Partners AFCA Village Ministry

AFCA Village in Port au Prince, Haiti, was the vision of Lydie Noel, wife of Partners founder, Dr. Jean Claude Noel. Over a quarter of a century ago, Lydie had compassion on the homeless ladies and children on the streets of Port au Prince. With the help of Christian friends in the United States and elsewhere a ten-acre parcel of empty land on the outskirts of Port au Prince was purchased.

Initial ministries were to provide housing and employment for the women and offer their children an educaiton. Over the years the work has grown, along with the surrounding community it serves. Many teams have come to AFCA contributing their labors and financial support. Today the ministry is comprised of a 400 member church, 500 student Christian school, a clinic and several housing units. 

The earthquake miraculously spared the buildings in AFCA Village, but thousands of people fled from the surrounding the community and still live in a tent city within the compound. Efforts to resettle the refugees have been under way, however the process will be slow and costly. Great labor and cost has been expended over the past year-and-a-half to repair several sections of fallen security wall. It is hoped to advance work on Village projects in 2011, especially to finish the church and vocational center buildings.

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AFCA Village is under the direction of Rev. Renes Deciere who has also been the pastor of the AFCA Baptist Church since its founding in 1998. Renes was born October 13, 1965, and raised in Les Cayes, Haiti. He attend the National School, and then went to vocational school to learn how to become a mechanic. His older brother shared Jesus with him, and in 1981 Renes accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He was baptized in 1983 and in 1986 he moved to Port-au-Prince and finished high school. He began listening to Rev. Claude Noel, pastor of the Nazon Evangelical Church, on the radio. Renes wanted to become a member of his church, and in 1987 started attending it. Renes met his wife, Monique, at Nazon and they were married in 1991. They have a son, Billy Olivier, who attends the AFCA school. Monique has been on staff with Partners with Haiti since 1989, and is the coordinator of the Bethany Project in Haiti.