday morning. At least one full week before the Crusade is devoted to prayer, visiting, phone calls, etc. to invite people and prepare them for participation. Guest speakers, often from Haiti, are invited to preach. Albert said, “If the guest doesn’t speak French, there is always a volunteer willing to translate from English to French or Creole for the congregation.”

In 2000, Pastor Gerard traveled from Haiti to Montreal to speak during the Crusade. Following that Crusade, Gerard came to Raleigh, North Carolina, for a week of ministry, and stayed in our home. We became acquainted with Albert during the coordination for Gerard’s visit. Albert said he was led by the Spirit to invite me to speak at the 2001 Crusade.

Jerry Gibson baptizes Voltaire

While I was honored at the request, there was a lot of concern and reluctance because I do not speak French or Creole. However, I do have a passion for the gospel and evangelism, so I expressed guarded interest. After several follow-up contacts, I agreed to preach some sermons if Albert, or another representative from Haiti, would preach others. Emilio Alexandre, who had come from Haiti to visit his family in Montreal, agreed to speak on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Carol and I arrived in Montreal in time to observe the Tuesday evening service. What an experience we had that first night-which was actually the third evening of the Crusade. The service began at 7 p.m. There was no translator with us that night, which gave us a unique opportunity to experience the service by observing the rhythms, sounds, and beauty of all that was going on in the Creole language.

The congregation started with praise singing, not too different from that occurring in many congregations in the U.S. The mix of musicians and instruments varied from night to night. Several tambourines were passed out to the audience. The music was conveyed with the help of a large speaker system, a full mixer board, a trap-drum set, two keyboards, two amplified guitars, and six microphones for speakers and singers-all seemingly turned to full amplification. We enjoy praise-worship music, but we could not have been prepared for the degree to which the service got joyously ‘wound up’ as it progressed.

The first prayer lasted twenty minutes. I noted a beautiful rhythmic poetry to it, even though I could not understand the words. After a full hour of preparatory experiences, we sensed a transition to the sermon occurring when Pastor Albert stood to speak. Were we ever wrong! Instead the music tempo and volume picked up for an offertory song that we came to love throughout the week. The loosely translated words are, “I don’t have any money, but Jesus paid the price,” sung in repeated, louder and faster choruses, until everyone in the building is clapping, shaking a tambourine, dancing in place, or even dancing in the aisles.

Participation by the audience followed the offering. Members would send a written note to the presider during the service indicating that they were being led to contribute a prayer, song, etc. Albert explained that this is a typical element of worship services for the Montreal congregation and it added several prayers and many more songs, testimonies, and solos to the service. Visiting ministers from other denominations were always invited to speak as well. This variety of activities took us to 9 p.m. Albert then introduced Emilio who gave the sermon, which lasted another hour. Every night kept us engaged for at least three glorious hours.

Albert sat with us during the sermon to provide translation. His English is limited so we got only about one sentence of each paragraph. However, it was clear that several scriptures were read, as Emilio interacted with the audience, expounding on each passage. He was a very loud, fast-talking, enthusiastic speaker, with the booming mike held right to his lips. Wow!

While my first evening with the Crusade emphasized a contrast to my usual worship experience, Carol and I were genuinely impressed by the enthusiasm and love with which everyone participated. It was a wonderful, uplifting experience. When the service was completed, Carol whispered to me, “Do you think you can preach like that and keep their interest with the translation and all?” Even though I had preached many missionary sermons in the U.S., we were concerned as to whether the ministry we could bring would be effective for purposes of such a crusade.

As the gathering dispersed, Albert stood with us at the door to introducing us to everyone. They all shook hands very politely, but seemed a little reserved. Perhaps they wondered just what to expect from these two white folks from the southern part of the U.S. Did that ever change as lots of hugs and tears of joy were displayed by the time we left on the following Sunday.

I brought ministry to the Wednesday night service with the kind support of Albert and Emilio, who agreed to stand by ready to fill in if the service seemed in any way incomplete. I decided to share many scriptures and preach a basic gospel missionary sermon, resembling what I remembered from my experiences in the fifties and sixties. I preached on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday morning and Emilio preached on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday evening. Our ministry was well received, and blessed by a good spirit all week.

The number of participants who were not church members was impressive. Albert is the only priesthood member active in the congregation, so he often utilizes the talents of two unordained women plus two talented Christian men who are not yet members as presiders for services. Aside from some general plans, the services are free flowing, with changes and impromptu decisions being made as the worship evolves.

Carol said, “The service on Thursday evening was a highlight for me because that was when we really began to feel welcome and a part of the group.” On that particular evening, as parishioners participated in the service, Voltaire, a baritone with a beautiful voice, said a few words and then-looking straight at us-sang “He Touched Me” in English. “He sang several verses in English and by the time he started singing it in French, tears were streaming down my face,” said Carol. “When he finished I immediately got up and went up to give him a big hug. I was truly touched,” she continued.

Carol also developed a special relationship with Wilamin, Albert’s fourteen-year-old daughter. “She was our first-and-always-available translator and communicator for everything we needed to do or know during our week in Montreal. She often played the keyboard for services and, with much encouragement from me, sang for one service,” explained Carol.

Carol selected hymn #31, “Lord Jesus, of You, I Will Sing” from Songs of Peace, which is the only selection in French. Wilamin was very hesitant to sing, but with the help of a six-year-old who had sung earlier in the week, she sang two verses in French. Carol then sang a verse in English and the congregation finished the song by singing the last verse in French. Carol said, “I was thrilled because we were doing it together.”

At another service, I accompanied Carol on my violin as she sang “Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior.” She had found the tune in Wilamin’s Creole songbook so she knew the congregation would be able to sing along. “It was exciting to look into their happy faces as we sang together, though in different languages,” said Carol. “A real spiritual moment for me came when Albert told the congregation that I wanted to share with them my love for Jesus by singing, “My Jesus, I Love Thee,”” she continued.

Tazie (left) with Nicole, who was  baptized at the Crusade

Through music and the scriptures, we were able to communicate our love of Christ and our love for them. At the end of the Crusade on Sunday night, Carol was thrilled as Tazie, Albert’s wife who does not speak much English, hugged her over and over saying, “wonderful Crusade, wonderful Crusade!” Albert was also enthusiastic in his anticipation that “much good is going to come from this week.” As we left the service on Sunday night we were greeted with many hugs and tears of joy. We truly had come to know and accept each other in the spirit of community.