PHILADELPHIA (BRN) – Fifty years of perseverance and God’s faithfulness was marked by moments of recognition and ordaining the next generation of leaders at Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church in Philadelphia on April 19.
During Haitian Evangelical’s 50th anniversary service, BRN Ethnic Church Advancement Consultant Noelson Chery presented Pastor Christian Cesar with a plaque to commemorate the ministry milestone. A nod to the church’s longterm history of training the next generation of ministry leaders, Chery also supported Cesar as he ordained four deacons and a youth pastor.
Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church was first established in Philadelphia in 1976, and was the first Haitian church in the city of Brotherly Love.
Pastor Cesar first came to Haitian Evangelical during the church’s infancy years, after receiving a phone call from a fellow Haitian pastor who previously served as his wife’s pastor in Haiti. At the time, Cesar was serving as an associate pastor at a Southern Baptist Church in Wayne, Pennsylvania, while his calling counterpart was serving in New York.
“One Sunday after service, I received a call from a Haitian pastor…he said, ‘guess what, there’s a group in Philadelphia…they are looking for a Haitian church…next Sunday I will be in Philadelphia, would you like to meet me there and meet the group,’” recalled Cesar.
Without hesitation, Cesar told the pastor that he and his wife would be there.
“We met the group and the group was constituted with about six others and four children. We met the group and we had the best service,” Cesar remembered fondly.
The following Sunday, the group called him and asked if he would like to join them again. Cesar’s visits to Philadelphia became more frequent. The small group of Haitian believers was excited about consistent shepherding and quickly spread the word about “Pastor Cesar.”
“I wasn’t even the pastor,” exclaimed Cesar with a smile and a chuckle. “Pastor Oliver was their leader, but in two more weeks Pastor Oliver called me.”
Oliver informed Cesar that he could no longer continue pastoring the Philadelphia group, due to the ministry he was leading in New York. Naturally, Oliver asked Cesar if he would be willing to lead the group full time.
For a second time, without hesitation, Cesar accepted the call to care for this growing Haitian congregation in Philadelphia.
“I love pastoring…the love of the people, this is what encourages me,” said Cesar.
Starting in a living room, the church rapidly outgrew its original space and was in need of a new home. After a short search, the church moved into a storefront building. The church continued to grow, with renovations expanding their building. In 1976, Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church was officially established.
During that time period, the church affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention as well as what was formerly known as the Greater Philadelphia Baptist Association.
The church remained in their beloved storefront building until 1985, when the building tragically caught on fire.
Through their connection with the Greater Philadelphia Baptist Association, the church was put in touch with Pastor Hal Hopkins, senior pastor of Third Eternal Baptist Church, whose church was just up the road from the devastated storefront.
Third Eternal welcomed Pastor Cesar and his congregation with open arms and offered to share their building. Haitian Evangelical remained in this shared space for two years before purchasing their own building.
Growing in perseverance, the church moved locations one more time after leaving Third Eternal.
In July 1993, Haitian Evangelical settled into their current home, a building that sits along East Chelten Avenue. Prior to the church moving in, the building was formerly a Catholic school and home to the first public library in Philadelphia.
Staying true to the building’s educational roots, Haitian Evangelical began to host English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and established a Bible school, which became a rich part of the church’s history.
Throughout the Bible school’s enduring history, many leaders have been trained and prepared to serve Southern Baptist Churches as well as churches apart of other denominations. In 2024, the school officially shut its doors following financial and recruitment challenges.
As humble beginnings, arduous seasons and joyful eras followed Haitian Evangelical throughout the years, so did God’s faithfulness. For 50 years, Pastor Cesar and his congregation have witnessed the Lord’s steadfastness and boasted of the His goodness to a small Haitian congregation that outgrew their living room.
