DALLAS (BP) — Joyful music and uplifted hands filled the banquet room as the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) National Haitian Fellowship (NHF) gathered for worship and fellowship. The praise came despite recent government action regarding deportation and the closing of the border to Haitian immigrants.

Haiti was among 12 countries listed in President Trump’s June 4 directive “to fully restrict and limit the entry of nationals” into the United States.

The travel ban went into effect on June 9, the day of the NHF gathering, which preceded the 2025 SBC annual meeting in Dallas on June 10-11.

Keny Felix, NHF president and senior pastor of Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church, Miami, Florida, said ending the “Temporary Protection Status (TPS)” for Haitians who have lived in the United States for some time contributes to Haitians’ rising fears, causing some members not to attend the SBC annual meeting.

“There’s pain there,” Felix said in interview. “But the beauty is, the churches are still fighting through and collaborating together. That’s the key.”

According to Felix’s welcome letter included in the NHF brochure, the first Haitian Baptist church was established in New York in the 1960s. Today, there are hundreds of Haitian churches affiliated with the SBC.

The NHF mission statement pledges to care for and “connect and serve the needs of SBC Haitian churches and pastors” as they “collaborate to fulfill the Great Commission.”

Despite current uncertainty, the NHF pledges “to continue to engage outside our communities,” Felix said.

During the gathering, Felix looked around the room, which included representatives from various SBC entities, and noted that believers of all ethnicities and backgrounds would be together in heaven.

Entity representatives who presented greetings to the fellowship were: Charles Grant, SBC Executive Committee associate vice president for convention partnerships; Mark Croston, Lifeway’s national director of Black Church Partnerships; Ramon Enrique Osorio, ethnic-linguistic church planting director, Send Network; Daryl Jones, Coordinator, Black Church Collective; John Voltaire, Florida Baptist Convention, Haitian Multicultural Catalyst; and Myles Dowdy, Florida Baptist Convention, Missions and Ministries, Lead Catalyst.

“We stand together,” Felix said. “We are definitely stronger together.”

In interview, Felix pointed to United Nations reports of gang violence, food insecurity and sexual abuse of children that have fueled instability and danger in Haiti.

Felix explained that deportation fears are heightened because those who fled Haiti left home and belongings behind and would “not be returning to anything they could call their own.” He noted that “over a million people” have been displaced. Felix stressed that border security is important but urged compassion for those in poverty and in desperate circumstances. 

The situation in Haiti and the impact on the Haitian community prompted speakers’ remarks at the event. 

Chilere St. Victor, NHF northeast region representative and senior pastor of French Speaking Baptist Church, Brooklyn, New York, drew from Hebrews 10:23-24 to encourage members to “hold fast.”

St. Victor noted that the scriptural admonition to remain steadfast indicated that the Church at the time Hebrews was written needed encouragement also, due to confusing and trying circumstances:

• The unexpected delay of Christ’s return
• The persecution of believers
• The rise of heresy

St. Victor warned listeners that unwelcome change can happen quickly, but to remember that “Jesus will be victorious.” Believers can rely on that truth for courage and can be empowered to “hold fast,” he explained.

“Those who stick with [Christ] will be glorified with Him,” St. Victor said. “This is the message — ‘Hold on. Hold on.’ The victory will be yours because Christ will be victorious.”

In closing, Felix called on three NHF leaders to give ideas for how to remain courageous in the midst of a “very challenging moment, a very challenging time for our churches.”

Dawest Louis, senior pastor, International Connect Church, New Orleans, encouraged members to remember God’s faithfulness.

“We serve a faithful God,” Louis said. “The same God we had yesterday is the same God we serve today. The same God who did amazing things yesterday will do it today.”

Evens Jules, pastor of Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church, Delray Beach, Fla., and former president of the Florida Baptist Haitian State Fellowship, called on members to stay focused on Christ.

“We must keep our eyes on Jesus,” Jules said. “This is where our hope is. When we pray, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus and teach our church members to do that as well.”

John Voltaire, president of the Florida Haitian Baptist Fellowship and senior pastor at three campuses of Grace Connection Baptist Church, concluded the program by reminding listeners that trials are temporary.  

“We’ve been here before,” Voltaire said. “We have faced this before. We trusted. We held strong. This too will pass.”