“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16
Pastor Derozier Bernateau
Pastor Bernateau was raised in a Christian home, and his parents were his earliest model of what it means to follow Christ. Pastor Bernateau’s mother was a faithful servant in the church, and his father was an usher. His family lived in the countryside for his whole life, and it wasn’t until Pastor Bernateau came to Port-au-Prince that the Lord called him to ministry.
That specific calling came after the earthquake in 2010. Facing the aftermath of an unprecedented natural disaster, Pastor Bernateau began to organize church services in the tent city where he and so many others found themselves. During this period of time, he fasted and thanked God daily for His protection; in the midst of destruction, God had preserved their lives, and only God could do such a thing. The Lord used this difficult situation to give Pastor Bernateau a burden for gospel ministry, and he began his path to study and become a pastor soon after. By His grace, God used Pastor Bernateau to build a church—and later, a school—in a place that had until then been marked mainly by disaster.
On March 14, 2021, the church in Port-au-Prince burned down in a fire. It has been a difficult few months—the children still come to school, but sit under a tarp, and the church continues to meet joyfully together for worship and fellowship.
Pray for endurance and encouragement for Pastor Bernateau, his wife, Yvette, and their four children, along with their church family during this season. God is faithful, and our prayer is that this community would experience His peace in a way that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:6).
For information about the work in Haiti and how you can support Pastor Bernateau, visit Pastoral Training.
