August 19, 2010

Dear PMH Friends,

Many of you have been closely involved for years with Charles and Leon Amicy, Octavius Delfils, and the mission work in Haiti known as the Presbyterian Mission in Haiti (PMH). Recently, your attention has been focused even more closely on this work due to the hurricane of 2008 and the earthquake of 2010. The outpouring of your support and prayers in recent times and throughout the years demonstrates your love for this ministry. And so, it is with deep sadness that the PMH Board writes this letter to you.

In the course of time leading up to and during a visit to PMH in late June, some of our board members became aware of some troubling situations, and then some unsettling rumors, in regard to the leadership of PMH. While in Haiti, they interviewed the parties involved, cleared up some misunderstandings, but sadly, also confirmed certain suspicions by way of clear evidence and testimony, including a personal confession by Charles.

Initially, it seemed that Charles was willing to cooperate. However, the tone changed dramatically as soon as the PMH Board members left Haiti. As a result, the PMH Board determined that the situation warranted suspending all short-term mission trips on the 2010 calendar and stopping the flow of funds to PMH that are being held for the ministry at Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church (WRPC). Also, since Charles is a member of Calvary Presbytery in the Upstate of SC, the PMH Board turned the matter over to the Presbytery, which then assigned their Shepherding Committee to investigate and resolve the matter.

As of August 10th, Shepherding Committee has given its first citation to Charles and asked that he come to Greenville, SC, by August 24th to speak to them in person. The PMH Board has expressed to Charles our willingness to pay for all his travel expenses. However, at this time, Charles has not agreed to comply with Shepherding Committee’s request.

Whereas the job of the Shepherding Committee of Calvary Presbytery is to act as the ecclesiastical authority over Charles, the job of the PMH Board is to provide administrative and financial oversight and accountability. Due to Charles’ willful resistance, we have had to make several hard decisions. As already stated, we have cancelled all short-term teams and stopped the flow of funds to PMH. In addition, even though it will be difficult to enforce, we have suspended Charles Amicy from his role as President of PMH and asked that the titles of all PMH properties be handed over to the PMH Board. We have taken these actions to protect the resources that you have donated in good faith to a ministry that you believed to be above reproach and willing to be held accountable.

While we intend to stand firm in our role, it breaks our hearts to do so. We love our brother, Charles Amicy. From the start of these sad events, the PMH Board has come alongside Charles, his family, and the PMH ministry with sincere love. We confronted Charles in love and sought, and still seek, to stand with him through the entire process of church discipline in love. We are prepared to provide for Charles and his family, to repair them to a location near a church that could provide counseling, and to assist Charles in finding a new vocation so that he can provide for his family. We are poised to assist the other PMH pastors with restructuring the leadership of the PMH ministry and continuing the work of PMH. In fact, we intend to visit Haiti within the next couple of weeks in order to speak to the seven other PMH pastors, one of whom is a member of Calvary Presbytery. God may very well use them to encourage Charles in the right direction. We are praying and working toward this end. Please pray with us.

If all efforts fail in this regard, we will remain committed to Christ’s church in Haiti. We believe there to be PMH pastors that are above reproach. They may be willing to work with us. There are also North American missionaries currently in Haiti that know these pastors very well and we are sure they would be willing to continue working closely with them. We are not throwing in the towel and would ask that you not either. Please consider standing with us, both now and in the future, as these troubling events unfold and as we seek to build up Christ’s church in Haiti.

We thank you for your prayers. May the grace of Jesus Christ be with you!

On behalf of the PMH Board,

Scott Clark
Secretary of the PMH Board
Missions Committee member of WRPC
Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church
2519 Woodruff Rd.
Simpsonville, SC 29681
864-335-9640 (home)
864-483-1512 (cell)