International Christian Development Mission (ICDM), directed by Rev. Yvan Pierre, was founded in 1989 with the vision for a better future for Haiti. Pierre, originally from Bayonnais, Haiti, recalls the conditions in his hometown when ICDM started there. “Eighty percent of the people could not read or write. There was no school available for parents to send their children. The nearest school was too far away for young children — a walk of four or five hours over rugged mountain paths. For girls, the situation was even worse, because most parents refused to send them.” He proudly reports that today, more than 600 students attend the school Pierre founded in Bayonnais and 300 children are on the waiting list.
“As a youth I became troubled when I learned that Haiti’s founders had dedicated my country to Satan. In exchange for freedom from French control, Haiti would serve Satan for 200 years. In 1804 they gained independence and established the world’s first black republic. No longer slaves of the French, they became slaves of Satan. The Voodoo religion and its priests control people’s lives and keep them impoverished and uneducated,” said Pierre.
Pierre is combating the challenges Haiti faces through a variety of ministries. ICDM has started schools, sponsorship programs for children, and literacy programs for adults. They have also trained more than 4,000 pastors and church leaders through their training programs. ICDM coordinates a ministry to the elderly, economic development programs, and host short-term mission teams and medical clinics.
The Mission Society is partnering with ICDM as it seeks to transform Haiti. Mission Society staff have made visits to ICDM ministries, held a major training event for their church planters, and provided training for Yvan Pierre.
